What to Expect During Your Child’s First Dental Appointment at Midlothian Dental Center

Even some adults are afraid of the dentist. That’s why we take extra care with our pediatric patients. Kids can be alarmed by the sounds and smells during a dentist appointment, so we’re flipping the script and making dental appointments fun! If you’re getting ready to book your child’s first appointment with us, here’s what you need to know.BEFORE your pediatric appointment Book A Tour Of The Kids Zone & OfficeDo you feel more confident walking into an office you’ve already been to before? Us too! This is why we’d like to invite you and your child to take a tour of our office and Kids Zone before your actual appointment. You’ll get acquainted with the staff, the layout of the office and get to see where the cool kids hangout. Our Kids Zone has fun activities and games for your child to play with while waiting to see the dentist.Spread The PositivityYou already know that children pick up on the good (and the not so good) words us adults say, right? The same goes for talking about the dentist. Sharing your positive experiences with the dentist, in terms they can understand, will make them feel better about their first visit. As parents, your words carry a lot of weight and they trust your decisions.Read A Children's Book About The DentistThis is one of the best ways to prepare a child for their first visit, especially if it has a lot of cartoons or images. Most children are visual learners when they’re young, and this helps solidify what you’re telling them about the dentist in picture form. Once they arrive to their first appointment, they’ll instantly recognize things from the book like the dentist chair. It won’t be so scary for them because they’ve already seen it before. You can visit your local library or check out a list of books from Amazon.DURING your pediatric appointmentWhat To Expect During Their First Dental AppointmentIf you haven't already been on a tour of the office, our staff will show you around immediately when you arrive. Once you are under the care of your dentist, you’ll be able to ask questions/share your concerns before they begin the exam. The dentist will perform a gentle, but thorough exam to check on the growth and development of your child’s oral health. Your child will get a gentle cleaning, x-rays, a few fun lessons on oral hygiene, and a fluoride treatment if needed.Now that we’ve covered what to expect, here’s a few oral health and brushing tips for kids. These will help prepare them for exams, and establish good oral hygiene practices that will last a lifetime.

• Remind children to be kind to their teeth (no aggressive brushing)
• Play their favorite song to brush for the full two minutes
• Make brushing a family affair by brushing your teeth with your child
• Reward good brushing behavior with stickers or a high five

You might think that a child’s baby teeth aren’t as important as their permanent teeth, but this simply isn’t true. Think of baby teeth as placeholders for the adult teeth to come, and if they aren’t taken care of properly, the adult teeth are at risk for dental issues. For these reasons and more, it’s important that children visit the dentist on a regular basis, starting after their first tooth appears.P.S. Don’t forget to floss. Book your tour or child’s first appointment by calling our office at:(804) 794-4588.