5 Reasons to Switch to a Pediatric Dentist

“They have the BEST play area!” -Liv

My kids have had regular dentist visits ever since they turned 1 year old. It is important to start good dental habits young as they set the stage for the adult teeth that would eventually come in. I’d also prefer to be preventative and proactive than to treat cavities when they pop up.

The girls have both had dental work done in the past and it hasn’t been the best experience for them. Everything associated with filling cavities aren’t the most pleasant for little ones so it’s understandable. They now have an apprehension whenever I bring up the word dentist. But I don’t want them to carry this fear into their adulthood. As great as MY dentist is, I feel that there’s always something else that can be done to provide some extra comfort. In partnership with PDG, I recently took my girls to see a pediatric dentist after years of of taking them to a regular dentist.

After our visit, and with input from my girls, we have come up 5 reasons why you should to switch your kids to a pediatric dentist.

 

Office Vibe

“They have the BEST play area!” -Liv

Upon entering the office, we were met with bright, cheerful colours that also lent a calming effect paired with the white walls. The girls then bolted to their kids area within seconds. We were greeted by the receptionists at the front and told that the hygienist would be right with us. This allowed them to play which they were very happy about. There were ride-on cars, tall mirrors, toys, Playstation and arcade style games.

“The shows and movies are wayyyyyy better!” – Liv

I can’t contest to this but this was the consensus! And who doesn’t love a good show when getting their teeth cleaned? They also have a movie and headphones in the waiting area. Great if you have multiple kids who finish at different times.

Reward System

“We get tokens and it’s so fun to put into dispenser!” – K

The girls LOVE the prize drawer at our old dentist’s office so I knew this would be a hard one to beat. But once again, leave it to PDG to up the prize game! They make it interactive for kids by putting their prizes in a tower! Kids receive tokens after their visit and they use that to retrieve their prize from the tower.

They also have a points system to earn more prizes:

At the end of their visit, they were given a cute insulated lunch bag filled with goodies, like toothpaste, stickers and kid sized flossers, to take home.

The Dentist and Hygienists

“She was nice to me. if the camera thing didn’t fit, she folded it so that it would fit better.” – Liv

They were very kind and I can tell that they enjoy being around kids! Both hygienists also provided very thorough cleaning/brushing instructions for the girls and I. The dentist was also very nice and used age appropriate language to talk to them. This was important to me because of two reasons. The first one is because the words professionals use can be scary to kids. And second, including them in this process allows them to feel more control and independent. You know how kids usually listen to strangers more than their own parents? Well, after their little chat with the hygienists about flossing and fluoride rinse, my kids have been doing both everyday! Hallelujah!

Pro tip: I didn’t know this at the time I booked the appointments but they were able to fit both the girls in at the same time! Ask about this when you book. It was a huge time saver!

During this visit, we discovered that Liv had some cavities. The hygienist, dentist and the coordinator took time to explain to us what our options are. Speaking from a mom’s perspective, I appreciated the extra effort that went into the process. They were kind, empathic and considerate.

Better Fluoride and Tooth Polish Experience

“I love the caramel fluoride!” – K
“I want more of that caramel!” – Liv

I don’t know about you but I personally dislike the polish they use at my dentist. So naturally, my kids aren’t a fan either. Boy, was I pleased to not hear any complaints! PDG uses a brush on fluoride which was alot easier for the girls to accept than the rinse. They gladly opened wide for it! PDG has some uniquely flavoured fluoride that we had never come across before. They were instant fans of the caramel! Yum.

Built for Kids

“The chairs are more comfy!” – Liv

The thing about the regular dentist is that everything is sized for adults. When a child is already feeling apprehension about the dentist, small details can make them feel more comfortable. At PDG, everything is kid sized. The chairs are better suited for kids, counters are built lower, even some of the equipment they use were chosen with kids’ tiny mouths in mind. I also noticed that there wasn’t division between the chairs. It was open and bright!

 

So….would you make the switch?

Let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: This post was written in collaboration with PDG Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, a local pediatric dentist located in Vancouver. As usual, I only put my name behind brands I trust.