Patient Information

Your First Visit

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that your child visit the dentist by his/her 1st birthday. Pediatric dental offices are trained and have more extensive experience treating all types of children, especially those that may have significant medical and/or behavioral health care requirements. We are also experts at helping young, apprehensive children feel good about seeing the dentist and taking care of their teeth. Our approach will vary from child to child and will be discussed with you at the initial visit. Please inform us if your child has any special health and/or dental needs prior to their first visit.

Before Your First Visit

• You can make the first visit to the dentist enjoyable and positive. Your child should be informed of the visit and told that the dentist and his staff will explain all procedures and answer any questions.
• Usually, the more informed your child is about the appointment, the better they will do.
• Please convey good feelings to your child about the dental visit and remind them that it is an important part of growing up. You can explain that Dr. Stroud will be nice and gentle as he brushes, counts, and takes pictures of their teeth.
• It is best if you refrain from using words around your child that might cause unnecessary fear, such as "needle", "shot", "pull", "drill" or "hurt". The dental office makes a practice of using different words that convey the same message, but are pleasant and non-frightening to your child.

The First Visit

• Please arrive at least 15 minutes early if you need to fill out paperwork. The forms can be downloaded above.
• Our staff will review your child’s health history with you at the first visit. Then, they will explain the benefits of good oral health and the importance of preventing tooth decay—all in language that children can comprehend. Each child will also learn about the advantages of a proper diet and the correct way to brush and clean their teeth. Next, they will receive a complete dental exam from one of our pediatric dentists. This initial appointment usually takes about an hour and includes a parent consultation with the doctor.
• The exam includes screening for cavities, gum infections, and other abnormalities of the mouth and throat. X-rays may also be taken according to your child’s age and needs. Dr. Stroud will evaluate your child’s bite to see if there will be room for all of the permanent teeth. He will also check for proper alignment of the jaws. In addition, an evaluation will be made concerning childhood habits, such as thumb-sucking or tongue-thrusting, so we can make appropriate preventive orthodontic recommendations.

Future Treatment

• We do not ordinarily clean your child’s teeth on the initial visit to our dental office. However, we will schedule a subsequent visit to clean their teeth, apply fluoride, and reinforce oral hygiene recommendations.
• Except for the first visit, we ask that you allow your child to accompany our staff through the dental experience on their own. We are highly experienced in helping children overcome anxiety. Separation anxiety is not uncommon in children, so please try not to be concerned if your child exhibits some negative behavior. This is normal and will soon diminish.
• Studies and experience have shown that most children over age three react more positively when permitted to experience the dental visit on their own.
• Nevertheless, if it is apparent that your child is too young or too anxious to tolerate separation, parental assistance is welcomed and encouraged at our discretion.
• After the exam, any dental treatment required will be scheduled for a later visit. If you have been referred to our dental office, we will still need to perform an initial exam prior to any procedures. This is needed to thoroughly assess and discuss treatment options and obtain any additional information that may better treat your child.

Appointment Policy

We are aware of school policies that make it difficult for children to be out of school for any reason. However, please remind the schools that medical and dental appointments are excused absences.

• The dental office attempts to schedule appointments at your convenience and when time is available.
• Preschool children should be seen in the morning because they are fresher and we can work more slowly with them for their comfort.
• School children with a lot of work to be done should be seen in the morning for the same reason.
• Missing school can be kept to a minimum when regular dental care is continued.
• Arriving 15 minutes late or more for any appointment may require rescheduling so other patients are not kept waiting. This is considered a broken appointment.

Since appointed times are reserved exclusively for each patient, we ask that you please notify our dental office 24 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment time if you are unable to keep it. Another patient who needs our care could be scheduled if we have sufficient time to notify them. We realize that unexpected things can happen, but we ask for your assistance in this regard.

If for any reason you fail to come or cancel an after school appointment, the missed appointment will be rescheduled during school time.

We reserve the right to charge a missed appointment fee for excessive broken or missed appointments. Please remember that broken appointments affect many people, not just you.

We make every effort to maintain our appointment schedule and generally do. Occasionally, we treat emergencies (such as traumatic injuries) which demand immediate attention. Please understand that you would wish us to treat your child immediately in a similar situation.

New Patient Forms

For your convenience, we have provided our New Patient forms that can be downloaded. They will need to be completed prior to your child's first visit to our dental office. You will also need to read the Notice of Privacy Practices form at our dental office and sign the Acknowledgment and Access form when you arrive. The Notice of Privacy Practices presents the information that the federal law requires us to give our patients regarding our privacy practices.

Download New Patient Forms

Insurance Welcome

If you have dental insurance for your child, you have the opportunity to save money on their dental care at Stroud Pediatric Dentistry. We invite you to bring this insurance information with you to their appointment. We are in network with Delta Dental, but we accept most other PPO plans as well. Even if we’re not in your insurance’s network, our experienced team will process claims for you, so you can focus on your child’s smile. We also offer Care Credit for your convenience.

Learn About Dental Insurance