As a parent, making appointments for your child to go to the dentist starting at the age of one is highly important. It is at this time that your child's teeth have begun to come in, and you want to be sure that any signs of problems are caught early. You will also want tips from your child's dentist about what you can do at home to avoid any issues that they may notice when you bring your child in. When choosing a dentist for your child, it's important that you know these four signs of an excellent pediatric dentist:

1. An Atmosphere for Children: First off, if you are going to take your child to a dentist who specifically works with children, you want to be sure that the atmosphere in which they work is suitable for children. This is going to make your child feel more comfortable in the environment, which is especially important as they become older and hear horror stories of the dentist from other kids they go to school with. However, if you start taking your child to the dentist at an early age, this typically isn't a problem since they will already be comfortable at the dental office. You still want an atmosphere suitable for children, though, so that they are excited about visiting the dentist every time.
2. Friendly Staff: When you visit your child's dentist, every single staff member from the receptionist to the hygienist should be friendly, and it should be obvious that they are used to working with kids. They should be able to make your child laugh and should be patient whenever your child does happen to act out while there. 
3. Smaller Dental Tools: The benefit of taking your child to a pediatric dentist is that they use dental tools that are much smaller than the dental tools used by your own dentist. This way, they fit comfortably in your child's mouth and your child is much less likely to experience discomfort during their visit. This always makes visiting the dentist much easier. 
4. Talks to Your Child: When your child meets with the dentist, the dentist should be talking to your child, not to you. This way, your child feels involved in their oral health care, which ensures that they are more active about it. The dentist should explain each step they are taking to your child and why it's important. If they simply ignore your child and only speak directly to you, your child may feel unimportant and not take their oral care seriously. 

When you notice these four signs of an excellent children's dentist on your first visit, you can be sure that you are likely making a good choice by sticking with that same dentist throughout your child's development. For more information, contact local professionals like Kids First Pediatric Dentistry.