In appreciation of the generosity demonstrated by our Friends of the Foundation sponsors, the Foundation is featuring each one in a Spotlight. Since February is Dental Health Awareness Month, it seemed appropriate to do a feature on Friend of the Foundation , Patrick Family Dental. Alex and Leslie Patrick took a few minutes to answer a few questions about the importance of good dental health, their practice and their family.

Why is it important to have a Dental Health Awareness Month?

Establishing February as Dental Health Awareness Month provides a great opportunity for dentists to visit local schools or daycares in their area to help teach children about how important it is to take good care of your teeth. For many children, it is their first exposure to a dentist and it helps them understand that a dentist is a normal person like their mom or dad. It makes us less scary.

At what age do you recommend children first visit the dentist?

For a while, the recommended age was three (3). We now recommend parents bring their child in for their first visit at the age of one (1).

Why the change?

Most children start to get their first teeth between 4 and 6 months and many have the majority of their baby teeth by the time they are 1. It is very important to take proper care of baby teeth because they set the stage for adult teeth. The earlier a child gets into the habit of proper dental care, the better - prevention is key.

It is also important to establish a "dental home" as early as possible so your child can be seen immediately in the case of an emergency. Plus the earlier a child gets into the routine of going to the dentist, the easier it will make every appointment.

What are the main goals during that first visit?

First and foremost, we want to establish a healthy relationship between the child and the dentist. We want to make children feel more comfortable with the entire experience so they are not afraid of the dentist. Second, we try to educate parents on good dental care for kids. Finally, we want to establish that dental home we talked about earlier and make sure a child is a patient of record if emergency care is needed.

How does a typical first visit go?

We use a method called Tell - Show - Do. Typically the child will sit on mom or dad's lap and then we Tell them what we are going to do, we Show them what we are going to do and then we Do. At this age, most children have anywhere from 12 - 16 teeth and we will simply look in their mouth and get them comfortable with the process of going to the dentist.

Alex, when did you start your practice?

I started Patrick Family Dental in May 2008 after gaining valuable experience as an associate dentist at a few practices.

Leslie, when did you decide to join the practice?

I joined Alex in 2010 shortly after we had our son, Charlie. It made more sense to practice together so we could have more flexibility as parents but still get to do what we love. With a second baby due in April, we will need even more flexibility!

Where did you go to dental school?

[Alex] I graduated from the University of Tennessee - Memphis in 2004.  

[Leslie] And I got both my undergrad and dental degrees from LSU.

Where is your office located?

We are in the WellStar Building at the corner of the East-West Connector and Cooper Lake Road. It is a great location in the center of a growing community. We've met a lot of wonderful families, many with young children.

How did you come to sponsor Nickajack?

As residents of Smyrna, we know many Nickajack families. We have heard great things about the school and believe in supporting our local community.