When should I first bring my child in?
Parents often wonder when their child should first go see the dentist. Most literature would suggest that every child should visit the dentist by the age of 1 or within 6 months of getting their first tooth. This guideline helps account for the variance in children and their development. For instance, the early developers can sometimes even be born with teeth. In contrast, on the other end of the spectrum, some children don’t get their first tooth until much later but should still not miss out on a chance to get used to visiting the dental office.
What Can I expect at my child’s first dental visit?
The most important thing for a child is to get comfortable in the dental setting. Moreover, it is important to practice preventative dentistry and educate parents and their children on potential risk factors before they become an issue. Children can be very responsive to dental education if they are comfortable in the environment and they if have fun doing it. We want to prevent having to do invasive procedures on a child during their first visit as they will be reluctant to come back on a regular basis which can result in more dental problems as they get older.
When will my child get their first tooth?
It is important to know that there is variance in every child when it comes to teeth. However, it is generally expected that children will have their 4 front teeth (2 on the top and 2 on the bottom) by their first birthday. Again, don’t be alarmed if this is not the case. Children will receive their first adult teeth by the age of 6. Usually it will be the lower front teeth that come in first along with the 6 year molars, which come behind all the baby teeth.
To summarize:
- First dental visits should be by the age of 1 or within 6 months of first tooth
- Patient comfort and education are essential for children and their parents
- First primary teeth by age 1
- First adult teeth by the age of 6
- There is always variance among children