A warm and trusting environment

Our office goes to great lengths to provide a warm and trusting environment. But how will you know this? You will immediately see how different our office is by the way we treat children. We don’t assume that a child who “misbehaves” requires firmness, physical restraint, or the parent to leave the room. On the contrary, we assume that the child may have fear of discomfort or simply fear of the unknown. We assume the child may dislike something that we are doing and that it is our job to employ compassionate behavioral and treatment strategies that make the visit more comfortable, thereby eliciting trust and cooperation. Gentle care and praise are all that some children need to develop the confidence and coping skills to be outstanding helpers. We also encourage the reassuring presence of parents in the treatment room as it usually helps children feel more safe and secure.
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Personalized Care

A good health care plan will reflect the fact that each child has unique emotional and healthcare needs. At Little Pearls Dentistry we determine the factors that may put each child at risk for dental disease and develop an individualized plan to restore or maintain optimal health.

Our office is sensitive to the care of special needs children, such as those with autism spectrum disorder, sensory integration disorder, cerebral palsy, and Down Syndrome. We understand the importance of making our environment nurturing and calm. In the interest of privacy and to ensure our special needs patients are in an optimally calm environment both in the reception area as well as in the treatment room, we avoid scheduling other patients during their time.

On-Time Guarantee

Parents are understandably frustrated when they arrive on time for an appointment but are then forced to wait to see the doctor. We also know how hard it is for a child to wait in a reception area. Time is valuable to our parents – so we provide an on-time guarantee. If we make a child wait more than 15 minutes for his or her regularly scheduled appointment twice within the same calendar year our office will give her a bookstore gift certificate.

Shopping Spree

Every month we hold a raffle for one of our regular patients. The lucky child wins a $100 shopping spree at Go Bananas toy store in Brambleton (www.gobananastoys.com)
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Relax at Our Parents’ Alcove

While children are being cared for, parents can enjoy the peace and comfort of our parents’ alcove, sipping coffee or espresso from our coffee bar. During cold winter months, parents may enjoy a hot cup of cider instead. Reading material, headphones, and complimentary wireless internet are also available to make parents’ visit as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

The Latest Technology for Safety and Convenience

We utilize the best available technology to streamline our patients’ and parents’ experience with us. Digital radiographs (x-rays) minimize exposure to radiation and allow the images to be seen immediately, a great benefit with active children and parents with busy schedules. Our forms are also available online. All insurance claims are sent electronically the same day the patient is seen. Our office is also pleased to offer different treatment and financing options.

Infant Oral Health Program

Little Pearls Dentistry is excited to offer a complimentary infant oral health program to children less than 12 months old and to expecting parents. Why is this important to us? Because we know that providing parents with infant oral health education will help their children to maintain optimal dental health that will last a lifetime.

Why should this be exciting for you? There are numerous reasons for providing an infant oral hygiene education to parents. Parents are surprised to learn that the bacteria that cause cavities in early childhood are passed unknowingly to the child by his or her primary caregiver through kissing and the sharing of utensils and food. This is a widespread problem as cavities are present in half of all children by age 3. Dentists know that dental problems can have profound effects such as pain, infection, poor nutrition, failure to thrive, inability to concentrate, missed school days, and poor self-esteem. But early prevention can minimize the need for more extensive and possibly more emotionally difficult treatment later. Children who see a dentist at a younger age are usually more comfortable should they require treatment later. By establishing a dental home early, parents also have a place to call should their toddler suffer an unfortunate injury.

An early infant oral health education is also associated with cost saving. Studies show that children who have their first dental visit by age one have 40% lower dental costs in their first five years than children who don’t.

Though not a substitute for a comprehensive exam, our infant oral health program gives parents the opportunity to establish good dental health and habits that will hopefully last their children a lifetime!
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Nitrous Oxide, Sedation, and General Anesthesia

Little Pearls Dentistry takes great pride in understanding that patience and compassion are oftentimes remarkable substitutes for sedation and general anesthesia. However, we also recognize that there may be a few children who will need additional help. These options exist but we will only use them after discussing them in full with parents and only if they approve.

For children with mild anxiety, nitrous oxide or laughing gas is a safe and proven method. For children with moderate anxiety or those who are too young to cooperate, conscious sedation within the office may be an option. For children with greater levels of anxiety or more extensive treatment needs, intravenous sedation in the office may be useful. Intravenous sedation differs from conscious sedation in that a child is completely asleep and monitored by an anesthesiologist. In other cases, it may be necessary to treat a child under general anesthesia in the office or in a hospital on an outpatient basis. Our office always prefers to use behavioral strategies that elicit trust to manage fear or apprehension, but we are able to provide any of these alternative services to our patients if it is necessary. To read more about pain and anxiety management in pediatric dentistry, please read Dr. Mike’s article in the February 2008 issue of Washington Parent (www.washingtonparent.com/articles/0802/dentist.htm

Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment

Some children benefit from early orthodontic treatment prior to losing all their baby (primary) teeth. Early correction of some growth and alignment problems can prevent more extensive problems and treatment needs later and can sometimes preclude the need for comprehensive orthodontic treatment later.

Ask Dr. Gazori

Dr. Gazori is pleased to answer questions about pediatric dentistry by email for our patients of record. Please email Dr. Gazori at dds@littlepearlsdentistry.com. For emergencies please be sure to call the office.
 

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