What to Expect

• Please bring dental X-rays to your appointment or email them to [email protected].
• Please plan to arrive 15 minutes before your child’s appointment. If you arrive more than 20 minutes late, we may need to reschedule.
• Learn more about what to do before your appointment.

Your child has been referred to Seattle Children’s Dental Clinic because they have certain complex medical conditions, developmental delays or behavioral issues that require hospital-based dental care.

Seattle Children's is a teaching hospital. This means that pediatric dental residents and orthodontic fellows provide care to patients. Your child will receive care from a team that may include?

• Pediatric dentists
• Endodontists
• Oral and maxillofacial surgeons
• Orthodontists
• Periodontists
• Dental residents
• Orthodontic fellows
• Oral surgery nurses
• Care coordinators
• Dental assistants
• Dental surgery coordinators
• Family service coordinators
• Oral surgery program coordinators
• Speech and language pathologists

1. You and your child will meet with a pediatric dentist and dental assistant. 
2. We will obtain your child’s medical and dental history.
3. We will look in your child’s mouth and may take dental X-rays to determine your child’s treatment needs.
4. We will clean your child’s teeth and evaluate their risk for tooth decay and gum disease.
5. We will check for tooth growth and development.
6. We will discuss their exam and create a treatment plan with you, if necessary.
7. We will share dental tips to practice at home including the best way to brush your child’s teeth and which foods and drinks can affect their teeth.

Most initial visits last about 40 minutes, but your visit may take longer depending on your child’s specific needs.

• Information about any previous dental clinic visits including the name, contact information and year of the visit.
• Your child’s digital X-rays if you have them. You can bring physical copies with you or email them to  [email protected] before your appointment.
• Your child’s medicines or a list of medicines. Include non-prescription items like vitamins. Include name, dose and instructions.
• Your child’s medical equipment
• Any forms that might need to be signed by our providers like school forms 
• Activities to keep your child busy. Ideas include toys, books, coloring supplies or a card game. We do not keep toys in the waiting room to help control the spread of germs. 

We will make sure you leave the appointment with detailed instructions about what will happen next and try to answer all of your questions. We may need to see your child for follow-up visits depending on their diagnosis and treatment plan. Our schedulers will help you make a return appointment before you leave your appointment. Generally, children require a preventive dental visit every 6 months. For that type of appointment, our schedulers will contact you 3 months prior to your due date to schedule a routine cleaning and exam. We will provide you with phone numbers to call us if you have questions after you leave.

If you need to cancel your child’s appointment, please call us at 206-987-2243 as soon as possible.

• Find your location in our maps and directions section.
• Arrive 15 minutes before your appointment to allow time for registration.