Added on August 6, 2018
One of the most common questions that a dentist encounters from new parents is "When should my child's first visit to the dentist be?"
The answer to this question is "the earlier the better". Ideally a child should have their first dental visit when the first baby tooth appears in their mouth and no later than the child's first birthday even if no teeth are present. The absence of baby teeth in the mouth at one year old can be a red flag for developmental problems.
While many new parents are understandably concerned about their children developing dental decay, dentists are also able to discuss how to care for an infant's or toddler's mouth more broadly, including:
Congratulations, you've gone ahead and booked an appointment for your child's first dental visit. What can you do to prepare your child for their first visit to the dental office? There are some useful strategies to prepare your child for the new noises, smells, equipment, instruments and a stranger telling him or her to "open wide":
Following your child's initial visit, your dentist will recommend follow-up oral health visits for your child. These have historically been at six monthly intervals, however new evidence suggests that follow-up dental visits should be based on the individual needs of your child and may be more or less frequent depending on your child's specific needs and risks.One of the key benefits in children having their first dental visit before the age of one is that at this age they are generally too young to be nervous. There is evidence to suggest that where a child is older than one at their first dental visit, they are likely to experience some anxiety at the time of the first visit.