Parents come to us with lots of questions about their kids, this post will try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions.
1. When should I bring my child in for their first dental visit?
We say that around the age of 3. Before the age of 3, it is great if you can bring them with you to your appointments so that they can watch. We offer chair rides to the little ones and try to make the visit fun.
2. When should I start having my child use fluoridated toothpaste?
We suggest starting with a non- fluoridated “training” toothpaste. Parents can start brushing those little teeth as soon as they come in with a dry tooth brush. At the age of 1, there is no harm in trying the training paste. Use no more than a pea-sized amount. As they learn to spit, you can switch to the kids toothpaste which has a smaller amount of fluoride than adult toothpaste.
3. What can I expect from my child’s first dental visit?
The first visit at our office tends to be experimental. We let them touch everything…. the mirror, the suction straw, the air water sprayer and polisher. We have special names for all these things and we try to make it fun. No Pressure. We start with a chair ride and go from there. What we don’t accomplish this first visit we can do at the next one. We just try to make sure we take a good look inside the mouth; checking for any cavities or underlying issues. (more…)
