4 Secrets to a Successful Back-to-School Dental Checkup

Academy Dental in Hamilton is rated as one of the best places by Hulafrog for treatment of kids teeth. Dr. Navleen Thind, D.D.S. is a trusted dentist who practices kids and adults dentistry; she is starting this quarterly feature on oral health awareness.

Routine visits to the dentist help maintain oral health, but a back-to-school checkup is a great occasion to examine and fight cavities - one of the most common issues in children. No parent likes to see their child in pain, and having to miss school to see the dentist in an emergency. Dr.  Thind says, “Parents should seek out a dental office which provides a fun and inviting environment so that children are excited about coming to the dentist”.

Today, Dr. Thind shares her top 4 secrets that shall help parents prepare for their kids’ dentist visit:

1. Secret 1 (Fundamentals): Choose an office which kids will love to visit. Office décor and staff training in handling children Academy Dental in Hamilton is a state of the art kid-friendly facility. Biggest attraction for kids is their game room which has TVs and X-Boxes where kids can enjoy; while the kids operatories are designed in kid friendly themes that also feature favorite cartoon movies depending on the child’s taste.

2. Secret 2 (Magic Sauce): Kids love by example! Kids learn from what they observe. Visiting a dentist office who treats both adults and children allows the child to feel more comfortable about their own dentist visit. Children feel a sense of comfort a s their parents set an example for them when the family comes together for a dental visit. This can make or break a successful dental visit, and melt away most anxieties in children’s minds related to their dental checkup. Dr. Thind’s office caters to adults as well and provides a SPA-retreat experience with their meditation room and warm, inviting office aesthetics. While in adult treatment rooms, patients reach their ZEN state by soothing themselves to the sound of carefully design waterfalls and relaxation music.

3. Secret 3 (Education): Dental treatment myths can be transformed into knowledge by continuous education. Aids such as Dental Emergencies Checklist, pre-treatment videos and free consultation with your dentist can help you and your child understand the importance of the dental procedure. Dr. Thind believes that a good dentist should provide education, email patients with video links on what to expect while at the dentist office, dental emergency information (aids such as refrigerator magnets help), etc. An active community supporter, Dr. Thind is offering free refrigerator magnets with dental emergency checklist. She believes that every household must have one handy – and you can obtain yours for free by calling her office or just stopping by the office to pick up one! She is also giving out kids’ toothbrushes with custom messages encouraging a child to brush regularly.

4. Secret 4 (Peace of Mind): Dental checkup visits are key, and can help detect problems early so they can be addressed. However, there are myths like ‘a dental pain can start anytime so lets just wait as it will come anyway’. Dr. Thind believes that routine dental checkups will not only allow a family to stay healthy, but also drastically reduce the chances of dental pain at an odd hour. Selection of the dentist can also help reduce anxiety around this – ask your dentist today if they are available to help if you need them on a Sunday, a long weekend, or at an odd hour? Peace of mind that your dentist is with you when you need them the most can strengthen the trust and calm your anxieties. Academy Dental is open Saturday and Sunday, and provides 24 emergency on-call consult to all their patients.