Going to the Dentist

There are so many things you have to do as a parent and one of those things is taking them to the dentist! I remember taking my dog to the vet and being told she was overweight…. I felt like the vet was looking at me like “what a bad mom you are”! With that being said, I had the same anxiety with taking Cody to the dentist for the first time. As a parent, keeping your kids teeth clean falls solely on your shoulders in the beginning so I didn’t want that slap on the wrist like I did when my dog was overweight lol!

Anyways, I digress! I did get two great tips when Cody was little about keeping teeth clean. One thing was to start them with an electronic toothbrush. First, they just clean teeth better, and second, the dentist uses an electronic toothbrush so if I used that with Cody then it wouldn’t be as scary or foreign to him when he had his first appointment. Another great tip is to make teeth brushing time the LAST thing on your before bed routine. That means no going to bed with milk or juice because it can rot those teeth…. And who wants to watch their little one put under anesthesia for a cavity??!

So, when it was time to make Cody’s appointment it was a no brainer for me. There was a really cool looking pediatric dental place right next door to our pediatrician. I figured I would make the first appointment, meet the dentist and check the place out.

With Cody being more of an introvert, I don’t like to push him too hard past his comfort level. I have learned that if I give him time and prepare him for things, he does pretty well. I knew how scary going to the dentist for the first time could be so I tried to prepare him a little by letting him come with me when I was getting my teeth cleaned and checking out books from the library about the dentist. I love the library because you can get books on anything and use it as a fun bonding time in addition to opening up dialogue with your kids about particular topics. Win – win!

Well I must say, when I called Smiles 4 Kids, I was overjoyed! They have you come in for your child’s first visit around 2, but instead of having to sit in a big, scary chair, they have a room set up like a family room that they bring you back to. I knew this would be perfect fit Cody…ease him into it!

When you first walk in, all the walls are painted with underwater fish and fun aquatic themed things. There is a half ship in the waiting room filled with toys for the kids to play with. That won his heart right there! Then, they brought us back to “the room” which we had to ourselves. There are toys, a couch and a t.v. They let the kids play in there for a bit and then the dentist comes back. They had Cody sit in my lap and just started asking me questions about our habits etc. and letting Cody get comfortable being around them. Then they ask them if they could count their teeth and they do all of it from your lap! Cody did not have one issue. What a difference it made to be on mom’s lap and not in a big scary chair! The dentist then told me a couple of things….no fluoride yet and start flossing and gave us a little goody bag to take home. They filled it with a timer that tells you how long to brush your teeth and the mirror thing they use to look inside the kids mouth. After the check-up, they let him walk around the office, check things out and then they get a balloon to take home AND they get to pick a toy out of the treasure chest! I have to say, I was completely impressed!

His next appointment they wanted scheduled for when he was 3. We just went a couple of weeks ago and I can say I still love it just as much! This time he got to go in the big boy chair and get a real cleaning! Everyone was so sweet and the entire office is amazingly kid friendly! I am sure most pediatric dentists are like this, but if not, I highly recommend Smiles 4 Kids! They are more than willing to work with the kids and parents to make your family’s visit as tear free and painless as possible!

Do you have a great place you give kudos to that has helped your kids through what was or could have been a tough transition?

This was my boy over a year ago in the dental "room"! I can't believe how much bigger he is!

This is Dr. Pong (LOVE her) counting Cody's teeth while sitting on mom's lap

This is the first time in the big boy chair! They have t.v.'s above each chair as a distraction. I love how the floor plan is open so they can see other kids getting their teeth cleaned too! They do have rooms in case a child needs extra work done!

This is the crazy cool boat filled with toys in the waiting room

After the dental assistant did her thing, they let them get up and play until the dentist is ready. They have this cool fish tank that Cody just loved!

They also have play areas on the walls that the kids can occupy themselves with

Here is Cody picking out his gift from the treasure chest