We would prefer to see the child as soon as the first teeth erupt. This is usually between the ages of 5-8 months. This exam is accomplished with the parent holding the child. Yes, they usually make some noise, but it only takes a moment and enables us to introduce our Infant Dental Care Program. This program helps us to assess your child's risk to dental disease. We can sometimes make recommendations to reduce this risk.
Most children age 3 and over accept the initial examination appointment very well. A few are hesitant, and a small minority are totally unwilling to cooperate. If your child should fit into one of the last two categories, we would appreciate it if you would step back and let us handle the situation. We deal with these problems every day. The parent is welcome to be present for the first appointment. In rare cases we may ask the parent to give us a few minutes alone with the child. Our establishing a rapport with the child is very important. Do not over-prepare your child for the first appointment. It is best if only one parent accompanies the child, and it is a great help if you can make arrangements for someone to care for the brothers and sisters. This allows us to concentrate on the child that we are examining.
Visit our Patient Forms page to download and print the new patient forms you will need filled out at the initial visit, to help expedite your appointment.