Dental Services For Children

At our dental office, we are dedicated to treating your whole family—and that includes your children! We are routinely asked if our practice is able to accommodate kids, or if it is necessary for a child to go to a pediatric dentist. The great news is that we are able to start seeing patients as soon as they sprout their first tooth. 

 

We believe it’s important to incorporate children into our patient family so we can create a long-term relationship with them and promote the continuity of care. Below are the services that we offer for children. Give us a call today to start your child on a lifetime of healthy teeth! 

 

Build a sense of comfort  

 

Some dentists disagree on when the best time is to bring your children in for their first visit. We believe that around one year old is the most appropriate time, both developmentally and physically. 

 

First, we want your child to become comfortable with the chair, bright lights and equipment in the office. The first visit is one that is just as important for the parent as it is for the child, too. At this appointment, we will take a look at your child’s teeth, but not use any tools. This is more of a fun “exercise” for you child as we count the teeth. In addition, we will show them the equipment in the room to help distill any fears. This is also the perfect opportunity to discuss early oral hygiene with parents.  

 

For example, it’s recommended that you use a fluoride toothpaste on all children. The amount of toothpaste on the brush should be no larger than a grain of rice to prevent damage to the teeth. You’ll learn more tips like this when you bring your children in for their first visit. 

 

Talk about oral habits 

 

It’s common to hear parents whisper at early visits that they’re afraid of dental problems for children that still suck thumbs or use a pacifier well into toddler years. We understand that breaking habits can be hard, but we’re here to help educate parent on all changes—possible and certain—to expect in your kids’ mouths. 

 

When you bring your children in, we’re able to examine the structure of the mouth and determine if any damage has been done, for example, in the case of pacifier or thumb-sucking. In addition, we can work with you to create strategies for breaking bad oral habits and methods to mitigate any damage that had been done.  

 

Developmental milestones 

 

From baby teeth erupting to adult teeth to braces, we are here to guide parents and provide expert advice and referrals until the day your kid leaves home. We understand you might have questions about when is the right time for braces or what to do with wisdom teeth. We will talk you through every milestone and work collaboratively to make decisions. Working with a child since his or her first tooth also allows us to view trends and how they respond to treatments over the course of time.  

 

Start good habits as early as possible 

 

We want to instill good oral hygiene habits from an early age so that it becomes the norm in the daily routine and not something that kids feel they need to fight. This includes having age-appropriate conversations with children about the benefits to brushing and flossing, discussions on the proper use of fluoride, and talks about cavity prevention. In addition, we want to make the bi-annual visits fun and something children are not afraid of. Starting early by bringing them to the dentist will help quell those fears. 

 

Dr. Marchbanks’s office offers a variety of services—with serving kids being just one! Take a look around our website today to discover the other unique services we offer!