Children's Dentistry: What to Expect at Your Dental Appointment?

As an adult, you might have sufficient experience with dental visits and know what’s involved before you meet your preferred dentist or routine dental checkups. However, as a parent of a child, do you think similar rules apply to your child’s first dental visit? If you aren’t aware, you might be surprised by the information that your child needs a different dentist than the one you visit for dental checkups. Your dentist may well refer to children’s dentistry in Downtown Toronto, as the optimal facility for your kid’s dental and overall health. Although you might find it surprising, you mustn’t consider visiting another dentist for your child a hassle because it benefits them immensely.

When taking your child to a new dentist, you might have questions about the procedures your child might need and want to know how to prepare them for the appointment. To help you understand the process, we highlight some crucial information you can expect at your child’s first dental visit.

Completing Paperwork: When you get to children’s dental care with your kid, expect the clinic staff to request you to complete paperwork for the young one. The paperwork includes a medical and dental history and earlier treatments. You must also provide insurance information or other plans for your kid. Therefore you must carry all papers with you to complete the initial paperwork.

Dental X-Rays: After completing the paperwork, the dental clinic recommends getting x-rays of the teeth and jaw to give the pediatric dentist near you a preview of your child’s development. Although the procedure is straightforward, children might express fears making it essential for you to calm them before proceeding with them. Dental x-rays are not fearful or concerning and do not expose your child to radiation, and capturing images on the x-ray machine is entirely painless. The x-rays are taken to the dentist for evaluation and examination of your child’s mouth.

Dental Exams: the dental exams start after the dentist receives the x-rays and reclines the dentist’s chair to examine your child’s teeth and gums for any noticeable cavities, abnormalities, or other problems. The dentist uses special child-friendly instruments like dental mirrors, probes, and scalers to closely monitor the teeth. Depending on their evaluation of the x-ray, the Little Italy dentist can diagnose tooth decay and cavities to suggest a treatment suitable for the condition.

Parent Discussions with Pediatric Dentists: Children’s dentists encourage parents to have a list of questions to discuss before arriving at the dental practice with their kid. Some common concerns most parents encounter include teething, pacifier and thumb-sucking habits, overall oral hygiene habits, orthodontic development, plaque buildup, et cetera. In addition, parents are responsible for staying focused at the dental practice, especially if they have multiple children. Therefore having a list of questions in possession helps during dental visits for children.

Dental Cleaning: most dentists prefer cleaning children’s teeth after examining them, but some complete the clinic initially before the examination. However, it doesn’t make any difference because cleanings are essential every six months to eliminate plaque and tartar buildup on the teeth, the primary culprits of tooth decay and gum disease. Children’s cleanings generally involve:

• Using scalers to remove tartar buildup on the surface of their teeth.
• Polishing their teeth.
• Rinsing their mouth and providing fluoride treatments.

Parents are permitted to remain with the child during dental cleanings to keep them calm and assured.

Additional Procedures: if your child has further problems like cavities or other dental issues, the pediatric dentist recommends treatment during your visit to ensure you don’t have to schedule another appointment for your kid’s dental health checkup. However, some cases might require severe procedures, making it essential to set aside time for another dental visit to children’s dentistry for your child.

Preparing Your Child

Children have dental anxieties similar to adults when visiting dental practices because they don’t know what to expect at the dentist’s office. As a parent, you are responsible for becoming children’s role models explaining why dental visits are essential and what the dentist does to protect them from the harmful bacteria in their mouths. While you can use some imaginative stories to convince your child, you must try to stay moderate with these techniques because you might scare the child with your explanation. Instead, explain dental visits in simple terms and schedule your child’s appointment in the morning when they are relaxed and alert.

If your child doesn’t have a pediatric dentist, do not consider taking them to your general dentist but prefer Rusholme Family Dentistry providing specialized dental care for children in Downtown Toronto. Kindly schedule a free consultation with the practice with your kid to provide them essential dental care that they need.