Parents or guardians need to accompany their children to their appointments.
Most children do better without parents being present, but we are happy to have you with them.
If you choose to be present, please follow these guidelines for a positive experience:
- Allow us to prepare your child and guide the conversation to ensure they feel comfortable and informed throughout the appointment.
- Please be a silent observer, to help us communicate with your child.
- Children may express strong emotions during their appointment. While we understand this is a normal response, we will guide them through the experience and maintain control of the situation to ensure a smooth and positive outcome. We appreciate your support in letting us lead the way.
We intentionally use child friendly language that is thoughtful, evidence based and centered on your child’s comfort and relationship with dental care when talking about dental instruments and procedures in the office.
This does the following:
- Reduces fear and anxiety that can be associated with words like “needle’, ‘drill’ or ‘extraction’.
- Builds trust and cooperation by using positive language that supports understanding throughout the process.
- Supports age-specific understanding.
- Encourages a positive dental experience in the office
We will maintain transparency with parents and care givers when explaining and describing treatment. If you ever have questions about what we say and what it means, we are happy to explain in greater detail.
Instead Of:
Needle or shot
Drill
Drill on tooth
Pull or yank tooth
Decay or cavity
Examination
Teeth cleaning
Rubber dam
Gas (nitrous oxide)
We Recommend:
Sleepy juice
Water whistle, tooth tickler
Take away the sugar bugs
Tooth dance, wiggle a tooth
Sugar bugs
Count teeth
Tickle teeth
Raincoat or trampoline
Silly air
Our goal is to create a positive experience for your child. We’re confident that with your support, the appointment will go smoothly!
If something comes up and you have concerns, we’re here to help! Simply take a clear photo of the issue and email it to us.