Your First Visit To West Annapolis Family Dentistry
Information about your first visit to our Annapolis dental office.
A patient’s first visit to West Annapolis Family Dentistry will typically consist of a consultation to explain the diagnosis and discuss treatment options. In many cases, we may begin treatment immediately following the consultation, however, those patients with complex medical histories or treatment plans may require a second appointment at which treatment will be provided.
Preexisting condition(s)
Before any procedure requiring anesthetic, it is important to alert team members to medical conditions that may be of concern. These may include heart disease, high blood pressure, artificial heart valves and joints, diabetes, rheumatic fever, etc. Also please let us know if you are on any medication that may affect the procedure (i.e. heart medications, aspirin, blood thinners, etc.) or if you require medication before dental cleanings (i.e. antibiotics premedication.)
Medical & dental history
At your first appointment, you will be asked to provide as much of your medical history as possible. This may include things such as a referral slip from another doctor and any dental X-rays in your possession, a current list of your medications, and completed medical or dental insurance forms (if applicable). This helps us avoid unnecessary delays when processing dental insurance claims.
Minors
Please note: A parent or guardian must accompany patients under 18 during their first visit to our office.
Your Child’s First Visit
We know that your child’s first dental appointment can be difficult, so we’ve put together few things to help make the experience go as smoothly as possible:
Parent involvement
No matter what your experience has been in your dental history, it is important to stay calm and positive when it comes to answering your child’s questions regarding his/her treatment. Children feed off of their parents’ emotions, so you set the tone before we even get a chance to begin treatment with your child.
We ask that you allow us to treat your child without you being present in the room. We understand this could be difficult at first, but most children will listen to a parent before they will listen to us. This makes our “show and tell” demonstrations much less effective. Exceptions according to your child’s specific needs will be discussed prior to his/her appointment.
Kid-friendly vocabulary
Please support us in not using negative words like “hurt, pain, shot, etc.” We choose our words carefully when talking to kids about dentistry. Some substitutions we recommend are:
- “sugar bug” instead of “cavity”
- “sleepy juice” or “mosquito bite” instead of “shot”
- “the whistler” instead of “drill”
- “mister thirsty” instead of “suction”
Using specific and direct language is very helpful to a child who fears the unknown. It may help to tell him/her that he/she will sit in the dentist’s chair, that he/she might hear some new sounds, and that the dentist might put his/her teeth to sleep with sleepy juice. Explain to him/her that their mouth might feel big and goofy for a little while afterwards but that feeling will eventually wear off.
Preparing for the appointment
Please inform our staff about any respiratory condition that makes breathing through the nose difficult for your child. Also inform us if your child is taking any medication on the day of the appointment.
We ask that your child does not eat or drink anything four hours prior to his/her appointment. We prefer morning appointments because we know kids get hungry!
Thank you for working with our team to make the best experience possible for your child’s dental visit. We look forward to serving you and your family!