Our goal at Hanover Family Dentistry is to provide a fun and comfortable place to introduce kids to dentistry. In accordance with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists, we recommend that your child first be seen by a dentist for kids before their first birthday. This visit helps your child become familiar with the dentist and the dental office. Making this first visit comfortable and enjoyable helps your child develop trust in your dentist and comfortable at future visits. This visit also provides you the opportunity to ask questions.
Hanover Family Dentistry for Kids
We want everyone to have a pleasant experience at their dental appointments, so we work especially hard to make children comfortable during their visit. Your child will learn about the various tools the dentist and hygienist use to clean and examine teeth, along with learning the importance of proper care.
Ensuring children are seen by a dentist regularly starting at a young age will help keep them in optimal oral health. It will also reduce the likelihood of developing problems that may require more advanced dental procedures and help curb anxiety about visiting the dentist.
With younger children, the dentist will help educate you and your child on:
- When to expect your child’s teeth to erupt (come in)
- Cavity prevention and building good oral hygiene habits
- Protecting developing adult teeth
If your child is older this first visit gives your dentist the opportunity to answer questions that you may have, such as:
- Can thumb sucking be harmful to my child’s teeth?
- What are dental sealants and how do they work?
- If my child has a toothache, what should I do?
- How safe are dental X-rays?
- My child plays a sport, how should I protect my child’s teeth?
- What type of bottle should my child use?
Some Tips for the First Visit:
- Discuss good experiences you have had at the dentist
- Speak positive about the visit
- Show the child pictures of the office on the website
- Explain how the dentist will count their teeth
Early development of good oral hygiene is important in preventing future problems affecting your child’s health, well-being, and self-image. Our dental office offers high quality dental care for children and adults alike. Our caring team makes every effort to help kids stay relaxed and receive the treatment they need. Parents are always welcome to accompany their children for all procedures but we have found that many times children do better with mom and dad in the waiting room. As with all items relating to children, this is entirely up to the parents’ discretion.