Dental exams allow us to detect any oral health issues in their early stages. During your child’s appointment, Dr. Kim will examine their mouth, tongue, and teeth. He’ll also examine any X-rays we may have taken during your child’s visit. This will give Dr. Kim a complete picture of your child’s oral health.
The recommends children visit a dentist within 6 months after the eruption of the first primary tooth or no later than 12 months of age. The reason for this early visit is to provide families with information on development, diet, and care to enhance a child’s opportunity for a lifetime free from preventable oral disease ().
Talk to your child about the positive aspects of going to the dentist. One way to convey good feelings to your child about dental visits is to remind them that going to the dentist is a sign they are growing up. Expect your child to do well and enjoy their visit to our office.
You can explain that Dr. Kim and his staff will be counting and taking pictures of your child’s teeth. Our staff is very careful with the words used to talk about dental care. Words such as “needle,” “shot,” or “hurt” are not spoken. We strive to keep our office in a child-friendly environment.
If a previous dentist has seen your child and dental X-rays have been taken, please let us know. We may request that the X-rays be sent to our office prior to your child’s first visit.
Communication between our office and you as the parent is an essential part of caring for your child. If you cannot speak English or have a difficult time understanding it, we request that you please bring an adult (18 years or older) to help you with the process of communicating with Dr. Kim and his staff.
Parents are welcome to accompany their child into the treatment area during the initial examination. This is a great time to get acquainted with Dr. Kim and his friendly staff.
During this visit, Dr. Kim will do a full examination to evaluate your child’s dental needs. If your child has not yet had a teeth cleaning or is due for one, this also may be done at the first visit.
We have many great flavors of tooth polish your child may choose from to make the dental cleaning a pleasant experience. We will take only necessary X-rays to aid in determining what steps need to be taken for your child’s dental care.
At the conclusion of the first visit, your child’s treatment needs will be discussed with you. If additional appointments are needed you will schedule return visits with the front office staff. An estimate of treatment costs will be given to you before you leave our office.
Dr. Kim offers dental exams, teeth cleanings, and other pediatric dental care to help your child maintain a healthy smile. To schedule an appointment for your child, call Pediatric Dentistry of Michigan at (616) 447-7900.
