What to send families before a child’s first dental visit

Updated November 10, 2026. Written for office managers and front-desk teams.

Send three things, at three moments: a welcome when they book, something the child can look at a few days before, and a reminder the day before with one line of coaching for the parent.

Why the front desk is part of the visit

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s guidance on behavior treats what happens before the appointment as part of the care. It says non-clinical staff play an important role, that schedulers can set expectations for the first visit and may suggest coming by beforehand to meet the team and see the office, and it lists inadequate preparation among the things that can contribute to a child not cooperating. AAPD behavior guidance

The same guidance lists showing children positive pictures of dentistry before the visit as a basic technique for any patient. The measured effect of that on anxiety is small, as we set out in what the evidence shows. It costs almost nothing, so most offices do it anyway. The question is how to do it well.

1. When they book

The parent is deciding how to feel about your office. Answer what they would otherwise have to call and ask.

What a first visit includes at your office, in three or four plain steps, and roughly how long it takes.
Who comes into the room. If a parent stays with the child, say so.
Forms, with a link, so nobody fills in a clipboard holding a toddler.
Where to park and which door.
One question back: is there anything that would help your child, such as a quiet time of day, a comfort toy, or a worry we should know about?

Welcome to [practice]. [Child]’s first visit is on [date] at [time] and takes about [length]. We will say hello, count teeth with a tiny mirror, clean them with a soft brush and finish with a sticker. You are welcome to stay with [child] the whole time. Forms: [link] Parking and entrance: [details] Is there anything that would make the visit easier for [child]? Just reply and tell us.

2. A few days before

This one is for the child. Send something they can look at more than once, because repeating it is what makes a new place familiar.

Photos of your own office are the strongest thing you can send: the door, the front desk, the chair, and the face of whoever will greet them.
A picture story. Our first-visit social story is free to print, and you can get it with your practice’s name on it.
Picture cards for children who do better with a visual schedule: eight cards and a first-then board.
Something to do with their hands: coloring pages of the chair and the tools.

[Child]’s first visit to [practice] is in a few days. Here is a short picture story to read together once or twice before you come: [link] It shows what will happen, step by step, and how to ask for a break.

3. The day before

Keep it short. Confirm the time, then give the parent one thing to say and one thing to avoid. Many pediatric offices ask parents not to use words like hurt, shot or drill, and not to promise that nothing will be felt.

See you tomorrow at [time] at [practice]. One tip: tell [child] the dentist will count and clean their teeth, and that they can raise a hand for a break. Try to leave out words like hurt or shot. We will take it from there.

What not to send

A long PDF of policies in the same message as the welcome. Send it separately, or link it.
Stock photos of another office. A child who was shown one room and walks into a different one has been prepared for the wrong place.
Promises. “It won’t hurt” is a promise you may not keep. “You can ask for a break” is one you can.

If you want the pictures to be your own rooms

Little Rehearsal turns photos of your clinic into a short game: a child explores your reception and your chair, tries the mirror and the polisher on an otter called Pip, and finishes with a postcard. Families open it from the link in your reminder. There is no app and we never receive patient information.

US$99 per location a month. Free to build. You pay only if you approve it. We have not measured its effect on anxiety or missed appointments, and we won’t claim one. See an example or ask for a free preview of your own clinic.

Sources

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Behavior guidance for the pediatric dental patient. The Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry, revised 2024. https://www.aapd.org/research/oral-health-policies--recommendations/behavior-guidance-for-the-pediatric-dental-patient/
Dhar V and others. Nonpharmacological behavior guidance for children during preventive dental visits: a systematic review, part 1. Pediatric Dentistry 2023;45(3):181-96. https://www.aapd.org/globalassets/181-96.e16-e19.pdf