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New patients are usually seen within 10 days

Your first visit, planned in advance

Kids do best when nothing is a surprise. Here is the whole visit, start to finish, plus what to bring and how to talk about it at home.

Book a visitParents' guide
A young patient smiling in the dental chair
From booking to the prize wall

Your first visit in four easy steps

No surprises for kids or parents. Here is exactly how a first visit at Little Molars goes.

  1. Step 1

    Book online or call

    Pick a time that fits naps and school. We text a reminder and a short welcome video.

  2. Step 2

    Forms from your couch

    Fill out health history on your phone before you arrive, in English or Spanish.

  3. Step 3

    Tour and happy visit

    Your child rides the chair, meets Mr. Thirsty and gets their teeth counted with you right there.

  4. Step 4

    Prize and a plan

    A spin on the prize wall for them, a simple home care plan for you.

Book a visitFirst visit guide
The four steps above, unpacked

Forty-five minutes, minute by minute

This is a real first visit for a three-year-old, in order, with the clock running from the moment you walk in. Older children move faster and toddlers move slower, but the sequence never changes.

  1. 0:00

    Through the door

    Name tag, a look at the prize wall, and a hello from whoever is on the desk. Nothing medical happens in the first two minutes on purpose.

  2. 0:02

    Play while we read

    Your child heads for the tooth-brushing wall or the books while a nurse reads the notes you sent, including anything you flagged about fear or sensory needs.

  3. 0:05

    Walking back

    Your child picks which room, walks in on their own feet, and rides the chair up and down before anyone touches anything.

  4. 0:08

    Tell, show, do

    Every tool for this visit is named, shown, and tried on a fingernail. The mirror, the tooth counter, Mr. Thirsty and the polisher, in that order.

  5. 0:12

    Counting and cleaning

    Teeth are counted out loud, plaque is cleaned away and the polish goes on in the flavour your child chose. Under three, this happens on your lap.

  6. 0:20

    X-rays, only if due

    Low-dose digital sensors, and only when the back teeth touch and we cannot see between them. Many first visits have none at all.

  7. 0:25

    The dentist's exam

    Jaw growth, bite, soft tissue, gums and every tooth surface, narrated to your child and photographed for the screen beside you.

  8. 0:32

    Fluoride varnish

    Painted on in about thirty seconds. It feels slightly sticky for a few minutes and then it is forgotten.

  9. 0:35

    The parent conversation

    Photos on the screen, what we found, what we would do, what we would watch, and a written home plan. Questions until you are done asking.

  10. 0:42

    Prize wall and the next date

    A spin, a new toothbrush, and the six-month appointment booked before you leave so it does not slide.

A young patient counting teeth in the dental chair

About 45 minutes in total, and roughly ten of those are you talking to the dentist without a mirror in anyone's mouth.

  • Nothing happens behind your child's head
  • A raised hand stops the visit, every time
  • You stay in the room for all of it
  • No treatment is ever done at a first visit without talking to you first
See the full comfort menu

What to bring

Four things, and only one of them is paperwork.

A parent completing new patient forms at the kitchen table

  • Insurance card and ID

    A photo on your phone works. We verify benefits before you arrive when you send it ahead.

  • Health history

    Medications, allergies, medical conditions and your pediatrician's name. Fill it out on your phone the night before.

  • A comfort item

    A blanket, stuffed animal or headphones. Anything that helps your child feel at home in a new room.

  • Your questions

    Write them down. Parents forget half of them once a wiggly toddler is on their lap.

Paperwork from your couch

Forms, done early

  • Text-to-fill forms

    We text a secure link two days before your visit. Most families finish it in under six minutes.

  • English and Spanish

    Every form and consent is available in both languages, and Dr. Marquez can review them with you.

  • Private by default

    Forms are encrypted and stored in your child's chart. Read our HIPAA notice in the privacy policy.

Want to see the form?

This is a demo website, so the live intake form is not connected. Book a visit and our coordinators will text you the real secure link.

Book a visitCall (208) 555-0144
Order anything on it, at no extra cost

The comfort menu

"We are great with anxious kids" means nothing on its own. So here is the actual list of things we offer, written out, so you can pick what your child needs and tell us when you book.

Ordered ahead

Before you come

  • A photo social story

    We email a set of photos of the car park, the door, the waiting room, the chair and the person your child will meet, in the order they will see them.

  • A happy visit with no treatment

    A fifteen-minute appointment where nothing happens except sitting in the chair, counting teeth and going home. Free, and we book as many as your child needs.

  • A quiet slot

    First appointment of the morning or last of the day, so there is no waiting room noise and nobody behind us in the schedule.

  • A pre-visit call

    Tell one of our team what went wrong last time, what words set your child off, and what has worked. It goes in the chart before you arrive.

  • Your own words agreed in advance

    We will use whatever your family already says for the tools, and avoid whatever your child reacts to.

Pick as many as you like

In the room

  • A stop signal

    A raised hand stops everything, every time, with no negotiation. Children who believe this settle faster than children who are reassured.

  • Noise-cancelling headphones

    Their own playlist or audiobook from your phone. The drill sound upsets more children than the sensation does.

  • Sunglasses and a ceiling screen

    The overhead light is a common sensory trigger. Shades and something to look at solve most of it.

  • A weighted blanket

    Lap-sized, calming for a lot of sensory-sensitive children, and easy to lift off if it is not welcome.

  • Tell, show, do

    Every instrument is named, shown and tried on a fingernail before it goes near a tooth. Nothing appears from behind your child's head.

  • Teddy goes first

    Whatever came with you gets counted, polished and sent home with a sticker before your child's turn.

  • Counting out loud

    We say how long something will take and count it down, then stop when we said we would. Keeping that promise is the whole technique.

  • Numbing gel and the buzzy tool

    Topical gel first, then a small vibrating device beside the site. Most children do not notice the injection that follows.

  • Flavour choice

    Bubblegum, mint or strawberry for the polish and the varnish. A small decision restores a lot of control.

  • Breaks whenever

    Sit up, rinse, stretch, walk to the window. We build the extra minutes into the booking so a break never costs anyone anything.

  • The quiet room

    A separate treatment room with a door, dimmable lights and no corridor traffic, for children who cannot cope with an open bay.

On the house

For the grown-up

  • You stay in the room

    Every visit, every treatment, no exceptions asked of you. If your child does better with you out of sight, that is your call to make, not ours.

  • Knee to knee for the little ones

    Under three, your child lies back from your lap into the dentist's, facing you the whole time.

  • The adult conversation happens after

    We talk to your child in your child's words in the room, then explain properly to you, with the findings on a screen.

  • No treatment plan sold in front of your child

    Nothing is discussed in numbers over their head. You get a written estimate and time to think.

  • Somewhere for the others

    A play area in sight of the treatment bay so a sibling is not a reason to cancel.

  • We tell you if it went badly

    Honestly, without softening it, along with what we would change for next time.

The words we use in the room

Children cannot be frightened by a word they have never heard. Our whole team uses the right-hand column, and we will use your family's words instead if you tell us what they are.

  • Needle, shot, injectionSleepy juice
  • DrillWhistle toothbrush
  • SuctionMr. Thirsty
  • Pull the toothWiggle it out
  • Rubber damTooth raincoat
  • Explorer or pickTooth counter
  • It will hurt a bitYou might feel a push

Five things to leave at home

Said with love, every single time, by parents who are trying to help. Each one reliably makes the visit harder.

  • "It won't hurt"

    Your child had not considered that it might. The word is the problem, not the promise.

  • "Be brave"

    It frames the visit as something to survive. Try naming what will actually happen instead.

  • "If you're good, you get a treat"

    It signals that something bad is coming, and it makes the visit a performance.

  • "I hate the dentist too"

    Said in the waiting room with the best intentions. Children take it as a warning.

  • "They're just going to look"

    Only say it if it is true. One broken promise costs years of trust.

When comfort is not enough

Some children need more than a calm room, and that is not a failure on anyone's part. We offer a ladder of options from nitrous oxide through to treatment under general anaesthesia with a board-certified anaesthesiologist at a hospital partner. Every level is described on our special needs page, including who is in the room and how your child is monitored.

Sedation optionsTell us before you book

General information, not dental advice. We describe what happens in our practice. Never give a child any medication before a dental visit unless we or your pediatrician have told you to.

Special needs, sedation and hospital dentistry

If your child is nervous

Tell us before the visit. We book quiet times, send photos ahead and start with comfort measures. Sedation and hospital dentistry are there when a child needs more.

Family sharing a calm, cozy moment at home
Special needs careCall (208) 555-0144

  1. Sensory-friendly visits

    Dimmed lights, noise-canceling headphones, weighted blanket and our private quiet room.

  2. Social stories before you come

    Photos of the room, the team and each step, sent ahead so nothing is a surprise.

  3. Quiet hours, extra time

    First or last appointments of the day with no rushing and no waiting room crowd.

  4. Option 1 of 4

    Comfort care

    Tell-show-do, headphones, weighted blanket, ceiling TV and extra time. Works for most kids.

    Often used for: Mild nerves, first visits

  5. Option 2 of 4

    Laughing gas

    Nitrous oxide through a small nose mask. Kids stay awake and relaxed, and it wears off within minutes.

    Often used for: Fillings, crowns, mild anxiety

  6. Option 3 of 4

    Oral conscious sedation

    A prescribed medicine given in the office. Kids are drowsy and calm, monitored the whole time.

    Often used for: Moderate anxiety, longer visits

  7. Option 4 of 4

    Hospital dentistry

    General anesthesia with a board-certified anesthesiologist at a Boise children's hospital partner. All treatment in one visit.

    Often used for: Extensive treatment, complex medical or special needs

First visit questions

The five we answer most, plus a full list of parent questions if you want to keep reading.

All parent questions

By the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing. Early visits are short and gentle, and they help us spot problems while they are easy to fix.

A tour, a knee-to-knee exam for little ones, a quick clean if your child is ready, fluoride varnish and a chat with you about teething, brushing and snacks. Most first visits take about 45 minutes.

Always. Parents are welcome in the room for every visit. We will even find you a chair with a good view.

Keep it simple and positive. Read our first visit guide together, avoid words like hurt or shot, and let them bring a favorite stuffed animal to get checked too.

We are in network with Delta Dental of Idaho, Blue Cross of Idaho, MetLife, Cigna, Guardian and Idaho Smiles (Medicaid), and we file claims for most other PPO plans.

Ready for a happy first visit?

New patients are usually seen within 10 days. Tell us a little about your child and we will call to confirm a time that works.

Book a visitCall (208) 555-0144
4.9 from 1,126 parentsMost insurance acceptedSame-day emergencies

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