Children’s Dentistry of Chattanooga
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Children’s Dentistry of Chattanooga
At Children’s Dentistry of Chattanooga, we agree with The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) when they recommend you find your child’s “Dental Home” by age one or when the first tooth emerges, whichever occurs first. It has been shown that establishing your child’s “Dental Home” provides the opportunity to implement preventive dental health habits that keep a child free from dental/oral disease. focuses on prevention, early detection, and treatment of dental diseases. We work to keep current on the latest advances in dentistry for children, and our services reflect just that.
The goal at is to help all children feel good about visiting the dentist and educate them on how to care for their teeth. From our fun office designs to our communication style, our main concern is what is best for your child.
A Pediatric Dentist completes two additional years of training after completing dental school. These years are spent in a post-doctoral graduate residency program learning how to address and manage the unique challenges associated with treating infants, children and adolescents. Some of which include early childhood development, child psychology, growth and development and behavioral management.
Not all pediatric dentists are certified by American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD). The ABPD board certification indicates that a pediatric dentist has successfully completed accredited training and a voluntary 2-part examination process designed to continually validate the knowledge, skills, and experience requisite to the delivery of quality patient care.
Dentists certified through the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD) hold the highest possible credentials within the field of pediatric dentistry. strives to provide the best oral care for your child and this board certification is a testament to dedication.
Everyone on our team knows how to respond to children, not just when they talk to us about their concerns or fears, but also when they express them in non-verbal ways. We’re trained to be guided by facial expressions and body language, and we take plenty of time to assess your child, moment by moment, and adjust what we are doing to keep them feeling safe and comfortable.
We use the “Tell-Show-Do” technique. With this technique, the doctor, assistant, or hygienist shows each tool to your child, demonstrates how it will be used, and lets them get comfortable with it before we start any work.
And while we are always honest with kids, we use gentle, non-threatening language that makes it easy for youngsters to understand what’s happening. We especially never use the words shots or needles. Kids respond very badly to that. Instead we use words like numbing juice or sleepy juice that makes your mouth feel like it is falling asleep. We will also help parents understand what kind of verbiage to use when talking to your children about upcoming visits. The more relaxed and happy kids are with us, the better the outcome of all procedures, and the more likely your kids will be to continue with dentistry throughout life.
Children’s Dentistry of Chattanooga believes in working closely with parents and making you a major part of your child’s wellness program. You know your child best, after all. That’s why we encourage parents of very young children or special-needs patients to come with their children to the treatment rooms and why we provide special education for parents.
As they get a little older, we encourage youngsters to start coming back by themselves. They love feeling like big kids and they respond well to individual attention with the doctors and team, but we always consult with parents and make the decision on a case-by-case basis.
When parents relax in our waiting room during their older child’s visit, it passes on a feeling of trust and safety to children. When parents say, “Jimmy, you can go back with Dr. Clay. He’s a nice person and he’ll take good care of you,” it makes a world of difference. This feeling of confidence and trust allows us to offer higher-quality care, with much less sedation and anesthesia, for a lifetime of healthy, happy smiles.
