Healthy Smiles Start Early
The ideal time for your child’s first visit to our office is around the age of one or at the time of eruption of their first tooth.
During your child’s first visit, we will evaluate the development of your child’s mouth, review how to care for teeth and gums, and educate you on possible harmful habits. The prevention and education aspect of the first visit is truly the most important!
Our goal is to make the first visit an enjoyable experience for all. Ultimately, we strive to help all children feel good about visiting the dentist and motivate them to keep healthy smiles. Below we have books you can read to prepare for your first visit and we have a list of tips that include what to expect for your child’s first time at the dentist. While our youngest new patients may not be ready to learn all about going to the dentist just yet, we create a new opportunity for them to learn and feel safe and comfortable as they grow.
Before your first visit (or visits around the age of 2-3 years of age) you can read one of the many age-appropriate “My First Visit to the Dentist” books which will help your child prepare. A few of our favorites include:
Dora The Explorer’s Show Me Your Smile!: Visit to the Dentist. Dora explores the dentist’s office, gets her teeth cleaned, and more! She even gets a special treat for being such a good patient!
Sesame Street Ready, Set, Brush: A Pop-Up Book. Elmo, Zoe, and their friends from Sesame Street show kids how easy it is to care for their teeth. Learning to brush has never been so much fun!
Daniel Goes to the Dentist: Inspired by a wonderful Daniel Tiger TV episode, Daniel goes to the dentist for his first visit. Despite feeling nervous for his first visit, he realizes that by learning and seeing what is going to happen first, he feels much better.
You might find the tips on the right helpful when preparing for your first visit. You’ll also learn what you can expect during the appointment. We look forward to your child’s first visit! Schedule online today.
New to Enfield Pediatric Dentistry?
In order to speed up the check-in process, the front desk staff will send you a link via text message and e-mail to fill out important information about your child and family. If you are bringing more than one child, please fill out ALL forms for EACH child.
Tips For Your First Visit
Bring along a favorite stuffed animal, security blanket or toy. It will help relax your child for their first visit and we are happy to count the teeth of their doll or stuffed animal too!
We will provide care while the child is sitting on your lap to help them feel secure. Many times we start your child off with only a toothbrush and toothpaste and do our exam during brushing. You may hear us refer to this exam as “lap to lap”. See our lap to lap video.
Kid-friendly words are very important for this new adventure! Do NOT use words like ‘drill’, ‘needle’ or ‘hurt’ in preparation for their first visit. We like to introduce them to our ‘tooth tickler’ and ‘Mr. Thirsty’ to name a few during their visit.