09 Apr When should I bring my child for their first visit?
It can be difficult to know when to bring your child to the dentist for the first time. Is it better to wait until there is a problem? Or until all of the teeth have come in? When parents ask us what we recommend, we always tell them that prevention is better than cure. And that an early, positive introduction to visiting the dentist can go a long way to cultivating a positive attitude towards oral care.
Surprisingly for many parents is how helpful that first visit is for equipping parents. We know that you want to do the best for your children, so we use that first visit to inform and assist you, as a parent, to manage the health of your child’s teeth.
If you’re unsure about when to take your child to the dentist don’t worry, you’re not alone! Results of a recent poll that surveyed parents with children aged five and younger showed that over half were unsure about when to begin taking their child to the dentist and had not been informed by their paediatrician or dentist. Of those parents, one in six believed the children should only be taken when they’re four or older. But the problem with this is that tooth decay and other problems could already be developing.
What do we recommend?
We suggest bringing kids in as soon as they begin to sprout their first tooth, or by their second birthday.
This might seem early (there’s not many teeth to look at!) but creating a happy experience for kids early on means things are so much easier later. Our aim is to create kids who love coming to the dentist and make it a stress free time for mums and dads.
Additionally big part of these early visits is helping you to set up your kids for great dental future. We can show you how to brush little ones’ teeth, and give you advice on snacks and food, breastfeeding, thumb sucking and many other things. Come loaded with your questions!
Free first visit for children and expecting parents
We offer a Free Fun First Visit voucher for babies, toddlers and young children to ensure a happy dental future for everyone. We pride ourselves on making a visit to the dentist stress free and easy for kids, and as a result, their parents. This really is a valuable and worthwhile trip for parents to make.
In fact, we would love to discuss things with expecting mums and dads as well, even before your bundle of joy arrives. We are so committed to giving kids the best possible start that we also offer a Free Pregnancy Education Visit for expecting parents, even before bub has arrived!
We do this for a few reasons:
- To provide the tools to help you raise a child that will not get holes in their teeth.
- Pregnant mothers often find this is a period when things can go downhill in their own dental health, particularly if you are experiencing “morning sickness”. It’s a time to be even more aware of your own oral health.
- Your own oral health can affect your child; mums with gum disease have been shown to be more likely to have pre-term and low-weight births, and good oral health in mum can reduce the chance of decay in their children.
Check out our Kids Dentistry service.
