First Dental Visit

It is recommended that the assessment of infants, by a dentist should be within 6 months of the eruption of the first tooth or by one year of age. The goal is to have your child visit the dentist before there is a problem with his or her teeth. In most cases, a dental exam every six months will let your child's dentist catch small problems early.

Our main goal for the first visit is to make your child feel comfortable and to gain some level of trust between the doctor and the child. We will examine the child’s mouth, and we may take some x-rays to see how the teeth and bone are developing. You can find out if the cleaning you do at home is working. Your dentist can find problems right away and fix them. Your child can learn that going to the dentist helps prevent problems If your child is comfortable with our clinic, we may even clean his/her teeth and apply topical fluoride . We will suggest ways to protect your child’s oral health through diet and the use of fluorides. We will teach both of you how to clean and brush your child’s teeth properly.

Once your child has permanent molars, your dentist may suggest sealing them to protect them from cavities. A sealant is a kind of plastic that is put on the chewing surface of the molars. The plastic seals the tooth and makes it less likely to trap food and germs.

When your child goes for a dental exam, your dentist can tell you if your child has crooked or crowded teeth (also known as malocclusion). This can cause problems with eating and with teeth cleaning . It can also affect your child's looks and make him or her feel out of place. If they do not straighten out, your child may have a bite problem .Your dentist can suggest ways to treat this, or refer your child to an orthodontist.

We suggest you prepare your child for his/her first dental visit. This will not be a frightening experience. If you are nervous about the trip, then the less you say the better.

Do’s

• Try to talk about the dental appointment in a positive way. Talk about how the dentist will help keep your child’s teeth healthy and how they care about children. Answer your child’s questions honestly, but not too specific. The dentist will have special words and ways of explaining things.

• Encourage play behaviors that mimic a dental visit with your child being the dentist and then the patient. You can take turns counting each other’s teeth as you shine a light on them.

• Try not to worry and be patient if your child is not cooperative. It may take more than one visit to complete a task.

• Be sure to tell the dentist about any special needs or medical problems your child may have, such as allergies, asthma, heart conditions, or diabetes. Be sure to bring inhalers or other such items to the appointment if they are needed on a regular basis.

• DO schedule the first visit early in the day. We like to see youngsters when they are rested and the appointment won’t conflict with mealtimes or naptime. Children usually do better in the morning and are more cooperative.

• DO make appointment day an easy one. See that your child is well rested and that we are the first outing of the day.

• DO dress up. Nothing will increase the expectation of a pleasant experience as much as “getting ready” in nice clothes.

• Let your child go alone if they are comfortable. In some instances, children will behave better when their parents are not in the room.

Don’ts

• Don't give your child instructions on how to behave (such as telling the child not to cry, sit still in the chair, or to be “good”) in the office.

• Don't overdo your preparation. Tell your child about her visit the night before, treating it as a highlight of the next day.

• Don't let other children (older siblings) "scare" the child, and never threaten a child that if he or she doesn't brush their teeth the dentist is going to pull the tooth out.

• Don't bribe or threaten your child into going to the dentist.

• Don't use the dental visit as a punishment. Try not to use visiting the dentist as a threat when the child refuses to brush their teeth or misbehaves. Try not to make the dentist into something scary. Dental care is something that will help your child.

• Don't let anyone tell your child scary stories about dental visits.

• Don't let the child know if you may be feeling anxious about going to the dentist.

• Don't make the dental visit a highlight of the day. Try to make it seem like a routine part of the day.

• Avoid saying negative words like needles, pain, poke, drill, or phrases like 'it won't hurt', 'it won't be that bad', or other such statements.

• Don't expect perfect behavior. Children may be fearful, shy, or misbehave. With routine appointments, the child will usually begin to settle in the dental setting.