Are you aware of what age your child should first visit the dentist? Most children are not thrilled at the idea of their first visit to the dentist. However, regular dental care is imperative for all children. It is advised that children first visit the dentist approximately 6 months after their first tooth appears, and certainly before their first birthday.
What can you expect at your child's first ever visit to the dentist?
The dentist will assess your child's risk of tooth decay
He will teach you how to correctly clean your child's teeth
Check for any other dental health issues
The dentist will discuss bad habits, such as thumb sucking that can harm your child's teeth
Pediatric Dental Care Basics
Once your child has visited the dentist for the very first time, it is important that regular visits are kept up to date. Your dentist will recommend a visit every 6 months. However, if your child is at risk of tooth decay, the dentist may recommend more frequent visits.
Your child's chances of having cavities will be reduced with regular dental appointments, as their teeth will be cleaned to remove the build up of plaque and a fluoride treatment will be applied which will strengthen the enamel on the teeth. Your child's jawbones and oral tissues will also be checked by the dentist for any potential problems.
Children will sometimes need to have a cavity filled, or other treatment. However, should you allow this to be done if your child still has their baby teeth? The answer to this question is yes. Children still need to have dental work carried out on their baby teeth, because cavities can be painful. Baby teeth are extremely important as they are needed for chewing food, speaking properly, and to ensure that their second set of teeth come through in the correct position.
Making Your Children's Dentist Appointments More Pleasurable
As a parent, you can assist in calming your child's nerves before and during a dental visit. The better experience your child has, the easier it will be to encourage them to have regular visits to the dentist. The more trust they have, the better their dental health will be as a child and during adulthood.
Try these methods to ease your child's mind about going to the dentist:
Choose a Pediatric Dentist
Pediatric dentists specialize in children's dental health and are trained to calm the nerves of anxious children.
Talk About the Visit in Advance
Calmly discussing an-up-and coming appointment with your child in a relaxed setting can help curb any anxiety your child may have. Explaining what may happen during the appointment will help.
Stay Close to your Children
Remaining close to your child during the entire appointment can help them greatly.
It is important to remember that your attitude about an upcoming dental appointment can have a large influence on your child. If the thought of having dental treatment makes you anxious, you must not allow your child to see this. It has been proven that children who have parents with dental anxiety are more likely to not want to visit the dentist themselves.
Share7 January 2015
When I had my first child, I was a nervous wreck. Every book I read gave different advice, and I just wanted to be right! By the time I had my third child, some of the stress had abated. I now realised, there were tons of different perspectives on everything related to raising children including dentistry. To help parents, I have created this blog dedicated to unraveling dental myths about children. I am including posts that weigh both sides of issues such as thumb sucking, dental caries, breastfeeding, flossing and any other topic I can think of. I hope you find the information you need to unravel dental myths, but most importantly, I hope you find some peace of mind. With kids and dentistry, there can be more than one right answer, and I want you to be able to relax and go with the answer that's right for you.
