Preparing for a Dental Visit

Children are curious and might  want to know what will happen when they arrive at the dental clinic. Here are specific tips to help them understand:

• Be honest and share what they can expect in a calm and relaxed manner.
• Explain that the dentist’s job is to check and clean your teeth. They make sure your teeth are healthy so that your body can stay safe and healthy too.
• Explain what type of dental care your child needs. If you aren’t sure what will happen at your child’s next appointment, please request a child life specialist to help prepare your child when scheduling with the dental clinic.

Children's Colorado emphasizes the importance of providing family-centered care, placing your child and family at the center of all care decisions. If you have questions about your child’s care, we always encourage you to ask your care team.

Here’s more about what you can expect when you arrive:

• In many cases, we will encourage parents and caregivers to be in the exam room with their child. This may depend on your child’s age and how comfortable they are.
• Before administering any care, your child’s dentist will get to know your child and help them feel comfortable.
• If your child is extremely apprehensive, support from child life specialists and advanced sedation techniques are available. (Learn more below.)

Dental examinations

• During a dental exam, the dentist will look at your child’s teeth, jaw and face. The dentist will look with their eyes and use a mirror to check your child’s teeth. They will use their fingers to touch your child’s cheeks, jaw and neck to make sure these parts of their body feel healthy. 
• Usually, the dentist or dental assistant will clean your child’s teeth using a toothbrush and spin brush before providing tooth vitamins (fluoride). 
• Sometimes, photos of the teeth (X-rays) are taken to assess the roots of the tooth and jawbone structures and find hidden cavities (caries).

Dental restorations

• If your child has a cavity, dental restoration may be needed. The dentist will clean out the cavity with special dental tools. After they clean your child’s tooth, they will repair the tooth with a filling or a stainless-steel crown.
• During restorations, we may provide laughing gas (nitrous oxide) to help your child remain calm. A child life specialist can also be present to help prepare your child and support them throughout their appointment. 
• We may also give local anesthesia. Local anesthesia is a liquid medicine that is used to numb the teeth. Numbing means that you do not feel anything in the area where the medicine was given. In this case, we slowly apply a jelly-like numbing medicine before an injection of local anesthesia to make your child as comfortable as possible.
  • There are other non-medicine ways we can help make giving local anesthesia easier. Please ask your dentist or child life specialist about other options. 
• For children who are extremely uncomfortable and scared of dental care, we may provide sedation or use other techniques to safely take care of your child. Sometimes we may recommend general anesthesia, which means your child is asleep and does not feel anything. Ask the dentist about the best option for your child.

Advanced techniques like nitrous oxide and general anesthesia are only used when necessary and with the permission of a patient’s caregiver.

Our care team includes certified child life specialists. These are specially trained healthcare professionals who help children, teens and families deal with any stress or fear that may come with a medical condition or appointment. Thanks to support from our child life team, many of our patients have been able to feel more comfortable in the dental clinic and have felt less anxiety about their dental care.

Child life specialists help patients and families in the Dental Center by: 

• Educating and preparing children and adolescents about teeth cleaning, treatments and procedures
• Practicing healthy ways to cope with anxiety and pain
• Coaching and supporting patients during appointments
• Familiarizing patients to the clinic and the tools the dentist uses 
• Helping children and adolescents express their feelings about past or upcoming visits 
• For patients with developmental and behavioral challenges who have a hard time coping in medical settings, developing adaptive care plans to improve their medical experiences

If you are interested in child life support during your child's upcoming dental appointment, please request child life when you call to schedule.

Good oral hygiene, like regular tooth brushing, is important, even after you are done at the dentist! You can help your child prevent painful cavities and keep their happy smile by encouraging healthy habits. 

Read common questions and learn tips for keeping your child’s teeth healthy.