Your Child’s First Visit to the Dentist

New parents have plenty to worry about: ensuring their baby is healthy and happy, re-arranging their lives around hectic schedules and lost sleep, and figuring out what to do in all sorts of novel situations. When it comes to your child's oral health, though, there's plenty of help available. It all begins at our office when you bring your youngster in for their first visit to the dentist.

When will we meet your child? According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, a child's first checkup should occur by age one. Surprised? You shouldn't be! Even though there may only be a few baby teeth visible at that age, there are plenty of things we can start working on — including the development of healthy habits that will make future visits to the dentist far more pleasurable.

Unfortunately, some kids develop tooth decay at an early age. We will look for cavities, but that's only one reason for an early visit to our office. Equally important is reviewing the proper ways to care for a young child's mouth, reviewing your child's developmental milestones, and discussing the importance of good oral hygiene.

Preparing for the Big Day

The way kids pick up on their parent's feelings sometimes seems uncanny, so if you're nervous about going to the dentist yourself, try not to let it show. Generally, during this visit, we'll talk to you and your child, look at their mouth, and make oral health assessments. It's best to tell your child what to expect beforehand without making too big a fuss about it. You could even build excitement by helping them prepare for "the big day."

When you come in, bringing a comforting toy, a snack, and an extra diaper or two is a good idea, just in case of fussiness. If possible, leave other kids at home so we can concentrate on the new patient — but if you can bring another adult along, it may free your attention to focus on your child's oral health. Likewise, filling out forms in advance may save time and effort on the day of the visit.

The Checkup

When you and your child are comfortably seated in the office, we'll get to know each other and explain what we'll be doing. Then, we'll perform a gentle examination of the mouth. We will look for any early signs of dental problems, such as tooth decay, and assess the risk of your child developing the disease. Often, this kind of risk assessment can help us prevent—and even reverse—the early stages of tooth decay without any drilling.

Finally, we'll discuss various ways to maintain your child's oral health. For instance, we may talk about how diet, eating habits, and oral hygiene practices can help prevent tooth decay, childhood's most common chronic disease. That's an important subject for everyone — even more so if your child is at greater risk. If any treatments (such as fluoride) are needed, we will explain what they are and why we recommend them. We will also review tips on cleaning and brushing effectively and schedule a follow-up visit as required.

Many habits are developed early in life, so it's important to "get it done by age one." So when it's time for your child's first visit… don't hesitate! You'll be glad you came in.