Dental Filling Appointment

Pediatric dentists have special training in helping anxious children feel secure during dental treatment.  And, pediatric dental offices are designed for children.  Our staff member choose to work in a pediatric dental practice because they like kids.  So, most children are calm, comfortable and confident for their visits.

Why fill baby teeth when they fall out anyway?

While it is true that baby teeth do eventually come out, it also true that they are important to your child in the meantime.  Children need their baby teeth to speak clearly, eat comfortably, and smile with self-confidence.  Also, baby teeth hold space for the permanent teeth.  If one is lost, the others shift into the empty space.  This often means bite crowding problems in a child's future.  In addition, a decayed baby tooth can become infected and cause severe pain for a child.

Tips on How to Prepare Your Child for a Filling Visit:

It is probably best that you do not go into great detail when you tell your young child he/she is returning for a filling. We recommend that you simply tell them they have “sugarbugs” that are making holes in their teeth and that the doctor will be using a special brush to chase the bugs out.

You are welcome to accompany your child to the back office for their filling visit. However, we often find that children do better for their filling visits when parents stay in the reception area. If you do choose to come to the back, we ask that you are a silent observer in our treatment. It is difficult for a child to focus and follow directions if there are several adults giving directions at the same time. The staff and doctors will show and explain every step, even demonstrating the tools first on your child’s fingers at your child’s appointment. We will use gentle, non-scary language.

Please do not tell your child they are getting a “shot”. Shots hurt at the pediatrician’s office and using this word will unnecessarily scare them for their dental injection. We prefer to call it “sleepy juice”. Most children tolerate dental shots very well and usually don’t even know they received an injection, especially when they are calm and relaxed.

Try not to use words that may alarm your child or make them wonder if something is wrong during treatment. Example include: “Does it hurt?”, “I’m sorry.” Suggested alternatives are: “Good job,” “You are a great helper,” “I am so proud of you.”

Continue positive reinforcement after the dental visit. This makes your child feel good about herself/himself and encourages positive future visits.

If you have any questions regarding the procedure, please contact us before the day of the appointment so that we may devote the entire appointment time to your child’s treatment.

Please be assured that Dr. Gandhi and her well-trained staff will do everything we can to make your child’s visit a positive and comfortable one. Parents are usually pleasantly surprised by how well their children do at our office!