Get it Done in Year One

Many parents are surprised to hear that a child should see a dentist before their first birthday. Here are the top 10 reasons that your child should see a dentist during their first year:

By establishing a dental home early, you are giving your child access to comprehensive, coordinated, and pediatric-centered oral health care. This will be your first step in setting the foundation for your child’s future dental needs and allows us to come up with a personalized approach to your child

The earlier you bring your child to the dentist, the earlier the child will be more comfortable with his or her dental visits. This also gives you and your child the opportunity to become familiar with our practice and staff

As young children become more mobile, incidences of trauma to the mouth and teeth increase dramatically. Many dentists will not treat night and weekend emergencies for patients that are not of record. Becoming a patient early guarantees that you will always have access to emergency treatment by one of our dentists, even when the practice is closed

An early visit gives us the opportunity to demonstrate proper toothbrushing techniques so that you can be more effective with your child’s oral hygiene. It also gives us the chance to discuss whether the use of fluoridated toothpaste and fluoride products are appropriate for your child

Scheduling a visit by age one can save you money! A study in the journal Pediatrics showed that dental costs for children who have their first visit before age one are 40% lower in the first 5 years than for those who do not see a dentist by age one

The first visit is a great chance to discuss your child’s diet and how his or her diet may place them at high risk for cavities. We can make suggestions on possible changes that you can incorporate into their diet to lower this risk

Even very young children can get cavities. An early exam allows us to evaluate your child for the presence of any cavities and discuss treatment options, if necessary. We have a variety of methods to treat even the very young children in a safe and positive manner

Many children have habits that may be detrimental to their oral health. At your first visit, we can discuss your child’s habits, including sippy cups, bedtime bottles, pacifiers, and thumb-sucking, and appropriate times and methods to help break these habits

Your child will have their teeth cleaned. For very young children, we allow them to sit on a parents lap and we often use a regular toothbrush to clean their teeth. Many children are very excited to have a new toothbrush, “goody bag,” and prizes to take home. This also allows us to come up with a personalized preventative plan and recall plan for your child

As a parent, you can have peace of mind that you are giving your child access to superior care by board-certified, hospital residency trained, pediatric dental specialists and the best opportunity to have a positive attitude regarding their oral health