Do I stay with my child during the appointments?

• You are welcome to be present with your child for examination appointments. If your child needs dental work, we request that parents leave the treatment room. There are windows in all our treatment rooms, so parents are welcome to view their child outside the treatment room during the entire procedure. There are several scientific studies about how parental presence in the treatment room negatively affects the behavior of children.

• In the absence of a parent in the room, our team has the undivided attention of the child to guide them through the procedure. We have specialized training in how to manage anxious children in such scenarios, and our approach involves distracting the child in conversations or diverting their attention towards the TV screen above them. Additionally, we ensure their comfort while administering nitrous oxide and aim to complete the procedure as painlessly and as seamlessly as possible. Our main goal is to gain your child's trust and help them feel more comfortable.
  

How Appointments are Scheduled

• For the optimal comfort of preschool children, we recommend scheduling their appointments in the morning when they are well-rested. Similarly, school children with extensive dental work should also be scheduled in the morning for their comfort. Dental appointments are considered excused absences from school, and maintaining regular dental care can help minimize missed school days.

• We reserve specific appointment times for each patient, so we kindly request that you inform our office at least 24 hours in advance if you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment. This allows us enough time to offer the appointment slot to another patient in need of care. Any cancellation or rescheduling requests on the day of your appointment will be considered a no-show, and a fee may be applicable.

• If you're running late, we kindly ask that you reach out to our office to inform us. However, if you're more than 10 minutes behind schedule, we may need to reschedule your appointment as a courtesy to other patients with scheduled appointments.

• It's important to note that repeated missed appointments or no-shows may lead to your dismissal from our practice.

• For new patients, we require a valid form of identification from the patient's parent or legal guardian. If someone other than the legal guardian is bringing the patient, they must provide authorization documentation from the legal guardian before the appointment. Without the proper documentation, the appointment will be canceled. For the initial visit, we strongly recommend the legal guardian to accompany the patient if possible.

  After School Appointments

• Appointments after 3 pm are in high demand, and punctuality is crucial. Kindly ensure you confirm your after school appointment by phone, text, or email at least 24 hours before your scheduled time. Failure to confirm may result in your appointment slot being offered to another patient.

• We have a strict 24-hour cancellation or rescheduling policy for after 3 pm appointments. Please be aware that after a late cancellation/reschedule/no-show to an After School Appointment, no other After School Appointments will be given to the patient. This is because patients who wish to be scheduled at this time were unable to be scheduled. Thank you! 

Sedation Appointments

• Nitrous: To secure your Nitrous sedation appointment, we require a deposit that will be applied toward your child's treatment. If you fail to provide a reasonable explanation for cancellation at least 48 hours before the scheduled treatment time, the deposit will be forfeited, and the full cost of the sedation is necessary to reschedule the appointment.

• Oral Sedation: We allocate a dedicated 2-hour block on our schedule and assign a staff member to ensure your child's safety during their sedation appointment. A deposit is mandatory to reserve your appointment, and this deposit will be credited toward the cost of your child's treatment. In the event of a cancellation without a reasonable explanation within 48 hours of the scheduled treatment, the deposit will be forfeited, and the full sedation cost is required for rescheduling.

• IV Sedation: We collaborate with a Board-Certified Dental Anesthesiologist to facilitate safe treatment for your child. The process for in-office IV sedation entails a deposit and various paperwork. For more details, please contact our office at 281-369-4566.