Your First Visit
We are so glad you have chosen to hop onto our pad!
At your child’s first visit, our main goal is to get to know your child, establish good rapport with them, educate you and your child, and address dental needs. We want your child to feel safe and loved in our office. We understand that your child may be apprehensive for their first dental visit. We encourage you to reassure your child prior to their appointment, and we will do our best to make sure they have fun! We use a method called “Tell-Show-Do” where we first tell your child what we are going to do using positive and elementary language, then show the child what we are going to do, and then do it. This has been shown to alleviate much apprehension in children.
We will perform a thorough examination of your child’s mouth. We will examine the teeth, observing the formation of the teeth and noting any areas of decay. The gums, cheeks, and tongue are important for us to see too! We are also very concerned with the growth and development of your child’s teeth and jaws and make that a priority in our examination. One of our registered dental hygienists will clean your child’s teeth and take X-rays as indicated. Dr. Fortenberry or Dr. Holland will then discuss with you our findings and make specific recommendations based on your child’s specific needs.
When you arrive for your first visit, please bring your driver’s license, and insurance card. We will provide you with a link to complete new patient paperwork once you make your appointment! If you are unable to complete this prior to your appointment, please arrive 15 min prior to your appointed time. We will first review your child’s medical and dental history with you so we can safely and effectively address his/her needs.
What do this dentist and this frog have in common? Your children! AND our office AND SMILES!
At Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Fortenberry and Dr. Holland and their staff have created an environment that is fun and welcoming to your child. Our treatment areas are thoughtfully designed for your child’s dental experience to be performed in a nonthreatening and excellent manner. It is our utmost desire to treat your child as if they were our own and not only to treat their dental needs but help to also play a role in their emotional development and well-being. Several of our patients over the years have seen first hand/mouth the fulfillment of participating in the process of developing a beautiful smile and have chosen the dental profession as their career. That makes us happy.
Frankly, sometimes the dentist is the last person your child cares to visit. The dentist's office can be a fearful place for a child. Habits formed as children are habits retained as adults.
But the atmosphere at Dr. Susan Fortenberry and Dr. Martha Holland’s office invites children and adolescents to enjoy their visits to the dentist. From the waiting room with the slide for the little ones and TV for the older ones, to the examination areas with its comfortable colors and wholesome music, our patients can relax while the highly trained staff performs their duties.
Speaking of our staff... they are more like a family! Each one radiates a warmth and charm which would disarm even the most nervous of patients. While they are completely serious about their jobs, they are just as serious about the well-being of their patients. Every task is professionally performed under the watchful eye of Dr. Fortenberry and Dr. Holland.
Your children's dental health is foundational to a lifetime of winsome smiles. Why trust anyone else?
Oh, and about the frogs... one of Dr. Cope’s patients gave him a frog as a gift when he first started this practice. He displayed the gift with pride in his office. Other patients noticed his delight and also gave him frogs. Big ones. Little ones. Fanciful ones. Realistic ones. Real ones, too! So now, there are hundreds of frogs decorating the office, making it an interesting place for children (and adults) to wait in wonder. The idea worked so well he enlisted the help of the Smile Inspector, a larger-than-life frog to entertain visiting children. While it is entertaining, it is educational, too. The children love it!