Your Child's First Dental Visit

Along with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, we recommend that a child's first dental visit be scheduled by his/her 1st birthday. It is very important to make their first visit as positive and enjoyable as possible. We want your child to enjoy getting to know our friendly doctors and knowledgeable staff and be comfortable at all times. A pleasant, comfortable first visit builds trust and helps put the child at ease during future office visits. Let the child know that the doctors and staff will explain everything in detail and will answer any questions he/she has. Children should be encouraged to discuss any fears or anxiety they may be feeling.

Benefits Of A Year One Dental Visit

• 1 + 1 = ZERO. ONE dental visit when there's ONE tooth can equal ZERO cavities.
• Visiting a pediatric dentist by the time the first baby tooth appears enables the child to have a dental home and begin a lifelong preventive dental care program to minimize tooth decay and cavities.
• Pediatric dentists can detect early tooth decay, provide parents with information on proper oral and facial development, determine fluoride needs and more.
• The year one dental visit can actually save money. A study in the journal Pediatrics showed that children who have their first dental visit before age one have 40 percent lower dental costs in their first five years than children who do not, due to the cost of dental and medical procedures that may be necessary as a result of poor oral health.

Preparing Your Child For Their Dental Visit

Parents should try to casually introduce the visit as a new experience and keep from using any words that could cause unnecessary fear, such as "needle" or "drill." We are experienced in dealing with children with anxiety and can explain treatment procedures in a positive and pleasant manner to avoid any anxious or negative feelings toward dentistry. We really like these books about going to the dentist:

• The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist by Stan and Jan Berenstain
• Throw Your Tooth on the Roof (Tooth Traditions from Around the World) by Selby Beeler
• Max Goes to the Dentist by Adria F. Klein
• Dora the Explorer-Show me Your Smile! by Christine Ricci

New Patient Forms

To help us with your chart, please download and print the appropriate forms, fill them out and bring them to your child's first appointment.

• Health History Form
• HIPPA Forms
• Authorization for a Care-Taker

These forms require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. If you do not have Adobe Reader already installed on your computer, click the Adobe logo to download.

With 2 locations to better serve you, Alameda and Pleasanton Pediatric dentistry offers sedation dentistry, fillings, dental care and treatment for kids and teens, including the treatment of cavities and helping special needs children. We pride ourselves on being the best kids dentist in the Bay Area! We also help patients in Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Livermore, Castro Valley, San Leandro, Oakland, San Ramon, CA.