Your Child's First Dental Visit

Establishing A “Dental Home”

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Dental Association (ADA), and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) all recommend establishing a “Dental Home” for your child by one year of age. Children who have a dental home are more likely to receive appropriate preventive and routine oral health care.

The dental home is intended to provide a place other than the emergency room for parents.

You can make the first visit to our office enjoyable and positive. If old enough, your child should be informed of the visit and told that the dentists and staff will explain all procedures and answer any questions. The less to-do concerning the visit, the better.

It is best if you refrain from using words around your child that might inspire unnecessary fear, such as needle, pull, drill, or hurt. Pediatric dental offices make a practice of using words that convey the same message, but are pleasant and non-frightening to the child.