Oral care is an important aspect of your child’s health. As a smart parent, you should know the right time to start bringing your child to the family dentist. This first visit to the dentist allows your child to have a good foundation in oral health and a chance at having a healthy development. If you think it’s almost time to bring your baby to the dentist, here’s what you should consider.
The Right Age
Statistics show that most parents in the United States wait until their kids are at least two years old before their first visit to the dentist or pediatrician. Findings reveal that the average age for children who see their dentist for the first time is two years and six months. Primary teeth or baby teeth usually start to grow when your baby reaches six months old. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) suggests that prudent parents like you should take your kid to the dentist as soon as your kid’s first tooth erupts.
Baby Teeth Are Important
Clinical data also show that most parents don’t bring their kids to the dentist as soon as the first baby tooth erupts because the child doesn’t have enough teeth, or the child is still too young. It’s crucial to keep baby teeth intact until permanent teeth set in because of baby teeth:
- Promote your child’s confidence.
- Help your child chew food properly and assimilate more nutrients.
- Save space for permanent teeth.
- Aid in your child’s speech development.
Baby teeth are crucial to your child’s permanent dental health. As a smart parent, you should educate yourself about the proper techniques in flossing and brushing baby teeth. If you’re a first-time parent, your child’s first dentist visit will give you all the information you need. Being hands-on in your child’s oral health can help maintain that bright, healthy smile permanently.
Proper Preparation Counts
Specialists say that you should prepare for the first dental checkups by making your home a place that loves dental care. You can make your child used to dental checkups by becoming your child’s personal dentist. Check your baby’s mouth daily, so when the first dental visit happens, your child won’t find it strange to have a mouth checkup.
You can watch videos or read books about dental visits with your baby. That way, your child will know that a visit to the dentist is something that healthy kids should do.
As a parent, you can also prepare in advance. You can drop by the dental clinic and get the necessary forms your child needs for the first checkup. Filling the forms in your home is easier. When checkup day comes, you can just focus on your child and just hand in the documents.
You should start bringing your child in for a dental checkup as soon as the first baby tooth erupts. At Andrew J. Holloman, DDS & Associates, we will be happy to assist you during your child’s first dental visit. Feel free to enter our doors at our clinic in Clearwater, Florida, for a walk-in consultation. You can also call us at 727-245-0027 if you want to schedule your child’s first dental appointment or make inquiries about how to prepare for it.