Service · Cleanings & exams
Twice a year, start to finish, no surprises.
A hygienist cleaning, a fluoride treatment when it’s appropriate, and an exam from the dentist. Every patient over age one. Most visits start within ten minutes of the appointment time.
A first visit
By their first birthday, or sooner.
Schedule the first visit by your child’s first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth — whichever comes first. The visit is short, mostly a knee-to-knee exam with the parent holding the child. We’ll talk about brushing, weaning from the bottle, and the toothbrush-resistance routine.
You sit, your kid sits on your lap
The dentist sits knee-to-knee with you, kid lying back across both laps. Easier for everyone than the chair.
We look, we count, we polish if it’s appropriate
The exam is mostly visual at this age. If the kid is willing and the teeth are ready, we polish.
We talk through what’s next
Brushing technique, snack timing, when to come back. You leave with a written plan, not a guess.
What you bring
A short list.
| Bring | Why |
|---|---|
| Insurance card | So the front desk can verify before you sit down |
| List of medications | Even over-the-counter ones — relevant for fluoride dosing |
| A snack | For after, not before. Sugar-free if possible. |
| One spare adult, optional | Handy if you have a younger sibling in tow |
Continuity matters
Same hygienist, when we can.
We schedule each kid with the same hygienist over time when the calendar allows it. Lana sees most kids ages 1 to 6, Mariah covers 7 and up, Priya handles anxious kids and special-needs visits, and Dev covers Wednesdays. Continuity matters more than people credit, and it costs us nothing to maintain.
What the cleaning looks like
Polish, floss, fluoride if it fits.
A scale, a polish, a thorough floss, and a fluoride varnish if your kid’s risk profile calls for it. About 20 minutes once the kid is settled. The hygienist narrates each step before it happens — most kids stop asking what the spinning thing is by the third visit.