First Visit

The First Year of Life

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends your child's first visit to the dentist should be scheduled by the first birthday. Don't wait until there is a problem!

Why So Early?
Your child's visits should begin early for more than one reason:

Many baby teeth remain until eleven or twelve years of age.
Baby teeth can quickly decay due to baby bottle syndrome. Often cavities form on the backside of the upper front teeth. The cavities are not visible by most parents until the decay spreads. Your pediatric dentist can suggest ways to avoid the problem. He can also spot problems early before they get out of hand.

Good preventive habits begin early
Establishing a relationship with a pediatric dentist early helps if there is an accident and you are looking for emergency treatment. Our office provides 24 hour on call emergency services.

Some issues you may face in the first year of life
Early habits such as pacifier sucking are OK unless they continue too long or are done in excess.

It is recommended that bottle-feeding be discontinued at around 12 months of age. Leaving juice or milk in a bottle at naptime or bedtime is especially dangerous. If you child needs a bottle as a pacifier, place only water in the bottle.

You must begin cleaning the child's teeth as soon as they appear.

Your child's first tooth will likely appear around 6 months of age, give or take a few months.

Proper diet and fluoride considerations should be evaluated early to provide optimum intake of fluoride and nutrients for your child's developing teeth.

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Helping the Anxious Child

Some children cannot receive dental treatment in the usual manner due to their young age, fear, or inability to cooperate. Options available for these children may include the following:

• Delaying treatment until the child is more cooperative.
• Restraining the child to accomplish the required care.
• Sedating the child to a level at which dental care can be provided or giving the child a general anesthetic in the hospital.

These possibilities all include various advantages, disadvantages, and risk. Delaying treatment may allow dental disease to progress to an emergency situation, including possible abscess formation, infection, pain, fever and risk to the developing permanent teeth. Restraining a child may increase fear of dental treatment, and general anesthesia may adversely affect some children. However, these options are most appropriate for many infants and young children that are totally uncooperative and, in fact, they may help them overcome their fears.

Nitrous Oxide/Oxygen Analgesia
Nitrous oxide/oxygen is a blend of nitrous oxide and oxygen. It is often used in the dental setting to help reduce anxiety. Your child will notice a sweet, pleasant aroma, experience a sense of well-being, and most likely relax.

Complications with nitrous oxide/oxygen are extremely rare. Its sedative effects are completely gone five minutes after it is stopped. It is eliminated through the normal breathing process. However, each child is unique. In extremely rare cases a patient may become nauseous momentarily. We have used this procedure for over 30 years with absolutely no other adverse affects.

If your child may receive nitrous oxide/oxygen during a visit, the following simple rules should be observed:

• Give your child little or no food before the visit. A full stomach can increase the likelihood of nausea.
• Be sure to let us know if your child is experiencing any respiratory condition that might make administration and absorption of the nitrous oxide/oxygen difficult.
• Be sure to let the doctor or assistant know if your child is taking any medication on the day of the appointment.
• Be sure to let the doctor or assistant know if your child is prone to motion sickness.

Restraints
Restraints, such as the papoose blanket (pedi-wrap), help prevent sudden movements and provide your child with a secure environment. This restraining device is made of a plastic back with fabric that wraps around the child. This device is comfortable, will not harm the child, and is utilized for the child's safety. This type of restraint is commonly used in hospital emergency room environments to assist in rendering emergency care, such as suturing a laceration to a young uncooperative child and in many instances helps to calm them.

If restraint is necessary for your child it will be discussed with you, along with alternatives, and you will be required to sign an informed consent form indicating your understanding and approval of this form of management. Oftentimes, simple arm/leg restraint by a parent or assistants is all that is required to assist a "wiggly" child.

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Appointments, Hours and Payments

Scheduling Appointments
To schedule an appointment, simply phone one of the Alabama Pediatric Dental Associates offices closet to you.

In order to serve the maximum possible number of patients, we schedule longer appointments after school hours. If possible, appointments for smaller children are scheduled during morning hours.

New Patients
If your children are not already patients of Alabama Pediatric Dental Associates, simply call our nearest office and ask for the New Patient Appointment Secretary. You'll be asked a few simple questions so we can prepare to serve you and your child more effectively. Your initial appointment can then be scheduled.

Payment
Payment is due at the conclusion of each appointment. If a portion of the fee is covered by dental insurance, we will file your benefits upon request. Co-payments, deductibles and fees not covered by insurance are due when services are rendered. Please make prior payment arrangements if someone other than you or a guardian brings your child to the appointment.

To avoid delay of treatment, it is our desire to structure your child’s care within your budget. For qualified applicants, financing options are available through Care Credit. We also accept MasterCard and Visa.

Which doctor will I see?
Please know that even though all our doctors are highly trained pediatric dentists we all have areas in which we excel due to interests or special abilities. With three doctors for two offices, we rotate each of them through both offices. In every case we do everything we can to assure that your appointments are scheduled to provide you with the best care possible.

There are some advantages in your child becoming familiar with more than one of our doctors. If an emergency should arise for your child, your preferred doctor may not be available and one of the other doctors may have to treat your child. At a time of great stress for you and your child, it is better if they do not have to gain confidence in a doctor they have never met.

We have found that one doctor best handles the continuity of orthodontic care, except in the case of emergency visits.    

Can I go back with my child during treatment?
Infants and some young children may feel more confident or secure when parents stay close during their examination or treatment visits. With older children (3 and above), doctor-child communication is often improved if parents are not present in the immediate area, and often parents are more comfortable remaining in the reception room.

Some parents wish to escort their child back to the operatory for the first few minutes of their first appointment or two. This may help reduce the apprehension that many children experience entering a new place. Oftentimes after the child and parent become comfortable with the new surroundings, many parents will return to the comfort of the reception room while their child finishes the dental treatment. They are free to return at any time to check on their child's progress.

In some instances, if a child is not cooperative, we can be more successful if we ask the parent to step out of sight for a few moments so we can gain the child's undivided attention and their confidence. We are happy to present you with general guidelines for behavior management adopted by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Please feel free to speak with a staff member or one of the pediatric dentists if you have special concerns about your child's anticipated behavioral patterns that might assist us in proper evaluation of this aspect of the appointment. We will be happy to discuss this matter with you and work together to establish what is best for your child.

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X-rays

Only X-rays can obtain a great deal of information needed to plan the most cost effective, comfortable and appropriate treatment for your child. X-rays are indispensable, not only for detection of cavities, but also for:

• Predicting improper tooth eruption
• Determining the extent of injuries
• Planning orthodontic treatment
• Diagnosing underlying bone disease or other abnormalities not otherwise detectable

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends X-ray examinations every six months for children with a high risk of tooth decay, and less often for other children.
Rest assured that:

• X-rays will be used only as essential in your child's care and not just routinely
• Lead body aprons and shields are always used to protect your child
• Modern X-ray usage is quite safe
• Modern X-ray film requires far less X-ray power than before and much shorter exposure time
• Modern X-rays are now not only limited in power but also precisely targeted to the area of interest

In short, whenever your pediatric dentist uses X-rays, the risk of dental problems far outweighs the negligible risk associated with the X-ray process.

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An Ounce of Prevention

The old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure applies well to your children's dental health. As parents of a newborn you no doubt ask yourself how you can give your child the best. Most of the items we list here are not expensive. In fact, they will pay handsome dividends in a future full of confident smiles. Consider the payoffs:

• A healthy smile with attendant social benefits
• Easier chewing and absorption of nutrients
• Better speech
• Better general health (some oral problems can spread throughout the body)
• Dental work delayed almost always costs more when done later

Your child's preventive dental regimen should include:

• Brushing
• Flossing
• Fluorides
• Oral habits
• Orthodontics
• Your active involvement in instruction and monitoring
• Proper diet
• Sealants
• Sports safety
• Regular dental visits to assess your child's oral health risk factors
  

Each child is unique. As your child's pediatric dentists, we will help you develop a plan that fits your child and your family’s needs.

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