The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and our office recommend that your child visit the dentist by his/her 1st birthday. You can make the first visit to the dentist enjoyable and positive. Your child should be informed of the visit and told that Drs. Gascoyne and Zummo and their team will explain all procedures and answer any questions.
If you desire, we invite you to stay with your child during the initial examination. The first part of the new patient experience will be with our friendly dental hygienist who will give them some advice on how to do a perfect job each time they brush. There will also be demonstrations of proper brushing and flossing to promote good habits during their cleaning. Next, the children will pick a toothbrush and demonstrate how they brush their teeth. They will then be escorted to a dental bench where they will have the cleaning and examination procedure explained to them. Depending on their age, we will employ different games, puppets, or “hands-on” play to get them comfortable before the actual procedure. The hygienist will then thoroughly clean the teeth, and Dr. Gascoyne or Zummo will perform an exam. X-rays may be required to detect cavities and assess proper growth and development of the teeth. At our office, we use the latest in child size digital x-ray equipment. We even have a new digital x-ray machine that will allow them to take difficult x-rays without gagging.
Dr. Gascoyne or Zummo will then discuss every aspect of your child’s teeth including proper diet, preventative measures, fluoride, avoiding trauma, harmful habits, growth and development, and general oral care.
