20 Jan 2015 Children’s Dentistry – Salt Lake City
How do you know when you need to take your young children to see the dentist? How young is too young? When is a good age to sit them in the dentist’s chair for their first checkup? At Dr. Greaves DMD we advise bringing them in for a “Happy Visit” as soon as they have a few teeth. We believe in the importance of every child having a positive experience in the dental chair long before it’s necessary to have any dental work done. When the child is in pain parents often find it difficult to convince a child that going to the dentist is not
going to be a miserable experience.
At Holladay Family Dental we start by creating an environment that is friendly for kids. Children that come to our office are offered “Super Hero” glasses, get to pick which flavor of flouride treatment, and get to choose a fun cartoon or movie to watch during the visit to distract them from any work being done. A little bit of laughing gas also goes a long way to make the procedure a more pleasant experience for the child and his parents. When the visit is over they are rewarded with a small toy they get to pick from our “treasure chest”. Our staff is trained to help make young kids comfortable as well. They enjoy being around children and it shows in how they take care of each child.
Our staff also works with the parents to put them at ease. We are setup to allow the parent to be near their child during any procedure and we understand the parent needs as much if not more comfort than the child. The goal of our office is to make the
child and parent want to come back so they can get the care and treatment that their teeth need.
The Training of The Dentist
Not every dentist is going to be able to work with children as patients equally. A dentist that specializes in pediatric dentistry will have additional training that will help them deal with the complex issues that kids face with their teeth and gums. Dr. Greaves is trained to know when it’s appropriate to refer his young patients to a pediatric dentist for difficult or complex cases or when the case requires surgery. Dr. Greaves is trained on how to get kids to respond to him and his staff as they are being examined or treated. He is also very good at instilling in them the desire to care for their own teeth and fight off “cavity bugs”. These skills are invaluable in setting the child up for a lifelong habit of seeking dental care for himself. That child will grow and have healthier teeth and gums as an adult.
Dentistry with kids in mind is one of our specialty’s. Residents of Holladay, Utah and Salt Lake City, Utah can feel confident bringing their children to Dr. Greaves for a wide variety of children’s dentistry procedures.