The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends your child have a “dental home” by the time they are 12 months old, which might sound like a daunting task. If you have older children who need to go to the dentist, it is often difficult to find a dentist that makes your child feel comfortable and safe.

Pediatric Dentistry Associates knows the importance of your child’s oral health, and in order to help you and your child with your dental search, here are three tips to help pick the perfect pediatric dentist for your child.

Tip 1: Ask for recommendations

With so many options available, one of the best places to start is speaking with those whose opinions you trust. Trusted friends and family members know you and your children, and they will be able to give you personal evaluations of different pediatric dentists in your area.

Tip 2: Read online reviews

A great source for honest evaluations is online reviews, which can be found by completing a simple Google search. In many cases, pediatric dentist offices have created Google+ pages that allow patients to leave reviews about the service provided. Based on the reviews you read, you can get a better sense of how this dentist will be with your child.

Tip 3: Ask to tour the office with your child

In order to help children feel comfortable, many dentists will offer a guided tour of his or her office. This allows your child to meet the dentist, meet members of the team and see what the office and tools look like. This experience might help ease any nerves your child could feel prior to an appointment.

The perfect pediatric dentist for your child

As a parent, there is nothing more important than making sure your child is healthy. Finding the right pediatric dentists is a big step to helping your child’s oral health, and hopefully, these three tips will help you find the best one for your child.