Child-Friendly Atmosphere'It's like Disneyland!' 'Can I have my birthday party here?' 'Dr. Stephanie, you're the Examinator!' These are actual quotes from our patients who walk through our doors, feeling happy and trusting of our care. The word 'dentistry' can be a worrisome thought for many people, especially adults, who, for years, have associated dentistry with 'pain', 'shots', 'needles', and other unpleasant terms. That's why we've made it our mission to erase those thoughts, and start kids off on a clean slate, so they associate 'dentistry' with more positive words. You will hear us talk about 'sugar bugs' and how we want to prevent them from making holes in our teeth. We don't want to wait until there is a toothache, but rather show kids how they have the power to keep sugar bugs away. When we do need to do a filling that needs local anesthetic, we'll prep the kids with words like, 'sleepy snowflakes', but sounds way better than 'shot'. We encourage parents to use the same terms at home, if their child asks about what a filling is like, and speak matter-of-factly without imposing any of their own past fears. That way kids come in feeling ready and not nervous for Dr. Stephanie or Dr. Merchant to 'wash away the sugar bugs' (remove the decay), use 'Mr. Thirsty' (suction), and paint on a 'shiny shield' (white filling) on their tooth. In addition to our kid-friendly dental terms, we have a warm ocean theme, plus lots of fun flavors of prophy paste, fluoride gels, and even gloves. Most importantly, since our team and office is specialized for kids, this is what we do all day, every day! As much as we make kids smile, they make us smile too! |
