What should I tell my child before his or her first visit?
You can explain to your child that the dentist wants to be his or her friend and help him or her with his/her teeth. At the first visit, the dentist will count your child's teeth and may take some pictures of his/her teeth. Never tell a child that the dentist will not hurt, as this may never have entered his or her mind, but rather, that the dentist will be very gentle.
The First Visit
The child's first visit is important for several reasons. In many instances, it is the child's first experience with dentistry; in some cases, the child has had a previous unpleasant experience.
Emergency problems will be dealt with first. If your child is in pain, we will do our best to alleviate it.
If there are no emergency problems, we will examine your child's mouth (lips, cheeks, tongue, floor of mouth, tonsil area, hard and soft palate), check the growth and development of the head, and check the teeth and gums. We will take such X-ray films as are possible and necessary.
We will evaluate any tongue, lip, cheek or thumb habit that may influence the development of attractive teeth.
During the initial visit, we will confer with you about your child's health history. After this has been completed, there will be a consultation during which we will discuss findings and recommendations. Dr. Congleton, Dr. Harrison and their staff will be happy to answer any of your questions at this time.
Patient Registration Forms
If you'd like to obtain the forms needed for your child's first visit now, you can find them on our Patient Forms page.