We are excited to announce we are now offering virtual “teledentistry” visits for new and existing patients! Please contact our office for additional details and scheduling. We look forward to seeing you either in our office or virtually at your next visit!
We had a busy week at White and Johnson Pediatric Dentistry getting our offices ready for you and your children to safely and effectively come and visit us. We put together a little video of the arrival process so you can become familiar with the experience. Please share it with your children since things are definitely different than they were before. Feel free to call and ask any additional questions of our team. We are excited to be back and care for your amazing children! Enjoy- Dr. Halley
Dear Families of White and Johnson Pediatric Dentistry,
We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. 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 child’s oral healthcare and their safety.
The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners has given all dental practices in the state the green light to resume operations, albeit on a more limited basis. As such we are working to implement new safety and infection control guidelines and train our team members in these processes. As we resume more routine pediatric dental care we want to assure you infection control will continue to be an integral part of how we practice.
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. We do this to make sure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agencies’ recommendations.
You and your child may see some changes when it is time for their next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and team members. For example:
· Our office will communicate with you when confirming your appointment to ask some screening questions. You will be asked those same questions again when you are in the office.
· When you arrive, please wait in your vehicle. One of our team members will meet you at your vehicle and take your temperature and your child’s temperature.
· Before you enter our office, we ask that you cover your nose and mouth with a mask. If you do not have one we will provide you one. We will also provide you with hand sanitizer.
· Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing and the increased cleaning time it takes to properly disinfect between patients.
· We will offer extended Teledentistry services for those not comfortable accessing the office.
· Most importantly you may notice that we are wearing extra protective gear to protect you, your children and ourselves.
In the next several days we will be putting out a video on what it will be like to come and visit our office during this time period. Please have your children watch it. We want them to be comfortable with how we look and what the experience will be like for them. It is important that if you have concerns or questions that you call us ahead of time to discuss them. We know all of this is new and different and we want you to be just as comfortable as your children in coming to our practice.
We look forward to seeing you and your children again. To make an appointment, please call our office at (910) 333-0343 (Jacksonville) or (910) 686-1869 (Wilmington).
Thank you for your patience during this very uncertain time and entrusting your child’s oral healthcare to our practice.
Dr. Halley and Dr. Andy
Please check out our video showing what to expect during your next visit…
Dear Families of White and Johnson Pediatric Dentistry,
As most of you are aware, Governor Cooper has instituted a Stay-At-Home order commencing at 5pm on Monday, March 30 and extending to April 30. As before, any non-emergency care is temporarily discontinued in our practice until we are directed by the North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners, The American Dental Association, The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and the Centers for Disease Control to safely re-open. It is our desire as primary care healthcare practitioners to help control the spread of COVID-19 within our community and abide by best practices as defined by the governing bodies that guide our profession.
Your child’s oral healthcare needs are incredibly important to us. We will have a limited team available to answer your phone calls, reschedule appointments and triage your emergency questions. As always, Dr. Andy and I will be available to handle true dental emergencies such as dental/oral-facial trauma or tooth infection with/without swelling.
Please continue to connect with us on Facebook and Instagram to get the latest information on additional resources we may offer, posts from Dr. Andy and myself, as well as the latest information on COVID-19. We hope this situation does not last long and we look forward to caring for your amazing children in the very near future.
Please stay healthy, abide by recommended social distancing and call us if you have specific concerns or worries. We are here to serve you and your wonderful children. We will only get through this challenging time if we all come together as a strong and resilient community.
Sincerely,
Dr. Halley and Dr. Andy
Dear Families of White and Johnson Pediatric Dentistry,
Many of you are aware, secondary to the Facebook post that was generated last Thursday by our practice, that White and Johnson Pediatric Dentistry is temporarily closing our doors to all but emergency patient care beginning today. This also includes any dental surgeries that were scheduled at New Hanover Regional Medical Center and Onslow Memorial Hospital. Our area hospitals have discontinued all elective-based surgeries for the next 30 days.
This was not an easy decision to make but one that has been requested from The North Carolina Dental Board, The American Dental Association, The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and the Centers for Disease Control. It is our desire as primary care healthcare practitioners to help control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 within our community and abide by best practices as defined by the governing bodies that guide our profession.
Until we have a Shelter in Place order mandated by the Governor of North Carolina, we will have a skeleton crew of people in place to answer your phone calls, reschedule appointments, triage your emergency questions, etc. And as always, Dr. Andy and I will be available to handle true dental emergencies such as dental/oral facial trauma or tooth infection with/without swelling. We are working on some additional options for communication including the potential for TeleDentistry so that we can be even more responsive to you and your child’s needs.
ADA Guidelines for Dental Emergencies
Please continue to connect with us on Facebook and Instagram to get the latest information on additional resources we may offer, posts from Dr. Andy and myself, as well as the latest information on SARS-CoV-2. We hope this situation does not last long but unfortunately we have just about as much information at this point as you do.
Please stay healthy, abide by recommended social distancing and call us if you have specific concerns or worries. We are here to serve you and your wonderful children. We will only get through this challenging time if we all come together as a strong and resilient community.
Sincerely,
Dr. Halley and Dr. Andy
At White and Johnson Pediatric Dentistry, we continue to monitor the impact of SARS-CoV-2 to our patients, parents, team, and larger community.
One additional measure of precaution we are taking to keep our patients and team safer is to have our patients rinse with a hydrogen peroxide based mouth rinse prior to procedures. According to recommendations put forth by the American Dental Association (ADA):
“Have your patient rinse with 1% hydrogen peroxide before each appointment. Coronavirus is vulnerable to oxidation; this will reduce the salivary load of oral microbes.” ADA.org
If you have additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to direct them to Dr. Halley, Dr. Andy or one of their amazing team members!
Your child needs sleep, that’s a fact. But they require different amounts of sleep as they age. Here’s a quick guide outlining how much sleep your child during each stage of their development.
Life can’t be completely mapped out, but parents can take some practical steps to prepare for some common dental emergencies.
Thumb sucking and finger sucking are habits common in many children. In fact, nearly one third of all children suck on their thumbs or fingers in their first year of life. Sadly, thumb sucking is an unhealthy oral habit that can have many different consequences down the line.
Toothbrushing is not the most fun activity for children but it is absolutely necessary for a healthy life. Here’s how parents can encourage their children to brush by making toothbrushing fun!
Grind, grind, grind… if your little one happens to be a teeth grinder, you may be familiar with this unpleasant sound. Teeth grinding, or what our team also calls bruxism, is common in children.
When it comes to taking care of our teeth, striving for perfection is unrealistic. Rather than completely cutting out foods that may harm your smile, try swapping them for less damaging alternatives.
Below are 5 easy food swaps you can make for clean, shiny teeth!
Many parents are unaware that children can also suffer from symptoms of halitosis, better known as chronic bad breath. This common oral problem affects a majority of the population, including both adults and children. During treatment for this condition, it’s worthwhile to focus on the cause of the problem. Take a look at the most common reasons why your child might develop bad breath.
Baby teeth actually form before your baby is born, and those 20 teeth are there under the gums waiting to come out and shine. And even though there are no firm and fast dates for each of these primary teeth to erupt, it’s helpful to have a general overview of typical teething patterns so you know what to look forward to.
Tooth decay is the most common childhood disease, with more than 16 million children suffering from it each year. Oral disease also leads to just over 51 million school hours lost every school year. You can help prevent your child from getting cavities by getting them toothpaste that works for their smile. Here’s what to look for when buying toothpaste for your children.
Dental injuries account for nearly 20% of all sports related injuries. Did you know that your child is 60 times more likely to sustain damage to their teeth when they aren’t wearing a mouth guard? Here’s what you need to know about mouth guards, and how to select the one that is best for your child.
It can be difficult to communicate the importance of oral health to your young child, and get them excited about visiting the dentist. But, some of our favorite books about teeth will help ease your child’s oral health anxiety, and just so happen to make excellent holiday gifts for children.
Most everyone knows that baby teeth (also called primary or deciduous teeth) aren’t permanent, but did you also know that it’s possible to loose a baby tooth too soon? Here’s everything parents need to know about losing a baby tooth too soon.
Getting your child excited about visiting the dentist can be incredibly difficult, and many children feel stressed out about visiting for the first time. Here’s how parents can help their children overcome their fear of visiting the dentist’s office, and help them become more comfortable with oral care.
Oral health practices stretch back into early human history. Today, we look at how the ancient Egyptians took care of their teeth and discuss some of the contributions they’ve made to dental care.
