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Happy May from Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry. We are excited to announce our office will open again starting May 21! Please note: In order to allow for social distancing, as well as our new room turnover protocols, all patients will be contacted prior to their appointment for confirmation and prescreening. They should not come in unless they have been contacted by one of our team members.

The appointment procedure will look a little different. The day before appointments, all parents will need to answer prescreening questions regarding general health, recent travel, etc. of both themselves and their child. On the day of the appointment, please plan to arrive early for health screening and temperature checks. We kindly ask you to wear masks.

Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry is doing everything we can to ensure the continued safety and health of both our team and our patients. Our team, both clinical and front desk, will add additional PPE on top of what they wear currently. Every team member will be screened prior to each workday to ensure they are healthy. All extraneous items such as toys and stickers will be removed from operatories. Patients and parents/guardians will be asked to wait in their cars until a team member comes out to escort them into the office.

In addition to the high level of safety and sanitation we have always employed, the following practices will also be in place:

• 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.
• 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.
• Parents and children over 2 should come in wearing a mask. If they don’t, one will be provided that they should wear while in the office.
• Only one parent or adult will be able to accompany the patient and we ask for no siblings be brought unless they have an appointment as well. We will try to schedule families together whenever possible.
• You may see that our reception area will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys, beverage station, 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.

During the time away from the office the team at Simsbury Pediatric has stayed active both mentally and physically with a variety of engaging activities. We’ve all stayed connected with family, friends, and each other. We’ve also taken the time to declutter spaces, listen to music, take walks, stay away from the 24-hour news machines, be kind to others, read, catch up on shows on TV, home improvement projects, planting flower and vegetable gardens, practice yoga, take vitamins and probiotics, going for hikes, get into photography more, play with pets, and finish puzzles!
Due to social distancing, many people have cooked and baked more than ever! Some of the foods our team has cooked up include gluten-free, vegan, grain-free chocolate chip cookies, and tofu and okra stew with Cajun coconut sauce.

This time has been so challenging for many of us but it’s important to find the silver lining. For us, knowing that our families and friends are staying safe and healthy, connecting with supportive neighbors, and having a return to work date is continually lifting our spirits and making us thankful! Once social distancing measures end, we can’t wait to go visit our families in person and give them huge hugs!

Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry looks forward to serving the health and well-being of our community once again.

At Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry, we know that unfortunately, gum disease can exist in your child’s mouth without you even knowing. In fact, your child may be suffering from the beginning stages of periodontal (gum) disease without noticing any pain or discomfort. Since gum disease can be undetectable, it’s critical to watch for the warning signs in order to prevent the disease from growing worse!

If your child is experiencing any of the following symptoms, you may want to consider scheduling an appointment with Dr. Maryam Azadpur as soon as possible:

• Gums that are red or swollen
• Gums that feel tender
• Gums that bleed easily during brushing or flossing
• Gums that are receding
• Persistent halitosis (bad breath)
• Loose teeth
• Any change in the way teeth come together in the biting position

If your child is experiencing these symptoms, schedule an appointment right away by calling our Simsbury, CT office. Dr. Maryam Azadpur and our team can diagnose the problem and begin treatment to save your child’s teeth!

Our team at Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry looks forward to seeing you!

"Motherhood: All love begins and ends there." - Robert Browning

We would like to take this moment to thank all the great moms out there for being so great during their child’s visits to Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry. Whether it’s driving their kids to regularly scheduled appointments or for “being there” while their child is in treatment, the moms who come to our office are all stellar individuals, so Dr. Maryam Azadpur and our entire team would like you to know that we appreciate you all!

Happy Mother’s Day and enjoy your special day!

Toddlers are notoriously balky about strangers. But their first dental visit should not be cause for fear and tears. Nor should you assume that getting your toddler to Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry is going to involve a full-blown tantrum or Mafia-style bribery. “Honey, don’t worry. We’ll go get ice cream after…” sort of defeats the purpose of making that first dental appointment.

These five tips will make your toddler’s trip to see Dr. Maryam Azadpur as fun as a stop at an amusement park.

1. Before you make a dental appointment for your child, take him or her on a ride-along to one of your dental appointments. Let your son or daughter experience the office and get the lay of the land. Toddlers don’t like surprises. But if your little one is already familiar with the big chair that goes up and down, the next time he or she will have no problem taking a seat.

2. About the big dental chair … well, it’s really an amusement park ride. See how it goes up and down? Toddlers love games, and turning the trip to the dentist into a game is among the oldest (and most successful) tricks in the parent playbook.

3. Positive reinforcement is a good thing. That's why Dr. Maryam Azadpur and our staff hand out cool toothbrushes or stickers to children after their appointment. A fun-colored toothbrush with a suction bottom is a good incentive to come back for another cleaning.

4. Timing is everything. Don’t take your child to the dentist an hour before the daily nap. Make the appointment with your child’s schedule in mind. This increases the chances of success.

5. A few days before the scheduled appointment, start reading your toddler bedtimes stories about what happens at the dentist. Dora the Explorer’s Show Me Your Smile, written by Christine Ricci, is a popular dental story that your child might relate to.