A Child’s First Dental Visit
It
is recommended that your child’s 1st visit to the dentist should be as
stress free and as fun as possible. If a parent is concerned about
something in a child’s mouth it is recommended to bring the child no
matter the age. Otherwise, the best time for a child’s first check up is
around 3 years of age. At this time, the child is able to communicate
with the dentist and simple things can be shown to the patient so they
understand what we are going to do. This usually results in a pleasant
uneventful appointment that makes the following check up even easier.
Visiting a dentist at a young age allows them to become familiar with
the dental environment, the noises around it and the friendly dental
team. The worst thing to do is to wait until your child has a problem
and they come to their first dental appointment in pain. This can lead
to poor patterns of attendance as an adult and the consequences of that.
At
your child’s 1st dental visit the dentist will take a note of any
medication or allergies your child may have and keep this updated at
every appointment to ensure they can carry out the best possible
treatment for your child.
After
having checked your child’s oral health and development of their teeth,
the dentist may discuss a number of things with you. These can include:
1. Your child’s diet
2. Brushing techniques
3. Habits they may have that could affect the development of teeth (thumb sucking)
4. Risk of decay in children’s teeth
5. Ways to prevent decay
It
is completely normal for children to feel anxious or get upset in the
dental surgery. The dentist and dental team are trained in dealing with
these situations, they are always as gentle as possible and try their
best to put your child at ease. If your child does feel worried about
visiting the surgery then hopefully as they attend their regular
check-ups, they will learn to realise the dentist is a place not to be
feared.
Remember, regular dental check-ups are required every 6 months for you and your children.
Prevention is better than cure!
