Dr. Holly and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend that children be seen by six months after their first tooth erupts, or at one year of age, whichever comes first.
What happens during my child’s first visit to the dentist?
The first visit is usually short and simple depending on the age and experience of the patient. In most cases, we focus on getting to know your child and making him or her comfortable. A thorough exam, professional dental cleaning, fluoride application, and x-rays are routinely attempted, but we really try to focus on what is most important at that initial visit.
- One of our main goals is to advise parents the best possible ways to develop techniques for helping their children maintain healthy teeth and gums.
- Introducing the child to the dental setting and getting them comfortable is most important to our office.
- We invite parents to come back on the first appointment to see our office and meet Dr. Holly. Our goal is to build trust between our staff and your child so that we can provide a comfortable dental setting.
- We want our patients to be excited about going to the dentist!
Our office is geared for young patients, with video games in the reception area, TVs on the ceiling in all treatment areas, and a prize machine that takes golden tokens. As pediatric specialists, we have created an environment especially for children, using our best skills to make every visit awesome!!
One of the best things you can do to prepare for your child’s first visit to our office is to maintain a positive attitude. We believe using “kid friendly” words to describe everything we do is imperative to reduce anxiety.
Your child’s primary teeth are extremely important for nutrition and speech as well as maintaining space for the eruption of permanent teeth. We are all about establishing healthy habits for life!!
Did you Know?
Most Children spend less than a minute brushing their teeth.
Have your child brush for the duration of their favorite song to ensure he or she is brushing long enough.
Monitor brushing closely until your child is proficient in brushing alone.
Remember, swallowing too much fluoride can cause problems in the future. Teach your child to spit and rinse properly.
How to Floss Your Child’s Teeth
- Take about 18 inches of dental floss and wrap one end around each of your middle fingers.
- Using your thumbs and index fingers as guides, gently slide the floss between 2 teeth.
- Once at the gum line, pull both ends of the floss in the same direction to form a C shape against one tooth. Pull the floss tightly and move it up and down against one tooth.
- Pull the floss against the other tooth and repeat the motion.
- Repeat this for all of the teeth.
Dr. Holly Cook graduated from LSU School of Dentistry in 2001 and completed a pediatric residency in 2003. She worked for Children’s Hospital in New Orleans before moving to Shreveport. She has been in private practice for 9 years.
