If your child has never been to the dentist before, you might be putting off that first visit since you just don’t know what to expect and how to prepare. We review what’s all included in a child’s first dental visit here.
Whether your child only has a few teeth or a complete set of pearly whites, it’s never too early to consider taking your child to the dentist. While their baby teeth don’t last forever — they start falling out around age 6 or 7 — it’s still important to establish healthy oral habits earlier rather than later.
Experts recommend that children go to the dentist about six months after their first tooth comes in or right after their first birthday, whichever comes first. However, you might be holding off on scheduling your little one’s first trip to the dentist if you don’t know what to expect from that initial visit.
That’s why our pediatric dental team, led by Keith Coe, DDS, at Stagecoach Children’s Dental Center in Magnolia, Texas, has gathered all the information you need to know before the big day. This blog reviews what’s involved in your child’s first dental visit, including how to prepare and what happens during the visit.
How to prepare for your child’s first dental visit
The first thing to do is to go ahead and put that first visit on your calendar. If your child still takes naps, make sure to schedule the appointment during a time when they won’t be fussy or hungry. This will help them not feel overwhelmed as they’re experiencing something new.
If it’s age-appropriate, explain everything that will happen during the visit. You can watch a show or read a book that goes through what to expect from a visit to the dentist in a fun and educational way. You could even role-play and do a pretend visit to the dentist. This can help to eliminate some of the unknowns for your child and help them feel more at ease.
You also want to have an upbeat attitude about their first trip to the dentist. This helps mitigate the risk of them developing dental anxiety and helps them feel safer about the whole experience.
What to expect from your child’s first dental visit
The goal of your child’s very first trip to the dentist is for your child to get to know us better and allow us to get a chance to develop a relationship with them. We can then examine their jaw, teeth, and gums for signs of tooth decay, cavities, or any other issues that might be concerning.
After that, we can discuss any questions you might have about using bottles and pacifiers or other oral habits such as thumb sucking. We can also review what healthy oral habits you need, starting with your child, such as brushing and flossing and visiting our team regularly.
To schedule your child’s first trip to the dentist or to ask us more questions about what their first visit includes, you can give us a call at 281-259-5444 or use our convenient online booking tool today.