When people ask me what it’s like to be a pediatric dentist in Utah Valley, I usually smile before I answer. Because the truth is, it’s less about dentistry and more about watching childhood unfold—one loose tooth or one proud “I brushed all by myself!” at a time.
I’ve practiced long enough to see toddlers become teenagers and teenagers head off to college. I’ve seen families grow and entire neighborhoods spring up, replacing open fields. Times definitely change.
But as growth brings energy and opportunity, it also offers a needed reminder: our children need consistent, thoughtful healthcare throughout their lifetimes. To us, it’s of paramount importance. So, this gives me the opportunity to touch on what preventative dental care means to us and how we define it moving forward. This article will serve as a sort of “welcome guide” for those new to the Utah Valley. Let’s get started.
Why Forming Good Habits Is Essential
Preventive Dental Care is different from any other branch of dental care because a child isn’t just a smaller adult with smaller teeth. Kids are learning how the world works. They are forming memories. They are forming habits. Habits can last well into adulthood, so it becomes essential for us to do all we can to instill our young patients with habits that can help them avoid cavities for the rest of their lives. And that’s the stress here—how we approach those habits.
For example, when we meet a young patient and they come into our office for the first time, they usually don’t know what our tools are or what we’re all here to do. They often don’t understand why someone wants to “count their teeth” or know how many times they brush their teeth every day.
What they do understand is tone of voice, facial expressions, and whether the room feels welcoming.
That’s exactly what we do right at the beginning. We make them feel comfortable. From there, the rest becomes a lot easier. Once they are familiar with the environment, we can explain to them by working together, we can all accomplish a better, healthier smile.
Now as we begin a journey towards education and the forming of good habits, we are starting to give children the tools they need to carry forward, hopefully for many, many years.
A Word For Families New to the Utah Valley
As more families move into the area, we must adapt. Staying on top of the latest treatment goes hand-in-hand with providing the best care modern dentistry can offer. Every year we see new cases, train on new treatment techniques, and develop new ways to improve all aspects of care.
Local residents sometimes refer to this region as “Happy Valley,” and after years of serving families across Provo, Orem, Lehi, and Spanish Fork, the name certainly fits.
So, if your family is new here, I want to extend my welcome and offer up a word of advice: start early. Whether it’s prevention, healthy habits, or your little one’s first visit, we recommend starting care early.
What I’ve seen over the years is the parents who start early with their children seem to have kids that develop lasting dental care routines—exactly what we want to see.
So, let’s go over a few milestones.
The First Visit: A Milestone For Parents, Too
Did you know that The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends children see a dentist by their first birthday?
That’s usually a surprise to most parents, but it’s absolutely true. Technically they recommend visiting a dentist when a first tooth appears, or by their first birthday—whichever comes first. That’s pretty early.
And there’s a very good reason why. The reason is less about procedures and more about prevention and education.
The first visit gives us an opportunity to set the tone for years to come. It’s a chance for us to discuss with you ways that you can help prevent tooth decay, establish and maintain proper oral hygiene, and identify any potential signs for concern. It also provides a forum for you to ask any questions you may have.
The fact is, dentistry (and especially pediatric dentistry) is not what it used to be. It’s probably a lot different than it was when you were a kid. We have technology today that can make many treatments virtually pain-free!
So this first visit can look a lot different than you may think. In my experience, parents generally leave that first visit feeling relieved. They realize dental care doesn’t have to be intimidating. It can be simple, supportive, and even pleasant. And we can all work together to achieve the same goal: good, lasting habits that can help your child develop and maintain healthy oral habits for life.
What Prevention Really Means To Us
Preventive Dental Care is a common phrase that we use around our office, and if you’ve read my other articles, you’ll know that I often cover it. But, when people hear “preventive dentistry,” they often think of cleanings and fluoride treatments. Those are certainly part of it. But prevention is more than that.
Prevention means teaching a five-year-old how to angle their toothbrush along the gumline. It means showing a parent how to floss two tiny teeth that barely touch. It means explaining why sipping juice throughout the day can expose enamel to repeated acid attacks.
Families are busy. Parents are busy. At the end of a long day it’s easy to overlook how important it is to help our young ones properly brush their teeth before bed. We’re tired. They’re tired. Sometimes we only get a minute or two to get it done, and sometimes “I forgot to brush their teeth” is a fleeting thought before closing our eyes.
But that’s why we emphasize the importance of prevention. We work on it with every patient so that it becomes as routine and regular as possible. That’s our job. So, we can take it seriously. It means a lot to us because sometimes we see kids that have not developed the right habits and now must undergo a procedure to handle a cavity, an abscess, or something even more serious. We don’t want to see that. We’re trained to help, but we would prefer to take pride in helping our young friends never go through it.
So, prevention to us means ensuring that we see as many smiles as possible. There’s nothing like seeing one of our young patients come into the office with a big smile, knowing that they not only don’t have any cavities. They have taken good care of their teeth. That’s a big deal. That’s ultimately our goal with prevention.
That sort of leads me to my next point. The bigger picture.
Watching Children Grow Through The Years
Parents often mention milestones. There being certain points in a child’s development where noticeable changes can be seen, and there are some that I regularly see. I want to share those with you now.
They are:
- Around age six, the first permanent molars erupt—often without parents realizing they’re not baby teeth.
- Between ages six and twelve, primary teeth typically loosen and fall out.
- By early adolescence, most children have transitioned to a nearly complete adult dentition.
Now, although these could be considered milestones, it’s important to understand that I’m not sharing this information to create a sense of urgency.
All kids are different, and their teeth develop at different rates.
With regular visits and healthy oral care habits, this growth can show progress and indicators of potential signs of concern. By “signs of concern” I simply mean cavities, impacted teeth, plaque buildup, or other signs of decay. These signs can be mild, moderate, or severe. They can point to signs of more serious conditions. They can indicate other things too. The point here is that, as kids grow, a regular, routine checkup with a dentist can help not only prevent more serious conditions from starting, but it can help identify and treat issues before they become more severe.
I know this all can sound a bit redundant, but it bears repeating. Knowing what is going on offers potential solutions. Not knowing leads to guesswork and speculation. We prefer to know. So we suggest regular six-month dental visits or checkups.
Leading The Way In Pediatric Care In Utah Valley
As Utah Valley continues to expand, so does the demand for great pediatric dental expertise. At Orem Pediatric Dental, we work to stay informed about advancements in technology, behavior guidance techniques, and minimally invasive treatments.
We also continue to provide care to local residents and visitors from all over the country.
So, if you are reading this, I want to thank you. And I want to invite you to come in and meet us. We’re all here to help you and your child get the best care, develop healthy oral care habits, and be comfortable at the dentist.
Utah Valley’s skyline may continue to change. Roads may widen. New businesses may open. But one thing remains constant: children will keep growing.
As they do, we hope you will consider Orem Pediatric Dentistry for your child’s care. I thank you for reading and look forward to meeting you. On behalf of my entire staff, welcome to Happy Valley!
