A Child’s First Dental Visit

I often get asked by parents, when should my child first visit the dentist? My response is that I believe you should schedule your child’s first dental visit by the age of 1 or within 6 months after their first tooth comes in—whichever comes first. That’s the general recommendation.

 

Your child’s first dental visit will, most likely, involve little to no treatment. The primary purpose is to introduce your little one to someone who will soon become their favorite dentist. It will be a warm and comfortable visit, where my first concern will be getting your child comfortable and accustomed to being at my office. Sometimes I use a show and tell method to show off all the equipment in the examination room and explain what purpose each instrument serves. I will briefly examine your child’s teeth, gums, jaw, and bite to ensure that everything looks good and we’ll decide if a cleaning is necessary. I will also be able to give tips specific to your child regarding how to keep their first tooth and entire mouth healthy.

 

This visit gives your child an opportunity to meet the dentist in a non-threatening, friendly way. If your child seems very anxious or fearful, I may ask you, the parent or guardian, to sit in the dental chair and hold them during the exam. Sometimes this soothes the child and provides more comfort. Other times, I find that it’s better to ask the parent or guardian to wait in the waiting room briefly as I examine the child. This allows me to form a bond and build trust with the child. Ultimately, it depends on the particular case and your child’s best interests.

 

This is what you can expect from the child’s first visit to see Dr. Slepak:

• Experienced, compassionate care from your pediatric dentist and our support staff
• Education regarding the instruments that I will use during the appointment
• A check of all of your child’s existing teeth, examining your child’s bite, and looking for any potential problems with the gums, jaw, and oral tissues
• Demonstration on how your child should properly rinse and brush in order to have healthy oral hygiene and prevent cavities
• Answers to all your pediatric dentistry questions regarding your child’s teeth, including teething, thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, lip sucking, pacifiers, nutrition, breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding, and more.

 

Remember that what differentiates a pediatric dentist from a regular dentist is knowing how to work with children in order to ease dental anxiety, understanding child behavior and physical growth and development, managing and treating a child’s developing teeth, and being experienced in the various needs of children’s dentistry. A pediatric dentist has at least two additional years of training beyond dental school.

 

I understand that a child’s early experience at dental visits can influence their attitude towards dentists for a lifetime. This is why I will do everything I can to help your child feel calm and comfortable, using various techniques such as show and tell, praising, toys, distraction tactics, as well as parent participation. My extensive experience working with children has taught me to deal with severe cases of anxiety, behavioral issues, and more. Schedule your child’s first dental visit, which will set the stage for a lifetime of fun and effective dental appointments every six months.