Information For Patients

My First Visit

INFANTS

Along with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association, we recommend that a child’s first dental visit be scheduled by their 1st birthday. We always want you and your child to be comfortable and to enjoy getting to know our doctors and staff.

A pleasant, comfortable first visit builds trust and helps put the child at ease during future dental visits. Please communicate any concerns and expectations for the visit to our staff. We want to be accommodating and support you any way that we can.

We will record the child’s dental and medical history, complete a comprehensive examination and discuss any findings with you. We will also review the importance of maintaining a good dental health program with you and your child to ensure a healthy and beautiful smile for life. Tips for brushing baby’s teeth and gums, dietary counseling, and other growth and development assessments will be provided. Feel free to prepare a list of questions or concerns to bring with you, so that we may adequately address them. A parent or legal guardian must be present for the child’s first visit.

KIDS

If your child is older for their first visit, then we will be happy to tailor that visit to your child’s individual needs. If age appropriate, we may prescribe x-rays, cavity diagnosing and/or growth and development. Please inform us if your child has had an experience prior to visiting our office, so we may communicate with the child any concerns they may have at the start of the appointment. We will make every attempt to obtain x-rays taken at a previous provider.

Our doctors prescribe radiographs in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s guidelines, which is the standard of care. A parent or legal guardian must be present for the child’s first visit.

TEENS

While many may think that pediatric dentists are meant for providing dental care exclusively for young children, they are actually trained to treat kids of ALL ages–teens included! In fact, they are the best choice when it comes to caring for your teen’s teeth. Teens have a higher risk for cavities than adults and more risk for traumatic injuries to teeth and pediatric dentists are best for treating these types of dental issues. Pediatric dentists are also trained to determine if your teen needs orthodontic treatment. We understand the specific dental needs of teenagers and provide the best dental care in an office that is anything but kiddie.

Appointments

SCHEDULING

We try our best to accommodate our patients as much as possible when scheduling appointments. We have found that children with extensive dental work or preschool children are better to be seen early in the morning when they are fresher and can have a more positive experience. Some appointments may require the child to miss some school; however, these are considered excused absences. With continued care, appointments during school can be kept to a minimum.

CANCELLATIONS

We request 24-hours’ notice if you need to cancel your appointment per child. If you have two children scheduled, then 48 hours’ notice is requested. We are aware that unforeseen events sometimes require missing an appointment, but we ask for your help as a courtesy to all of our patients. Continued broken confirmed appointments may result in an additional charge, or in some cases even dismissal from the practice. Cancellations may be made via phone, text, email, or voicemail if after hours.

TARDINESS

Please make every effort to be on time, if not a few minutes early for your appointment time. If you are more than 15 minutes late, that is considered a broken appointment. Every minute into your child’s appointment time gives our staff less time to work with your child and make the appointment a great experience. We also must consider that tardiness, especially early in the day, can make all the subsequent appointments run behind as well. We understand that our parents are very busy, and their time is just as valuable as our time. Please make every effort to help us run on time.

APPOINTMENT LENGTH

Some children require longer appointment times for their checkups or dental treatment for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to complex medical history, special needs, behavioral issues, anxieties, etc. Please note that our goal is to provide each child with the time and supportive staff they need.

Financing & Insurance

Our office is committed to helping you maximize your insurance benefits. Because insurance policies vary greatly, we can only estimate your coverage in good faith but cannot guarantee coverage due to the complexities of insurance contracts. Your estimated patient portion must be paid at the time of service. As a service to our patients, we will bill insurance companies for services and allow them 45 days to render payment. After 60 days, you are responsible for the entire balance, paid-in-full. If you have any questions, our courteous staff is always available to answer them.

Your treatment plan will include a breakdown of all applicable fees, and we will inform you of all costs before treatment is administered. Payment is expected at the time treatment is rendered, unless special arrangements have been made prior to your appointment.

Patient Forms

Blogs

Part Shark, Part Human

Typically, when permanent teeth are coming in, they erupt directly beneath the baby teeth, causing those baby teeth to become loose and ultimately fall out.

How Often Should One Change Their Toothbrush?

Although this may come as a shock to you; toothbrushes aren’t meant to last a lifetime. With constant use, the bristles become weak and begin to become misshapen.

Early Dental Care: Importance of Primary Teeth for Infants and Children

Normally the first tooth erupts between ages 6 to 12 months. Gums are sore, tender and sometimes irritable until the age of 3. Rubbing sore gums gently with a clean finger, the back of a cold spoon or a cold, wet cloth helps soothe the gums.

Total Preventive Care for Children's Dental Health: Services, Education, and Technology at Our Practice

Our practice provides a wide range of dental services for children, including preventative measures like sealants and fluoride treatments. Our goal is to achieve and maintain optimum oral health through advanced techniques and technologies.

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