First Visit
Before your first visit to our office, please click here to download, print and complete our New Patient Forms.
Preparing your child for the first visit
Before bringing your child to us for the first time, please prepare him or her for this new experience. For very young children, there are excellent children's stories that describe a visit to the dentist. Please discuss the positive aspects of dentistry with your child. Convey good feelings to your child about dental visits being a part of growing up.
Instead of saying, “The dentist will not hurt you,” try saying "The dentist is going to show you lots of new and fun things to make your teeth sparkle and help you to have a prettier smile."
Morning appointments for little ones will catch them when they are most refreshed and most accepting of new experiences. If you expect your child to react well and enjoy the first visit to our office, chances are, he or she will do just that.
While you’re preparing your child for his/her first visit, keep in mind that our staff must also be thoroughly prepared in order to provide the best possible care for your child. That’s why we need you to be completely honest about your child’s health situation. Please provide us with ALL information related to your child's dental, medical and social situation.
On the day of your first visit
When you schedule the first appointment, we will mail or email you the patient registration and health history forms for your completion, or you may print them from our website. For toddlers, we begin the important first visit by introducing ourselves and the office environment. Usually an informal cavity-detection exam is performed. For children over two, a cleaning, examination, and fluoride treatment is performed. Any necessary X-rays of the teeth and jaws will be taken also. After a completed exam, we will prepare a treatment plan, if needed, for your child's dental needs. Although no restorative work is performed at this time, emergency treatment will be rendered.
Please do not be upset if your child cries. Children are often afraid of anything new and strange, and crying is the normal reaction. Please allow us the oppurtinity to develop a relationship with your child. After the first visit, encourage his or her independence and allow us the privilege of bringing him or her to the examination area alone.
Occasionally we provide treatment alternatives for some patients. For extremely apprehensive children, conscious sedation may be utilized in our office. In cases of extensive treatment needs and extreme mental or physical handicapped conditions, treatment may be rendered under general anesthesia in the local hospitals.