Your Child's First Dentist Visit: What To Expect
Posted on: 9 March 2022
Dental experts advise parents to get their young ones accustomed to dental visits as soon as their first birthday arrives, if possible. Read on and find out what you can expect your child to experience at this, their first dental visit.
Lap Top Visits
Depending on the age (and personality) of your child, the parent might need to hold their child during their first visit. As they become used to the dental office hygienist and dentist, they may soon be sitting in the dental chair all by themselves. The first visit, just as with adults, will probably begin with a cleaning. A gentle touch and fun games often make things easier for everyone during the cleaning process. In some cases, fluoride is applied to your child's teeth.
Meet the Dentist
After the cleaning, it's time to meet the dentist for an examination of your child's teeth. Any issues found will be noted and discussed. Parents are often surprised to find that a cavity or two has been detected during the exam. Cavities in babies are often caused by allowing them to fall asleep with a bottle of sweet liquids like juice or even soft drinks or tea. As the child slumbers away, the sugar clings to the teeth, turning into bacteria that eat away at tooth enamel.
Parental Education
A large part of this first examination is taken up with going over educational information with the parent. Expect the dentist to cover these important topics:
- Dietary pointers aimed at reducing sugar and carb consumption.
- The dangers of thumb sucking and pacifiers along with some techniques to help parents help them stop the use.
- What parents should expect in terms of their child's dental development and what to look for in the coming months.
- How to reduce fear of the dentist with your child.
- A plan to cope with any issues your child might be exhibiting.
Preventative Care
The importance of preventative care and how to instill that in your child is also on the agenda at most first-time appointments. The dentist will explain how to get your child started on brushing and flossing. In most cases, that includes using an extra-soft toothbrush and doing the work for the child until they mature enough to do it themselves. Cavity prevention is also discussed with a focus on choosing healthy snacks and drinks.
In many cases, the dentist you've come to depend on for your care welcomes babies too. Parents may also be interested in using a pediatric dentist. Speak to a dentist to learn more about pediatric dental exams.
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