Family Dentist Isn’t Good With Kids

We’ve had the same dentist for 6 years or so. Since then we had a baby girl. Our daughter is now 2 years old so we took her for her first dental appointment. I was surprised that our dentist is not good with kids! At least he wasn’t good with our daughter, and she picked up a bad vibe from him and started crying. Should be keep trying with this dentist? This is something I didn’t anticipate. Thanks Katie

Katie – Use your discretion. Think about what occurred at the appointment and whether or not it is worth another try. If you decide to schedule another appointment with your current dentist and it isn’t going well, you can ask to terminate the appointment instead of keeping your daughter in an uncomfortable situation. Keep in mind that if dental appointments are continuously unpleasant for your daughter, as she grows up, she can develop dental phobia.

You can consider scheduling consultations with a few family dentists and taking your daughter with you to see how the staff and dentist interact with her. You may be able to get recommendations on dentists from your family members or acquaintances. When you are comfortable, schedule an appointment with the dentist of your choice and see how it goes. Remember that you have the choice of a dental provider for your family. Don’t feel that you have to commit to a dentist with whom you and your child are not comfortable.

Don’t let the incident discourage you. There are many family dentists who love children, and to whom children respond positively.

This post is sponsored by the San Jose dentists at Hillsdale Dental Care.