Since children can’t see plaque, it can be hard for them to understand why they need to brush their teeth.
At the end of a busy day of parenting, the last thing you want is to fight with your kids to brush their teeth. However, all too often, that is exactly what it feels like – a fight. If your children don’t establish proper dental hygiene habits when they’re young, they could end up with costly or unsightly dental problems down the line. And with the amount of sugar that kids can get their hands on nowadays, you should definitely be concerned about cavities.
Everything went great today for her surgery but I do have some feedback about other things. My daughter was scheduled to be put to sleep to undergo a root canal. They ended up needing more anthesia which I was willing to pay for. Surgery was supposed to be an hour (I was told this before they started), and it ended up being 2 hours because of some minor complications. Noone came to the lobby to inform us. When it was over, I asked to see her. They said I had to pay first. I just paid almost 5k and they were more worried about an additional $300 before allowing me to see my daughter? This didn't sit right. I didn't say anything. I paid the bill and went to see my daughter. Dr. Hoffman is the nicest man I have ever met! He was outstanding.
Also, in the weeks before her surgery, the office appeared to not communicate. I would receive a call saying one thing then someone else would say another. They were never on the same page.
Last week, they needed to speak with me to confirm a few things. They called me at 8:16am then again at 1:06pm. Leaving me a voicemail that if they do not hear from me they were going to cancel her surgery. Wow! I work. I work 8am-5pm. I do not have access to my phone during those hours. They did leave a voicemail and I would have called the next day but they did not give me a chance before sending me an email threatening to cancel.
Also, they had called me several weeks before to inform me I had no insurance. I called my insurance company and they said I did. Not sure what happened but it resulted in unnecessary phone calls during my only free 20 minutes at work.
If your appointment is at 10am, do not plan on seeing anyone for awhile. All our appointments ran an hour behind.
I think Dr. Hoffman is wonderful but the office staff needs some help.
Not friendly at all. Noone even smiled!
The nurses in the room with my daughter were great too.
I went to nervous and 3 to 4 hours later, I essentially woke up in the car on my way home without realizing anything had happened. If you have trauma with previous dental issues, this is the place. I have a had severe dental trauma my entire life. Until now, they are all fantastic.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your experience. We’re grateful our team could help provide a comfortable experience and appreciate your trust in us.
Our experience was wonderful. Our Down’s Syndrome son is very apprehensive about his appointments, but Dr. Thoms and all of his staff made our son more compliant. Each member seems vested in their job and are so kind and caring. Thank you for a positive experience.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad your family had a positive experience. Our team takes great pride in providing compassionate, individualized care, and your feedback means so much to us!
Everyone is always very welcoming and professional.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad our team makes you feel welcome. We truly appreciate your support!
Check out these creative and easy tips if you want to avoid struggling with your children twice a day (at least).
Gross Them Out – Children tend to respond well to being grossed out and there are few things grosser than what happens when you don’t brush your teeth. You may consider showing your children age-appropriate pictures of ulcers, gum disease, and tooth decay that can evolve when you don’t brush your teeth, to drive the point home.
Get Visual – Visuals and experiments are great ways to help children learn life long oral hygiene habits. Since children can’t see plaque, it can be hard for them to understand why they need to brush their teeth. To give them a good visual, you can buy plaque disclosing tablets at the pharmacy. When your child chews one of these tablets, it will dye the plaque on their teeth so they can see it and brush it away. Another great experiment involves eggs and soda. Have your child place hard boiled eggs in soda. Leave the egg in the soda for a few days so your child can physically see what happens to teeth when you drink soda and don’t brush.
Be the Example – Some children want to be just like mommy or daddy. Take advantage of this by setting an example for great oral hygiene.
Rewards System – Instituting a rewards system is a great way to keep track of how much your kids are brushing and encourage positive behaviors. Child psychologists argue that rewarding positive behavior is an important way to help your child develop healthy self-esteem.
Accessorize – From toothbrushes to toothpaste, to timers, there are literally hundreds of products on the market to entice your children to brush their teeth. Is there a particular character your child loves? You can almost certainly find a toothbrush with their likeness. Let your child pick out his or her own toothbrush so they feel like they have some agency.
At Least Twice a Day
These tips should help your children understand just how important brushing their teeth is.
If you’re still frustrated after trying these creative tricks, speak with your pediatric dentist for advice. Some children have severe phobias and anxiety surrounding oral care, in which case you’ll likely benefit from professional help and possibly sedation dentistry.
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