A patient is under pediatric care up to age 16. We strive to make our young patients feel completely comfortable at our office and make it a positive experience to encourage them to look forward to coming to the dentist! During a cleaning appointment, we examine the development of the mouth, do a comprehensive cleaning and polishing of the teeth to remove any dental plaque and take any necessary xrays. We will then provide instructions and review proper home brushing and flossing techniques.

BABIES, TODDLERS & PRESCHOOLERS
While we enjoy all our patients it is the little ones that hold a special place in our hearts. We have several patients that started with us in the womb as we provided prenatal dental care for mom and then started seeing the child as young as 6 months old and we are still seeing them as adults.
One of the benefits of seeing us for your child’s dental care needs is our ability to follow their development throughout childhood and into adulthood.

The First Visit
We encourage parents to stay with their children in the treatment room, but we advise that “a silent smiling parental presence is extremely helpful” and let us lead the appointment.
It’s important that we build trust between our team and your little one. As a father of two, Dr. Chicvak does everything he can to make our young patients feel comfortable and at ease. Only then will he begin “counting the teeth” which is the start of the examination. Dr. Chicvak will also review with you how and what to use in caring for their teeth and the effects of diet on tooth development. Depending on the child’s comfort level, we may polish the teeth and apply fluoride.

How To Prepare Your Child For The Best Experience Possible
To make the best out of the visit, we recommend the following:
Schedule the appointment at your child's best time of day.
Choose an adult with the least amount of dental anxiety to be with them during their appointment. We don’t want any adult anxiety unnecessarily put onto your little one.
Keep it simple – there is no need to get into detail about the visit with your child. Most adults with fear of the dentist say the fear formed during childhood and negative experiences so we want to make sure they have the best experience possible!

With all this in mind, please remember:
        -Do not use the visit to the dentist as a threat or punishment.
        -Do not talk about needles, your own dental fears or say “it’s not going to hurt”.
        -When the visit is over, do not ask your child, “that wasn’t so bad, was it?"

More Tips? Read a dentist's POV

SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN