New to Our Practice
Whether you’re planning your child’s first dental visit or you’re looking for a new South Bay pediatric dentistry, we’re making it easy to get affordable dental care for kids! Pearly Smiles’s New Patient Specials are $225 for children under 12, and $275 for children 12 and up. The special offer includes an exam, cleaning, x-rays, and fluoride treatment, it is designed for people without insurance.
Before Your Visit at Pearly Smiles Pediatric Dentistry
SIT FACE-TO-FACE
We start initial visits with children at 12 months of age, sitting knee-to-knee with them, rather than hovering over them while seated in a customary dental chair. This face-to-face interaction allows us to communicate with your child at eye level and gently explain every step of the appointment. To familiarize your child with this practice, try sitting knee-to-knee with them while brushing their teeth at home.
BRING A LOVED OBJECT
We want your child to feel as comfortable and secure as possible. If your child has a special item (like a blanket or stuffed animal) that provides a sense of safety, please bring it into their appointment. We’re happy to demonstrate procedures on stuffed animals and dolls too!
GET EXCITED
Build excitement with your child about visiting our office. Your child will be able to see soothing décor in our beachy oasis; use a token to dispense a prize at the end of a visit; earn a spot in the cavity-free club and have his, her or their picture posted on the cavity free “Narwhal of Fame”; and learn cool new things about their own teeth.
During Your Visit at Pearly Smiles Pediatric Dentistry
RADIATE POSITIVITY
It’s natural for a small child to become uneasy in an unfamiliar environment and when undergoing a new experience. Our staff is trained to present calm and loving energy, which helps quell any unease. When this happens, it is very helpful for parents to also project relaxed and positive energy to help assure the child that he, she or they are safe and in good care.
ALLOW OWNERSHIP
We want your child to take a stake in his, her or their oral health care. We find, the more a child is involved, the better chance of establishing a good relationship with self-care and dentistry. This is why we allow kids to select their favorite flavor of toothpaste and fluoride. These small acts of agency go a long way to taking ownership of their oral health while at home.
CHOOSE YOUR WORDS
Words like “shot”, “needle”, and “hurt” can be very triggering for young children. That’s why we never use such words in our office when explaining the process to our patients. Instead, we might describe a projected sensation like a “little frozen juice spray in your mouth,” for example. By speaking to children's emotional intelligence and communicating in a way that’s at once honest and comforting, we can minimize feelings of fear and anxiety. We encourage parents to join us in using a selective vocabulary designed to meet children at their own level.
Mind Your Peas & Carrots
One of the best ways to fight tooth decay is to make small tweaks to a child’s diet. By drinking water throughout the day instead of drinks with sugar content, for example, kids can better eliminate bacteria from their mouth. While everyone loves an occasional cookie (including Dr. Mori!), eating healthy snacks with crunch, like carrots and apples, after a sweet treat can help cleanse kids’ teeth. During each visit, Dr. Mori, who earned a degree in nutrition, offers nutritional consultations to parents designed to minimize tooth decay.
After Your Visit at Pearly Smiles Pediatric Dentistry
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Continue to lay the groundwork for optimal oral care by making tooth brushing and flossing fun at home.
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Bring back positive memories of the visit to enable the child to have that etched in their memory. Praise good behavior and ensure using the positive words extracted from the visit to describe it.
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Remind your toddlers, children, and teens the importance of regular visits to prevent emergence of dental problems.