Dental Health

For our Pediatric Dental Clinic patients,

We are excited to announce that we are now open for appointments. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:

• Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office. Temperatures will be taken upon entrance to our clinic.
• We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.
• You may choose to wait in your car. Our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
• We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at 847-930-6721

Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.

Dental caries, also known as dental decay or cavities, is the most common chronic disease among young children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 40% of children have decay by the time they enter kindergarten. And sadly, majority of decay is left untreated! The good news is that cavities are preventable.

The foundation of optimal oral health begins in the first years of life. However, many parents of young children don’t see the importance of seeing the dentist early. All too often parents say, “my child is too young”, “he doesn’t have enough teeth yet”, or “cavities in baby teeth don’t matter, they’ll be lost anyways.” All these statements are not true.

It’s recommended that children begin seeing a dentist at 1 year old, despite having little or no teeth. The first visits are to help your child become accustomed to the dentist’s chair and educate parents on the importance of caring for baby teeth. It is essential to establish a proper oral hygiene routine early to ensure development of strong and healthy teeth. Good habits formed early and performed often will help prevent decay in later years. Therefore, toothbrushing twice per day should be presented as an everyday habit and as part of your child’s daily care.

Unique to Well Child Center (WCC) is our “First Tooth Visit” Program that targets children at their first birthday. During this visit, parents and caregivers are educated on the need for regular dental check-ups – even for primary teeth. WCC dentists conduct a thorough dental exam and parents are given specific instruction on how to care for emerging teeth. A dental care kit containing essential dental care tools are given to children so they may continue an oral hygiene routine at home between dental visits. Lastly, the next dental appointment is scheduled to maintain consistent care and to establish a dental home.

WCC focuses on education and relationship-building to help empower families to prevent disease and manage dental decay. The dental home is the ongoing relationship between the dentist and the patient, inclusive of all aspects of oral health care delivered in a comprehensive, continuously accessible, coordinated, and family-oriented way.

At WCC all children are welcome despite their parent’s insurance status and financial limitations. Call 847-930-9721 to schedule an appointment or to learn more. We’re always excepting new smiles!

About Melinda Scheibe

Melinda received a B.S. in Nutrition from Illinois State University. Upon graduation, she joined Well Child Center and is actively working as a WIC Nutritionist and Development Associate. Melinda is committed to her career as a Nonprofit professional, empowering families to reach their maximum potential.

At the March 2019 staff meeting, WCC was thrilled to welcome Holli Seabury from McMillen Health and John O’Malley from Delta Dental to provide our agency with BRUSH Training. The training portrayed how oral health impacts the WIC mission, presented practical ways to speak with clients about dental health, and emphasized the importance of establishing a dental home at age 1.

Also, thank you to McMillen Health and Delta Dental for gifting WCC with teaching resources to better educate our clients! We truly appreciate your partnership and support to help us serve local children in need of WIC and dental services.