Initial Exam and Digital X-Rays
St. Helens, OR
 Regular checkups are a great way to maintain oral health. It can prevent the need for costly procedures, and for the same reason, it is vital to get your child's oral health examined. During your child's first visit to the dentist, multiple things need to be done. First and foremost, you are required to get an x-ray imaging done for your child. St. Helens Pediatric Dentistry can help you smoothly get through your child's dental visit.
When to Get your Child Their First Appointment?
There is no fixed timeline that you need to follow when deciding on your child's first dentist visit. However, we advise that you get your child their first dental appointment around the time their first teeth appear between six and twelve months of age.
What Happens During the First Appointment?
The initial visit to the doctor will vary in experience from child to child. It is our utmost priority to help your child feel at ease, and there are various methods we use to help your child in relaxing. Initially, we begin by demonstrating what each tool does to reduce the fear caused by seeing unfamiliar objects.
We also perform lap to lap or knee to knee examination technique as this reduces the child's nerves and helps put them at ease. In a lap-to-lap examination, you and our dentist will face each other with your laps touching and the infant laying on top of the laps.
During the initial examination, an evaluation will take place in which we will assess your infant's oral hygiene along with identifying any potential problems in the health of their gums and teeth. Following the evaluation, you will be educated on your child's oral health and how to maintain it by adopting better oral habits.
Using X-ray Imagining on Your First Visit
X-rays will be taken of your child's jaw to help in diagnosis as well as assessment. It will help determine any dental emergencies that may require immediate attention i.e., cavities and tooth and jaw fractures. There are many benefits to using x-ray imaging for diagnosis.
As a parent, it may concern you thinking about the amount of radiation you are exposing your child to, but x-ray utilizes fewer radiation, which make it relatively safer than other digital imaging options. To further reduce the risk of overexposure, our dentist ensures that imaging is only done when necessary. Moreover, x-ray images also produce high-quality pictures that can allow our dentist to view the image and enlarge it to show concerned sites.
Importance of the First Visit
Although no major procedures take place during the first visit, it is still important to get your child's dental health evaluated to prevent any future complications. It is important that prior to the visit, you reduce your child's fear of the dentist. This will allow them to have a pleasant first experience and make future dental visits easier.
We understand the fear you might have before getting your child's first appointment, and it is our utmost priority to help you and your child feel at ease during their examination. Take full advantage of our expertise by calling us at (503) 396-4750 or visiting St. Helens Pediatric Dentistry. We offer a variety of dental services for children that include prevention, restoration, and orthodontics. |
