The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a child's first visit to the dentist occur by 12 months of age. This visit will enable Dr. Jeff to evaluate your child and introduce you to proper oral hygiene. Diet, fluoride, finger and pacifier habits, and tooth eruption will be discussed to insure optimal dental health.

Before The First Visit:

Please discuss the positive aspects of dentistry with your child. You play a large part in preparing your child for his/her first visit to the dentist. Try to act relaxed and at ease. Any anxiety on your part will probably be sensed by your child. Another way to convey good feelings to your child about dental visits is to remind them that going to the dentist is a sign that they are growing up. You can explain that Dr. Jeff will count and take pictures of his or her teeth.

Please do not tell your child that the "dentist will not hurt" as this may never have entered your child’s mind. Instead, you may wish to assure your child that Dr. Jeff will be gentle and friendly. Also, please avoid using the words "needle, shot, pull", or any other words suggesting unpleasantness. We will explain each of our procedures to children in terms they can understand before we perform them.
If your child is afraid, be reassuring. Young children often cry when faced with unfamiliar situations. Working together, we can overcome any apprehension your child may have. Expect your child to do well and enjoy their visit to our office and chances are they will do just that!

The First Visit:

Our staff will review the health history form with you at the first visit. Your child will be introduced to our dental team and invited to tour the office. You are welcome to accompany your child into the treatment area during the initial exam. This will give you the opportunity to see our staff in action and allow Dr. Jeff to discuss any dental findings and treatment directly with you. Dr. Jeff will perform a head and neck examination and then evaluate the health of the teeth, gums and your child's bite. Additionally, your child will receive a dental cleaning and fluoride. Dental radiographs (x-rays) are taken only as Dr. Jeff feels they are necessary. Additional services will be scheduled for a later visit.

Crying:

While your child may never think to cry, please try not to be upset if your child does cry. This is a normal reaction to the unknown, and we are trained to help fearful children through their dental experience. In fact, crying actually helps us see everything we need to see. As your child matures, it is part of our goal to encourage their independence and promote their self-esteem. Remember when describing their visit, please do not use words such as "needle, shot, drill, pull," or words suggesting unpleasantness. We will treat your child as our own, and perform the dental service in the easiest and safest way possible.

If Your Child has a Cavity:

One of the first things Dr. Jeff will discuss is why your child has a cavity and he will try to implement a preventive plan for your child to limit further decay. There are several ways to fix cavities, white fillings, stainless steel crowns, and pulpotomies or partial root canals. Each of these treatments depends on the extent of the decay in the tooth and how long the tooth that has the cavity will be present. There are four ways Dr. Jeff can help your child be more comfortable when fixing their cavities. The most common way is with nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and sleepy juice (local anesthetic). There are specific cases where cavities are small enough that they can be removed from baby teeth without having the tooth put to sleep. If a patient has minimal work to do and is very anxious the option of oral sedation along with nitrous oxide and local anesthetic can be performed at future appointments. Finally if your child has many cavities and/or they are extremely uncooperative then we have the option of performing our treatment under general anesthesia at Columbus Children’s Hospital. Dr. Jeff looks at each child’s situation individually and will recommend to the parents the best way or ways to help your child.