Kids drop their token in a slot, press a blinking button and then wait eagerly as a collectible toy funnels down a chute. This isn’t the arcade—it’s a Rockville dentist’s office.
Local pediatric dentists are bringing prizes and 21st-century technology into their offices, transforming what’s typically a plain, sterile environment into a place where children want to be.
The digital prize machine is “always a fan favorite,” says Dr. Ophir Alalouf, a pediatric dentist at Kids Teeth, LLC, in Rockville. He sees patients anywhere from birth to age 20. Some of these patients are first-timers when they visit Kids Teeth for a cleaning, so they may feel nervous about the pointy dental instruments and the large reclining chair.
Kids Teeth and Rockville’s All-Star Pediatric Dentistry waiting rooms are equipped with tablets and video games, which Alalouf says is perfect to occupy a reluctant or anxious child. One online reviewer called the Kids Teeth waiting area “her kids’ paradise.”
Once their name is called, the patient is taken into a themed room. The “Open Ocean” room features grinning sea creatures on the walls, while the jungle-themed room houses plush monkeys swinging from a makeshift vine.
Alalouf employs the “tell-show-do” approach with his patients.
“We tell them what we’re going to do today [using] vocabulary that’s appropriate for their age,” he says. “I say, ‘We’re going to brush your teeth first;’ then, we show them all the different instruments that I need to use.”
If a child is still nervous, Alalouf demonstrates the suction tool on a paper cup filled with water, and then lets the patient try “slurping up” the water, too.
“We have them engage in that activity so they see, ‘Oh, no big deal,’” he says.
Other pediatric dental offices also employ this approach. Dr. Minhthu Pham, a dentist at All-Star Pediatric Dentistry since 2018, says a typical visit begins with an assistant introducing themselves and trying to connect with the child.
“Every kid wants to make a friend,” says Pham. “Once they build that rapport and trust, the assistant will often tell the patient the next step [and] what to expect.”
The dental assistant turns on various instruments to familiarize the child.
“Sometimes, they’re afraid of noise, different textures, different feels,” Pham says. “So, [patients] get to play with all the little instruments that we have before the medical provider comes along.”
She adds that anxious patients have the option to sit on a parent’s lap during the teeth cleaning for added comfort. Then, before they know it, the appointment is finished.
“At the end, that’s the best time for patients,” says Pham, who gives out goodie bags with the essentials—toothbrush, toothpaste and floss—as well as kid-friendly prizes. Patients choose from stickers, pencils, bouncy balls, squishy toys and lip gloss. Every patient leaves with a balloon.
She says the prizes—updated throughout the year—make up for the few minutes of discomfort a child may experience during the exam.
“As soon as you offer a toy or reward at the end, you can see their face light up,” Pham says. “And oftentimes, you see the tone change. Each time they come in [to the office], it gets better and better. After a visit or two, they kind of get used to it and just look forward to the rewards at the end.”
Similarly, Kids Teeth offers glitter rubber ducks, mini replicas of food items, mini race cars and squishy toy animals and sports balls.
“Some [patients] can’t wait to come back because they know that they’re going to get that token at the end,” Alalouf says, adding that even some teens still get excited for the prize machine. “[Others] say, ‘Alright, I’ll go to the dentist because I know I’m going to get that token.’ It helps out. As far as the prizes go, it’s always a fun incentive.”
