Behavior Growth

Behavior Growth: Developing emotional health to accept dental care eagerly.

Growing up with healthy dental emotions is essential to growing up with a healthy smile.

First Visit: Start Young.  An early very good first visit for your child is important.  At first, while some children love to go to the dentist, others may be frightened and anxious.  A myriad of different challenges may arise.  Dr. McCorkle and his staff have training, experience and interest in how to deal with every one of them in a positive manner.  Especially children who by their nature are timid and fearful, starting early is critical.  Easier at two years than three, at five than seven, etc.  Every child has a different capacity to deal with new situations and, properly handled, the potential for that capacity to grow.  The earlier this is started, the greater the potential your child can grow.

Your first child’s first dental visit is best scheduled as their first tooth erupts through the gums in order to begin learning how to keep their teeth and emotions healthy.   Subsequent children’s best first visit can be scheduled based on the first child’s experience.  Early visits enable children to accept care younger than if visits are started later.

Here are values, resources and procedures incorporated into Dr. McCorkle’s pediatric dental office:

Enlist and Encourage Parents:  Nobody knows a child better than his/her parents.  Before any dental procedures take place, it is critical to share your concerns and insights about your child.  This is invaluable to prepare for the best way to talk to and manage your child before, during and after their dental visits.  Parents should be involved and encouraged to help plan each visit.

Prepared to Cultivate Emotional Health:  Be assured, Dr. McCorkle and his staff are well qualified to care for children with the child’s best interest of the highest priority. We recognize children’s capacities and preferences vary and work with them differently. For example, some children will be more likely to cooperate if you make the visit into an adventure while others may need a more calm, quiet approach.

A difficult dental experience does not mean that future ones will fail.  Jointly accessing the experience and adjusting techniques for each child at each visit helps the practice to succeed with every child.

Tell – Show – Do:  Dental instruments and procedures may look scary to a child.  So every instrument is given a child friendly name.  For example, tooth counters and tooth smoothers, Mr Goose, Mrs Vacuum, and Mr Squirt.  If the information and instruments are  properly described for children, they can accept dental procedures very well.

Child Friendly Office Environment:  Our pediatric dental office is a child-friendly place to provide your child a welcoming environment, helping your child feel that it is a good place to be.  Our ocean themed clinical area includes toys, books, fun activities and decorations that help your child to relax and be comfortable.

Child Centered Dental Providers and Staff: Our staff, from the front desk receptionist to the chair side assistant is child-friendly and child-interested.  A first impression is a lasting one.  When your child is welcomed with a friendly, smiling health care provider, your child will feel comfortable and safe.

Dr. McCorkle has completed specialized training.  

  • Four years of undergraduate school at Virginia Tech in Electrical Engineering.
  • Four years of dental school at Virginia Commonwealth University.
  • One year of postdoctoral residency at US Naval Hospital Portsmouth Virginia.
  • Two years of postdoctoral residency in the specialty of Pediatric Dentistry. (Link to AAPD Web site)

Dr. McCorkle and Our Staff complete many hours of continuing education every year to offer high quality contemporary care for your child.

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