How to Schedule a Visit at Your Kid’s Dentist During School

Most dental offices operate during typical business hours, between 8 AM and 6 PM. It can be quite tough to schedule an appointment with the kids’ dentist in the short hours between the end of the school day and closing time. Those appointment times fill up fast and before you know it, you’re waiting 2 hours in the waiting room because you tried to get a walk-in for your children. What a waste of time! 

There’s no doubt that education is super important, but sometimes, the most convenient time to take your kids to the dentist is during school. If that’s the case for your hectic schedule, here are a few ways you can schedule that appointment most efficiently! 

Best Times to Schedule Your Kid’s Dentist Appointment

If your pediatric dentist doesn’t do weekend appointments, you may need to make do with the time you have. The best times to schedule an appointment with a dentist for kids are: 

• Morning: Some dental offices like Polkadot Pediatric Dentistry in Alpharetta are open as early as 8 AM. Kids are often just getting settled into class in the morning, doing activities like morning stretches, roll call, the pledge of allegiance, morning announcements, etc. Your child won’t miss too much if they get to the dentist bright and early in the morning!  
• Recess: Check what time your child’s elementary school schedules recess. It’s a lot less disruptive for you to pick up your child during recess than in the middle of a lecture about pronouns! Recess is also a good 15 to 20 minutes that your child won’t miss out on educationally. 
• Lunch: Getting your child to the pediatric dentist shortly before lunch will ensure they aren’t missing any class time. Lunch is usually at least 30 to 45 minutes anyway. You can also treat your little one out to a special meal after they finish the appointment, so they have something to look forward to!
• End-of-the-day: Picking your child up early for school might actually motivate them to be more excited about seeing the dentist than usual! This is great for days with substitute teachers who are more likely to have kids watch movies or play sports at the end of the day anyway. 

Talking to Teachers Beforehand

Creating an open channel of communication between yourself and your child’s teacher is super important! Your child’s teacher will let you know what the most important school days are, so your child doesn’t miss assignments or lessons and fall behind in class. Rescheduling quizzes and exams can be a pain for both students and teachers, so try not to choose test days. Most teachers will be very flexible with parents. They can even give your child the lesson plan and assignments ahead of time to complete. 

Getting a Dentist’s Note 

Very important! Going to the dentist’s office without getting a note as proof can result in an unaccounted absence, which can possibly affect your child’s academic record! Set yourself a reminder for a note from your kid’s dentist before leaving the office. Even if you forget, the pediatric dentist will have a record of your appointment and you can get a note later on. However, it’s a good idea to have these things accounted for early on, so your child doesn’t get into any trouble with the school administration. 

Pediatric dental appointments don’t have to be stressful. With a little communication and planning, you can easily coordinate a dental exam for your child during school hours. We value education here at Polkadot Pediatric Dentistry, so feel free to have your child bring homework or books to our office! We’re also open until 5 PM, so you can schedule appointments with the Pediatric Dentist in Roswell after school, too.