Your child means everything to you, and you want to make sure that they have everything they could ever need, including a healthy smile. However, to ensure that your child has that beautiful smile, you need help. While instilling healthy eating habits and making sure that they brush twice a day is necessary and essential, a child will also require the expertise and guidance of a professional, like a pediatric dentist. Unfortunately, deciding on such a dentist is not always that easy. To help narrow down your options, you can follow these five steps for finding and selecting a pediatric dentist that is right for your child.

1. Ask a Friend

Some of the best resources for finding a pool of dentists to choose from are your friends and family. This readily available pool of information can help you narrow an enormous list of prospects down to maybe 10 or so. You’ll want to ask moms and other parents who have a child in a similar age group to your own, and it may even be beneficial to ask people who have children with a similar temperament to your child’s as well.

2. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

Once you have a list of 10 or more dentist, you can check their credentials with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry website. Also, while on their site, you can look for other potential dentists in your area.

3. Call Around

Next, you will want to take your list of top contenders and contact each office. Essentially, you are assessing several things during this phone call. First, you want to pay attention to the hospitality of the receptionist. They should be patient and polite. Second, you’ll want to ask questions about expectations for the first visit and whether parents are allowed to stay with their child. Third, discuss the environment and amenities the office uses to make your child feel calm and welcome. Pediatric dental offices are supposed to be designed for children and to reduce anxiety, so all of these questions should be expected, meaning that the receptionist should be able to answer.

4. Schedule a Tour

After the phone calls, pick your finalists and schedule a tour. Most pediatric dental offices will be accommodating because they know how important this decision is to you and your family.

5. Schedule an Appointment

After the walkthroughs, you should be able to pick a favorite office. Schedule the initial exam. While there, assess your child’s comfort level to see if you have made the right decision.

Choosing a pediatric dentist is not always easy. If you need help, don’t hesitate to call local dentists for assistance.

Resource: Dental Care

Apex, NC Family Dentist, Alliance Dentistry

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