Pediatric Dentistry in West Covina

Choosing a dentist for your family is an important decision, particularly if you have little ones. Parents want to find a gentle, caring professional who has experience with children and who will put their needs first. Our goal at Ricardo Suarez, DDS, is to make the dentist a place where your kids feel safe and secure.

If you are seeking your child’s first dental home, please consider our West Covina, CA dental practice. Dr. Suarez and his team get a lot of satisfaction from ensuring your kids view the dentist in a positive light. Please give us a call, and we will schedule an appointment for you and your child to come in and meet our team.

We usually recommend that routine dental visits for kids start around the age of three. Although children will eventually lose their baby teeth, many people don’t realize just how important these primary teeth are to their child’s oral health. Baby teeth act as placeholders to help guide the permanent teeth into the proper position, so if they are lost too early, this can cause issues later on.

It’s also a good idea to bring youngsters to the dentist to get them accustomed to the sights, sounds, and smells of the dentist office. We go out of our way to ensure your kids have a good time while they are here. We want them to grow up with positive feelings about taking care of their oral health. Children who go to the dentist throughout childhood usually continue that practice into adulthood.

Let your children know about their upcoming dental appointment—particularly if they are feeling any anxiety about it. Here are some ways you can prepare them:

• Look for age-appropriate books about going to the dentist so they can have an understanding of what to expect.
• If you or an older sibling have a dental appointment, bring your little one along so they can see what it’s all about—and that there is nothing to fear.
• Keep your negative thoughts about the dentist to yourself. Little ears hear more than you expect, so watch what you say—even when you think they are not listening.

As parents, you might feel even more anxiety than your kids do about this first dental appointment. What will happen? How will your child react?

Rest assured that the first visit is focused on getting acquainted with the dentist and having as enjoyable an experience as possible. We’ll let your child take a spin in the dental chair and show them around the dental office, explaining things in language they are sure to understand.

If they allow it, we’ll count their teeth and take pictures; we won’t do anything if your child is not comfortable. Depending on the age of your child, we’ll show proper brushing technique in an age-appropriate way.

When your children are old enough, we’ll talk to you about preventive care, including fluoride treatment and dental sealants. Both of these can protect baby teeth from developing tooth decay.

We welcome you and your children to Ricardo Suarez, DDS. Give us a call to make an appointment today!