The are so many “firsts” as a new parent. Some are welcomed and exciting and others can be daunting.
Taking your toddler to his first dental visit can often fall in the latter category. You may have questions and concerns about when to take your child to the dentist and what can be expected for a solid prevention plan and proper hygiene. That being said, if you are like most American households, then your child didn’t see a dentist until they were well over 2 years old, far later than is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). The AAPD recommends, “in order to prevent dental problems, your child should see a pediatric dentist when the first tooth appears, or no later than his/her first birthday.”
In a survey on children’s oral health, conducted by Morpace, Inc., on behalf of Delta Dental Plans Association, it revealed the average age for a toddler’s first trip to the dentist was 2.6 years old. Among children who have never visited the dentist or who have not seen a dentist in the last 12 months, the most frequently mentioned reason (62%) was that “the child is too young” or “doesn’t have enough teeth yet.”
We definitely fell in this category as we brush regularly and haven’t had any issues however we know it is important to start regular dental check-ups and just wanted to make sure our son felt comfortable and was aware of what was going on. We knew we wanted a pediatric dentist and the environment needed to be fun and inviting without compromising on actual dental care.
This led us to The Super Dentists — a company that has been a leader in kid’s dental care for the past 20 years and now has five locations in San Diego.
I really liked the story behind the business and the story created of super dental heroes. There is a whole cast of characters ranging from Cavitar to Molar bear and the dentists and hygienists reinforce the theme. Husband and wife founders, The Tooth Keri (Dr. Nazli Keri) and Dr. HaveOneSuperSmile (Dr. Kami Hoss) gathered this super crew of pediatric dentists and orthodontists to fight cavities and crooked teeth.
My son immediately took to the creative atmosphere from the moment you enter the office complete with life-size characters, a video game section, and friendly staff. I kept encouraging him that this was fun and needed while reminding him of the steps that were going to take place so that he had an idea of what was coming up.
I was very impressed with the patience of the entire staff from receptionist to hygienist to doctor. They were great with verbally walking my son through the steps that were about to take place and then going at a speed that he was okay with.
I was genuinely impressed when they got him to actually put the glasses on, lay back and engage in the full cleaning of his teeth. The dentist had a stuffed tiger with a full set of teeth and used her mirror to show my son what she was looking at and doing with his teeth in his mouth. He was a little apprehensive about the X-Ray portion but with some explaining he finally conceded and we were successful in getting all the needed pictures of his teeth which helped us learn that we are cavity free!
We got to leave the office with a prize — you earn points during the visit and those can accumulate over several visits or you can spend at once in their prize closet on items ranging in point totals — and a bag full of goodies ranging from the standard toothbrush and floss, to a DVD of all the characters for us to watch at home to keep up the excitement for future visits. Another great benefit is that they accept our insurance plan as well.
We would highly recommend The Super Dentists if you are in the San Diego area, and if you aren’t then to find a pediatric dentist in your area that values great care as much as the overall experience for toddlers.
The Super Dentists offie in Carmel Valley. www.thesuperdentists.com
**We were gifted a visit to The Super Dentists to check out what they have to offer but the thoughts and opinions are our own**
