Kids in Prague

Kids’ Dentistry at American Dental, Prague 1

Useful Information on 03 April 2009 by Karen (4 comments)

This dental surgery is ultra modern, clean, has state-of-the-art equipment and very professional staff. A team of 3 dentists and 2 dental hygienists, all multi-lingual (speaking Czech, English and German between them – with Japanese & Russian interpreting also available), does everything from children’s exams and hygiene to X-rays and fillings.

Robbie (7) has been coming here for a number of years now. Recently, when he came for his regular check-up, the dentist found a small cavity in the side of Robbie’s molar. This was his first ever ‘hole’ but ‘Dr Eric’ fixed it up straight away. There were no tears, tantrums or screaming and the whole procedure (anesthesia free) was over in less than 15 minutes. After a bit of a guilt trip -a cavity at such a young age already? This must be my fault - I was a bit comforted by the fact that this sort of a thing happens in about 25% of all children of the same age.

I’m convinced that the fact that Robbie has been coming here regularly, since about the age of 4, has made him a lot less fearful now. During most of our past visits, we only had check-ups. Last year 4 of Rob’s molars required sealants. These are preventative ‘fillings’ that seal the top ridges or grooves in the back teeth, where food often gets in and which are hard to reach with a toothbrush.

What I find refreshing about this place is the fact that my kids get treated like human beings. The staff are always patient, caring, professional and extremely friendly. Robbie usually sees Dr. Eric Rafoth, who never seems to loose his cool when having to reply Rob’s zillions of questions. There is always lots of encouragement and praise given, so Rob feels no fear (and neither do I).

During our last visit, Robbie also had his first-ever tooth cleaning done (dental hygiene). It took about 40 minutes to do the whole procedure of cleaning all around and between the teeth. Klara, the dental hygienist, removed what seemed like a ton of tartar (or a castle for bacteria, as she called it), gave him a nice polish afterwards and educated him about proper teeth brushing. Klara’s youngest ever patient was apparently a 3-year-old girl with completely rotten teeth. I’m not exaggerating but the last time that Klara ‘did’ my teeth, it was the most thorough and painless tooth hygiene experience of my life.

So, what is the best time to take your kid to the dentist for the first time? I was told that, the sooner the better, but generally at about the age of 3 (and then once every 6-12 months). Even if they just come along to watch mum or dad having some work done, it will give them a chance to look around a dentist’s surgery, check out the chair, the lights, drills etc and develop confidence about coming in the future. Albie was probably only about 2 ½ when I first brought him for a visit, and nothing much came out of it. He opened his mouth for about 5 seconds, moved up and down in the dentist’s chair and that was it – but he was not scared, became a bit familiarized with the dental surgery and equipment, and that is a good start.

It is better to come when there is no work to be done rather than arriving for the first time once there is an actual cavity that needs to be fixed. Generally, you will need to make an appointment with a Dentist (who will check the teeth for cavities or any other problems, and this may include taking an X-ray) and then they get them cleaned and polished by a Dental Hygienist.

The waiting area has a wee playpen and a small telly to keep young ones entertained and if an adult needs child-minding, while having some work done, then this can also be arranged (prior to the appointment). An orthodontist comes in 2 times a month.

The cost of a children’s exam and child hygiene is about 1100 CZK (40 EUR) for each procedure.

Check out the American Dental web site’s concise section advising on how to best look after your children’s teeth from the age of 6 months to adulthood.

As far as the adults are concerned, AD do everything from prevention & hygiene to implants, extractions, minor surgery, whitening and even dental jewellery!

By the way, Play-Doh make a great dentists’ play set called ‘Dr Drill and Fill’, which helps to make kids become more familiar with dentistry through play.