“When should I take my kids to their first dental visit?” Most of my friends have children around the same age as my children, so I’ve heard this question quite a bit over the years. Most people think they should wait until all the teeth have come in, so usually people are surprised by the answer.
Children should have their first dental visit by age one. Waiting until a child’s first tooth begins to appear is too long to wait… teeth make up only a part of what a dentist looks at during an exam. It is very important to keep gums clean and ensure that oral health is being maintained.
“What’s the worst that could happen if I don’t take my child in early on?” is the normal reply I get when I explain about the first visit by age one. Postponing that first visit can cause untold damage to a child’s oral health, which can snowball into effecting their overall health. As a dentist I spend a lot of time examining gums and I am able to check on the health of your child’s gums and jawbone and find things that many people do not have the experience to find. These visits tend to be fairly quick and comfortable for the child and help them become familiar with the environment; so that when they do have teeth come in they have a good time!
Another common question I hear is, “How should I prepare my child for their first trip to the dentist?” Even adults can be fearful about visiting a dental office. That’s why we offer sedation to adults who have a hard time with dental visits. With children who are fearful but haven’t had a negative experience we make sure that we start them off with a nice non-intimidating first visit. You can let your child know that the dentist office is a good place by going yourself and bringing your child with you. Let them see what they are going to experience and that you are calm and happy during your appointment. There are many children’s books about first dental visits. Read your child one of these books and discuss it with your little one.
Some children will be comforted by bringing a favorite toy, blanket, or stuffed animal (not an iPad or interactive game). You are encouraged to stay in the room for the first visit. Most offices have some kind of “treasure chest” where the child can pick out a prize at the end of a good visit. Kids love this and it can be a great motivator for good behavior during the first visit.
Most importantly, remember that most dentists want to help children have good feelings about going to the dentist, so they will typically put a great deal of effort into helping a child enjoy the visit!
Written by: Dr. Kaveh Ghaboussi of Madison Smile Solutions
**So many people wonder about what age their child should be when going to the dentist. Thank you to our friends at Madison Smile Solutions for their insight on this topic! If you are looking for a dentist for your children – we highly recommend Dr. Kaveh and his team at Madison Smile Solutions. They have a very welcoming and friendly office and will help put your child at ease – especially since they have young children of their own! You can call 608.227.7000 to book an appointment!
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Very good article and some great info. We as well would like to see children within 6 mths of their first tooth erupting. The objective of this 1st visit in our office is more about prepping parents for the road ahead. Most of the dental habits that parents bring into their children’s lives come from their own experiences and sometimes their own poor information or judgement. A good example relates to “baby bottle tooth decay.” There are many parents that do not understand the damage that constant standing milk can have on their children’s teeth. Yes milk is healthy, but it also contains natural sugars that bacteria will digest creating the acid that causes tooth decay. When a child sleeps with a bottle all night, this acidic environment does tremendous damage. Anyway, thank you for sharing your article and experience on the web. Info like this is awesome in getting the word out and changing the dental futures in many children’s lives.
Brent Greene
http://www.SmileGalaxyKids.com
While it is true that early dental visits played a great importance that could lead to oral care costs and maintenance. Starting from the child’s first tooth eruption, it shows that starting dental visits prior to the age one helps ensure that the kids will be having a pleasant and happy future with the dentist.