First Dental Visit

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists, The American Academy of Pediatrics and The American Dental Association all agree that your child’s first dental visit should be scheduled in the time period between the appearance of your child’s first tooth and his or her first birthday. Just like with medical care, your child should be seen this early to prevent the kind of problems we see quite often in young children. The fact is, your infant or child’s teeth are affected by many factors, including feeding habits, pacifiers, thumb habits, gum-cleansing and fluoride levels in the mouth. Unfortunately, we continue to see many dental problems in children under age two that are caused by improper feeding and brushing habits. By having a pediatric dentist see children by age one, parents can be armed with information that can prevent many of these early dental problems. Pediatric dentists or dentists who limit their practice to children have the special skills required to work with infants and young children, as well as extensive training in the most up to date and thorough treatment for a wide variety of children’s dental problems.

Here is what happens during a typical child’s first dental visit:
• While lying in the parents lap, the dentist will examine the child’s teeth, jaws and oral tissues and demonstrate proper brushing procedures.
• Parents will learn how to position the child for a thorough oral cleaning.
• The dentist will look for potential oral problems and overall growth and development of the mouth and jaws.
• The dentist will carefully review the child’s medical history and discuss preventive measures for dental disease.
• The dentist will educate the parent about the role of diet in dental health.
• The dentist will evaluate fluoride needs and prescribe supplements if needed.

After the examination, the parent and dentist can address other concerns, such as teething, nursing bottles, pacifiers and thumb sucking…all to ensure your child gets a great start to a lifetime of clean, cavity free teeth and oral health.

Getting kids off to a safe, secure and positive start with a pediatric dentist helps them become accustomed to the dental office environment, dental assistants, staff and dentist themselves, so they will develop a positive, healthy and proactive attitude toward dental care from an early age.

If you have any pediatric dental questions you would like answered, please reach out to us on Facebook!

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