At Bullard Children’s Dentistry, we know visits to the dentist can be scary – especially when it’s for the first time. New noises, strange tools, and funny sensations may make your child feel vulnerable or afraid. That’s okay! It’s exactly the reason we’ve taken diligent and deliberate steps to ensure our patients and their parents feel comfortable, safe, and understood.

So how exactly do we fight the fear of coming to the dentist? We’re a business that is made for kids, by kids – so we’ve heard firsthand what hurts and what helps.

Crazy with Color

We’ve decided – drab, square office buildings are out. Wonky purple buildings with silver stars are in! Building excitement that stamps out fear starts when you drive into our lot. Inside, your child will find a world of soothing, cool colors, interesting shapes, and tons of sparkles (like their teeth will have!). We’re no ordinary pediatric dentistry; we want our patients to know the world they’ve stepped into is bright and playful, just for them.

Enrich and Engage

While you’re waiting for your appointment, we don’t want to just distract your child from anticipation or anxiety. We want to enrich and engage their minds with creativity and imagination. Our lobby was designed to foster play and increase joy without the mind-numbing screen-scrolling. The technology we’ve implemented is interactive and collaborative, so you and your child can prepare for your appointment by having fun. Maybe you have a quieter, more shy child – no problem! We always have a family-friendly movie playing and comfy couches to lounge on.

Friendly Faces

One of the first things you’ll notice about our office is our marvelous staff. Friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable, each member of our team is family, and it’s their job to help make YOU feel like family. Most of our team, from receptionists to dental hygienists, are parents themselves. They all have different tips and tricks to help make your child feel safe, comfortable and cared for every step of the way.

Tactics for Tone and Talking

In the world of pediatric dentistry, much of the fear patients have comes from the unfamiliarity with tools and procedures, as well as the anticipation of physical discomfort. Maybe your child just doesn’t like the sound of their teeth being cleaned or doesn’t like the taste of toothpaste. Our team is trained to mitigate these fears to the best of their ability – including how they talk to your child about what is happening in their appointment.

When answering questions or explaining a procedure, our team gives an age-appropriate description of what they can expect. To avoid sparking fear, for example, there are certain words we don’t use; instead of saying they’ll “pull” a tooth, we say we’ll be “wiggling” a tooth. We also keep tones lighthearted and gentle, to ensure children of any age feel calm and collected.

Your child also has the opportunity to direct aspects of their visit – including the color of their toothbrush and the flavor of their toothpaste – because even the technical part should be fun too!

Delightful Dr. George

When Dr. George comes by, he’ll make an introduction to get to know you and your child personally. With his history in the business and four kids of his own, Dr. George understands how best to assure both you and his patients of their health and safety. Through direct and consistent communication, you can feel secure knowing what the next steps are for the wellbeing of your child’s teeth. With an expert eye, extensive knowledge, and a confident, calming presence, Dr. George is the kind of dentist who can make your kids laugh while checking for cavities (or lack thereof!).

Take-home Treasures

As you and your child leave your appointment, you’ll be taking home more than just a new toothbrush and a sparkling smile. As a parent, you’ll be leaving with the security of knowing exactly how your child is cared for from beginning to end, and how you can continue those dental health habits at home. As a patient, your child will leave with a positive experience where they remember the color, warmth, comfortability, and fun. When you come back, friendly faces will become familiar faces, and you’ll start to feel like family – because you are a part of our family. Our mission is to make Bullard Children’s Dentistry a place where kids are excited about their next appointment “in that funny purple building!”