Your First Visit
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Preparing For Your Child's First Visit The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that your child should visit the dentist by his or her first birthday. Your child's first visit to the dentist is very important as you, your child, and Dr. Yezerski begin working together to build healthy dental habits that will last a lifetime! Our goal is to build a relationship with your child that will last for years in a trusting, comfortable environment. There are a number of things you can do to help create positive experience. First, let your child know that the dentist is a friend and is there to help your child take care of their teeth. Second, explain that, during the visit, the dentist will “brush”, “count”, and “take pictures” of their teeth. Finally, please refrain from using words that may cause any unnecessary fear or anxiety. The words “shot”, “hurt”, “needle”, “pull”, and “drill” do not exist in our office. We are experts on explaining dental treatment to children, and we have developed a specialized language to describe our procedures to children in non-threatening ways. The First Visit Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your appointment time in order to fill out all appropriate initial paperwork. This will help eliminate any delay and help us stay on time for your first appointment. We take pride in the fact that we see our patients on time, and make every effort to do so out of respect for your time. We also ask that you respect our schedule and be on time for all appointments so that we may better serve you and your child. The infant oral health exam, at the age of one, provides valuable information about how to take care of your baby's teeth, how to keep them healthy and cavity free, and how to assess normal dental development. At this first visit, we will perform an exam to evaluate your child's dental growth and development. We will also complete a cleaning and topical fluoride, as individually needed. We will also review proper brushing and flossing instructions, as well as, bottle/sippy cup use, oral habits, and nutrition. Older children will also have an enjoyable first dental visit! We will use a "Tell-Show-Do", technique to allow your child to see, touch, and understand every object he or she will come in contact with during this visit. Our staff uses age appropriate language that will help your child grasp dental ideas. Your child will have an oral exam, receive x-rays, and have a dental cleaning with fluoride treatment. Parents will receive nutritional and diet counseling, as well as, home care instructions for the child's oral hygiene. Finally, at this visit, we will make sure that all questions from parents have been answered concerning their child's dental health and any proposed treatment. In our office, we greatly appreciate the trust that each parent puts in us as we care for their children, and we want to make sure all questions and concerns are addressed. At the conclusion of the visit, each child will receive a prize from the treasure chest, stickers, and praise for the things they accomplished. We work hard to reinforce positive behaviors and create an overall fun experience for every patient at the end of the first visit. Office Policies Appointments Children tend to do better in the dental office when they are not tired. Therefore, we encourage morning appointments, especially for pre-school or nervous children. For many children, just a simple filling at the end of a long day, when they are tired, can seem like a major ordeal. Please keep in mind, one of our goals is dentistry that is as pleasant as possible for your child. Also keep in mind that a dental appointment is an excused absence from school. When we schedule an appointment for your child, that time is reserved solely for your child. We do not double book and we take pride in the fact that because we value your time, as much as we hope you value ours, we make every effort to see your child at the time scheduled. For this reason, it is very important that you have your child in the office at the time scheduled. If you are late, it may be necessary to reschedule your child's visit. We also have a policy that a 24-hour notice is required for cancellations. We need this amount of time so that we can contact a child from our waiting list to offer the appointment. If we do not get the necessary 24-hour notice, we reserve the right to charge your account a broken appointment charge. Fees Payment for treatment is due at the time of service. If you have dental insurance, we will provide an ESTIMATE of what your insurance will cover. You are responsible for any portion that the insurance company does not pay. Our office will help in filing insurance claims on your behalf. For your convenience, we accept payment by cash, check, Visa and Mastercard. Information on third party financing is available for extensive treatment plans. Insurance If you have insurance, we will help you to determine the coverage you have available. Professional care is provided to you, our patient, and not to an insurance company. Thus, the insurance company is responsible to the patient and patients are responsible to the doctor. We will help in every way we can in filing your claim and handling insurance questions from our office on your behalf. Remember, this is your insurance. You are responsible for monitoring the progress of payment. If you have not received information from your company one month after your visit, you should call them and see why they have not paid. REMEMBER – We do not work with or for any insurance company. Our responsibility is to you and your child, and yours is to us and your insurance company. |
