FIRST EXPERIENCES ARE MOST IMPORTANT
PATIENCE, CARE AND TRUST
PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY
A special place in Smile Studio is reserved for our little patients. Namely, children require special treatment, not only in the methods that we apply while treating them but also in the way we approach them. When working with children it is very important to gain their trust in order to get our little patient comfortable enough to sit on the chair, open his/her mouth and allow access to some doctor that uses strange swirling contraptions. That trust combined with frequent controls and oral hygiene is the key to lifelong dental health.
Healthy habits are made in early childhood
It is very important for parents to teach their children, as early as possible, that teeth need to be cared for and that oral hygiene needs to be consistent. Little children should see teeth cleaning as a game in which, by using a very soft toothbrush and no toothpaste, the child creates a habit that is crucial to his/her oral health.
As soon as 2-3 years of age, when all the baby teeth grow out, the parent should organize a dentist appointment in order to familiarize the child with the clinic, appliances and most importantly to meet and establish a good relationship with the dentist.
Patience and care build a path to trust
The ‘tooth fairy’ frequently works in our Smile Studio clinic, where she uses her special ‘magic’ chair, ‘magic’ straw and other enchanted appliances to help our youngest patients relax and cooperate. It is necessary to point out that it takes a lot of patience to establish quality cooperation in the therapist-child relationship. In order to achieve that, it sometimes takes several appointments before the child is comfortable enough to open his/her mouth and allow the therapist to manage some work. The parent needs to understand that this isn’t a waste of time, quite contrary, the conversation between the doctor and the child itself or the mere ride on a ‘magical chair’ is a big step forward on the path to realize a quality relationship based on trust. It is also important to emphasize that the first dentist appointment should never occur when the child already has toothache or when you notice a ‘black dot’ or a ‘hole’, because at that point it is necessary to immediately react with therapy in order to stop the pain, which means we’re skipping the most important step and that is building trust.
Children that experienced an unpleasant first dentist appointment develop fear towards the dentist, and our most important goal is for every child to become a patient who, not only doesn’t fear the dentist, but looks forward to every visit to our clinic.
Is it necessary to treat baby teeth?
Parents often believe that baby teeth don’t need treatment because they’re bound to fall out soon. Naturally, this is completely incorrect – health of baby teeth is very important since they guard the space for permanent teeth and in that way guide the teething and growth of the permanent tooth. They also have an important role in the proper development of the upper and lower jaw. It would be ideal if baby teeth could be accordingly maintained, until the moment when they fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth. Due to these reasons, it is important to treat baby teeth. If the teeth are misaligned, or in other words, there is a form of an orthodontic anomaly, we will attempt to recognize it as soon as possible in order to shorten the period of using braces and to improve the therapy success.
How to prevent my child from getting cavities?
Smile Studio places great importance on prevention in order to avoid any dental problems or cavity and in that way relieve our little patient of any negative experiences he/she might have. The ideal cavity prevention tool is fluoride because it protects the dental enamel and makes it more resistant. This is why we coat our patient’s teeth with a fluoride preparation. Sealing deep fissures (‘pits’ on the tooth crown) on back teeth is another cavity prevention technique which also assures better hygiene. Keep in mind that fissure sealing of first permanent teeth i.e. the ‘sixes’, is especially important and we advise all parents to bring their ‘young ones’ as soon as they notice that those teeth grew out.
When is the time to take my child to the dentist for the first time?
First dentist appointment should occur around 2-3 years of age, when all the baby teeth grow out.
How often should I take my child for dentist appointments?
Make note that by regular visits to the clinic (control check-ups every 3-6 months) you allow our dentists to detect and treat smallest of cavities early, as well as to detect orthodontic anomalies while the child is still small and treat it early with orthodontic braces.
The atmosphere of the clinic, to include everyone on staff, is extremely friendly and helpful.
Eilert Ann
USA
