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First Dental Visit – Sooner Than You May Think!
Every child should see a dentist by his or first birthday, according to the American Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatrics.
If it is past your child’s first birthday, you should schedule an appointment for a first dental visit as soon as possible.
Why?
The truth is that children in the United States have such a high rate of decay, it is necessary to see them at a young age to try to prevent it or treat it earlier.
Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in children – 5 times more common than Asthma, according to the American Surgeon General’s report.
A report by the American Academy of Pediatrics states that the most common form of early dental disease begins by the first birthday and usually progresses to pain and infection within a year or two.
(See the full article at http://www.aap.org/aboutchildren/pdf/ToothDecay.pdf)
In an effort to decrease the amount and severity of tooth decay in children, the focus of dentistry has shifted to prevention. The earlier we see your child, the better chance we have at finding decay in its early stages or helping you keep your child cavity free for life.
What happens at a dental visit for a child that young?
We will ask a parent or guardian to come back and sit in the chair with your child at his or her first visit for children two years old or younger.
The hygienist will take a few pictures using our state-of-the-art Intra-oral camera, which are displayed on a screen right in front of you, allowing you to see places inside your child’s mouth that you probably haven’t been able to see before. This will show you any areas of concern that you need to pay special attention to (like staining or deep grooves on back teeth).
Then, with your child still in your lap, the hygienist will do a quick cleaning by polishing your child’s teeth with a special toothpaste and spin-brush that removes any plaque or bacteria that may be building up. After flossing, she will apply a fluoride varnish that helps strengthen the outer layer of your baby’s teeth and prevent decay. This entire process only takes a few minutes. Our hygienists are work with babies every day and are trained to work efficiently and make your child as comfortable as possible.
After the cleaning is finished, the dentist will complete a thorough exam as quickly as possible and discuss diet, hygiene, and areas of concern with you. We welcome any questions that you may have.
Remember that we don’t expect children at this age to be excited about coming to the dentist! It is very possible that they will cry and not want to sit still. That is completely fine! We specialize in children’s dental care and are trained very well to work with children who are anxious – even infants.
Also remember that prevention is easier and better for your child than treatment.
If your child is three years old or older, he or she will come back alone and have the same procedures completed. Children three and older will also have x-rays taken to make sure teeth are developing normally and there aren’t any cavities hiding between back teeth, where we can’t see them.
After your child’s cleaning and exam, your dentist will meet with you in one of our state of the art consultation rooms to discuss your child’s oral health, plan any treatment that may be needed, show you any x-rays or photos taken at this visit, and answer any questions you may have.
Read More About Oral Health for Children Ages 1-4:
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