Keeping your child’s pearly whites healthy involves good oral hygiene, so make sure that you start dental care as soon as your baby’s first teeth emerge. Use a clean soft cloth and water to keep them clean initially, moving on to a soft-bristled toothbrush and water as soon as the teeth fully emerge. Inspect your child’s teeth frequently before your toddler’s first dental appointment and afterwards too! This practice will help to keep baby teeth in great shape.
Once you begin to see several teeth in your child’s mouth, you should start thinking about your toddler’s first dental appointment.
When to Go to Your Toddler’s First Dental Appointment
Most dentists recommend that you make your toddler’s first dental appointment approximately six months after the first baby tooth emerges. Since this usually happens between six and fifteen months of age, you will need to make your toddler’s first dental appointment between their first and second birthdays. If you notice a problem with your child’s teeth or gums, including discolouration or bleeding, you should schedule your toddler’s first dental appointment right away. If you do so early enough, you might be able to resolve minor issues before they become larger ones.
What to Do at Your Toddler’s First Dental Appointment
If you are like most people, you might have a little bit of dental anxiety that you need to put to rest before you go to your toddler’s first dental appointment. After all, your child hasn’t yet formed an opinion about going to the dentist, and you want it to be a good experience. Try to make it as much fun as possible so that your toddler’s first dental appointment is a positive one.
The Dentist and Your Toddler’s First Dental Appointment
While you can take your child to see your dentist, you might want to consider making your toddler’s first dental appointment with a pediatric dentist. Not only is this type of dentist fully trained, but he specializes in treating children. During your toddler’s first dental appointment, the dentist inspects the child’s teeth, gums, soft palate, and tongue in order to ensure that everything is going well.
