Meet Dr. Joyce Gitangu the ingenious mumpreneur behind dental smiles for kids
Dentist visits are necessary for your child so as to keep their teeth healthy, and promote excellent oral hygiene habits.
But from a child’s point of view, a trip to the dentist can be a scary event — lying on a chair in an unfamiliar room filled with unfamiliar noises and objects, all while a stranger is poking cold, metallic, and unusual instruments in his or her mouth.
I have terrible memories about dental visits and worried the same for my child.
For quite a while, I was looking for a Dentistry to take my five year old son to and stumbled upon Dental Smiles for Kids online, when one happy parent shared a picture of her child at the practice- having their child’s teeth checked on a cool sponge bob chair.
Filled with pure excitement of this new discovery, I went onto their website and filled out the form for an appointment and was later called back by the pleasant receptionist to confirm the appointment. I looked forward to the visit with my son Miles.
THE EXPERIENCE
When I took my son Miles, he was very excited about the place. The reception was colorful and quite a number of toys for him to play with. After a couple of minutes, we were ushered in and indeed the ambience got Miles excited.
We met Lucy, the hygienist who was super friendly with him, which made him comfortable and loosen up. Then he was put on the dentist chair, a movie switched on the overhead tablet for him and he was given some cool shades to wear!
He was soon distracted by the cartoons showing and Lucy worked on his teeth. A couple of minutes later it was over . No fussing, No tears!
As we prepared to leave, he was given useful professional tips on how to brush his teeth and floss. Then he got a cool badge for bravery and gift back to take home. He thought that was pretty awesome!
Based on the experience my son Miles had, I sought to find out more about the brains behind the ingenious idea of a dentistry for kids. Dental Smiles for Kids is definitely one of a kind in Nairobi.
MEET DR. JOYCE GITANGU
As a mother of 2 year old, Ezekiel, Dr. Gitangu can relate to many parents concerns about dental visits for their children. It gives her great satisfaction having set up Dental Smiles for Kids creating an exciting, comfortable and relaxed environment to make a child’s visit a pleasant and memorable experience – not only for the child,but also for a parent.
Growing up Dr. Gitangu wanted to be a Pediatric cardiac surgeon. She always knew that she wanted to be a doctor.
But later realized she needed to explore her creative and artistic nature. And that is how she ended up in dentistry.
After living abroad for many years, she is now back building her budding business with her team. Lucy Mwai the dental hygienist isthe only trained dental hygienist from the Unites States practicing here in Kenya.
Lucy is key at the practice and carries out procedures such as scaling and polishing teeth, and applying topical fluoride and fissure sealants. Lucy has a passion for promoting oral health and is dedicated to teaching oral health (brushing/ flossing/dietary counseling etc).
The team also includes Kezia Wacuka, a wonderful dental assistant with over 10 years experience, who has been a great addition to the team as well. Kezia is motivated towards the success of the clinic and shows compassion towards her patients.
The other team member is Front receptionist Joyce Nyanjora, a 3rd year student at UON, studying Econ/Mathematics. The team is warm and exceptional and there is obvious team work and cohesion when you watch them work.
DENTAL ADVISE TO PARENTS
One key advice Dr. Gitangu offers parents is not to wait until a child has a tooth problem for them to take the child to a dentist.
She advises parents to bring them every 6 months for a routine dental check up. Basic dental care will prevent tooth decay, gum disease and stop habits that may misalign the teeth. In the long run, this will save you money from getting fillings, crowns, braces etc.
Also a child’s first dental visit should be ideally before his/her 1st birthday. Bringing your child to the dentist early is the best way to prevent problems such as tooth decay. Parents can also receive dental education on how to care for the little one’s teeth (brushing and flossing techniques) and nutritional counseling.
FUTURE PLANS
In 5 year time,Dr. Gitangu envisions expanding Dental Smiles for Kids in other locations so as to increase access to quality dental care for parents. Her priority is to set up one in Eastlands. Her Advice to other women planning to go into business is that truly there is never a right time. Do it now…
With their focus on giving their little clients an exceptional experience.Dental Smiles for Kids is definitely a unique business that is bound to grow and many parents will find be pleased to discover it.
WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH DR. GITANGU/DENTAL SMILES FOR KIDS?
If you wish to find out more about Dental Smile for Kids visit www.dentalsmiles.co.ke or call 0706 575 276 / 0738 066 568 through which you can book an appointment for your child.
They are located in Kilimani Commodore Office Suites, Suite 4F .
You can also email jgitangu@gmail.com