Mesa Pediatric Dentist

A pediatric dentist is a specialist with extra post-graduate training. Dr. Shayne Guffey isn't a pediatric dentist, but is a general dentist who loves to treat children.

Many families like to be able to all go to the same dentist. That way they get to know the dentist better and feel more comfortable talking about their children's dental problems.   At Mountain View Family Dentistry, we try to make your child's dental visits fun. We strongly recommend that you schedule routine visits when your child is quite young, so they do not associate our office with the pain and anxiety of an emergency dental visit.   We always welcome parents to come back with their children if they want a familiar face there while we work on their smile.

Your Child's First Dental Visit

At two years old, generally all of your child's baby teeth have erupted into the mouth, and it's a good idea to have a dental visit at this age—no later than age three. We can see cavities at this age, so it's a good idea to have a checkup to see if there are any problems.

Some pointers for your child's first dental visit:

• Don't put it off until your child has dental pain. The best thing for your child's emotional health and dental health is to have a pleasant first experience with the dentist. If your child first comes to us in pain, it is instead likely to be a traumatic experience, and it can set the stage for dental avoidance and a lifetime of dental problems.

• Sometimes parents who are worried about this first visit unintentionally telegraph their anxiety to their child and create a tense situation. Over preparing for the first visit often backfires, as the child senses that this is something to worry about. When parents treat the visit as routine and fun, children tend to adopt the same attitude.

Child Dental Anxiety

We like your child to have a pleasant experience with dental care. Memories of traumatic dental care as a child persist into adulthood and often contribute to dental neglect.

Some pointers for helping avoid dental anxiety in your child:

• Don't treat dental care as a punishment. Sometimes parents try to get their children to brush their teeth by threatening them with painful dental care if they don't. This creates a very difficult situation and a high level of anxiety when they finally need that care.

• Your child will often adopt the same attitude that you show toward dental care. Some parents unwittingly communicate anxiety to their children when they over prepare or excessively coach their children for a dental visit.

• Bring your child in to Mountain View Family Dentistry early for routine care. If your child's first visit is for a simple examination and teeth cleaning rather than to treat pain, it puts him or her on a path of developing a healthy attitude toward dental care.

Please see our dental tips for parents. It's a great set of ideas that you can use to start talking with your kids about their smile.

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