It is very important that the 1st visit is a pleasant experience; good preparation is key. Our first visit aim is to meet you and your child, introduce you to our child-friendly dental environment and our team and establish a course of action.
On arrival in the waiting room your child can play with toys or books while you are asked to fill out a simple medial history questionnaire. Following a chat in the waiting room we will enter the surgery, introducing it gently and examine your child’s teeth.
If your child is happy to jump up on the dental chair we can check the teeth there, but if not we can look at the teeth sitting on your knee or a normal chair. We will take x-rays and clinical photographs as necessary, gathering all the baseline information to get the best individual plan together for your child’s dental care. At the first visit we will also begin discussions on fluoride use, brushing and diet.
During examination we will assess your child’s coping abilities and determine how best to approach treatment to ensure your child manages well. Many children will only need a caring approach and gentle introduction to the dental setting in order to cope with treatment.
Young or anxious children may require a different approach to their dental treatment including the need for nitrous oxide inhalation sedation (happy air!) or a general anaesthetic. We will discuss all these options in detail before a plan is decided upon.
In most cases non-emergency treatment is not started at the consultation appointment however, if a child is in pain or has infection we will address this.
By the end of the initial consultation we aim to have a provisional individual treatment plan formulated, including an estimate of costs and number of visits required. You may be presented with different treatment options for discussion at home.
On leaving the surgery you will be given a new appointment and also given all our contact details so if you have any queries regarding the plan we are easy to access at any time.
