First Visit
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children establish a “dental home” six months after the first tooth erupts, or no later than their first birthday.
This is essentially a “well baby visit” for your child’s teeth. Once a dental home is established, children should have a dental checkup and clean every six months to prevent tooth decay and proactively treat problems.
We recommend that your child visit our office on their first birthday. At this age, the visit is less clinical and more educational. This is essentially a “well baby visit" for the teeth. In our experience, a one-year-old is much more manageable than an apprehensive three-year-old. It is much easier to do a quick exam and educate parents on oral health than to treat dental cavities at a young age.
First Visit Goals:
- Provide education relevant to the child’s age.
- Give the family a place to turn if they have a question about oral health or if the child sustains an oral injury and needs immediate attention.
- Reduce the number of dental treatment children will need in the long run.
What to expect?
At A&B Pediatric Dentistry, we believe parents play a vital role in their children's oral health and we encourage parents, especially on their first visit, to accompany their child. This gives parents the opportunity to participate and allows Dr. A and Dr. B to thoroughly discuss dental findings, treatment needs, and preventative care.
An examination and cleaning on a small child, particularly those under 2, doesn’t involve many teeth and can be done very quickly. An older child may be recommended additional diagnostic tools such as radiographs. Regardless of the age of their first visit, our doctors and staff will guide you through.