When should you take your little one to the dentist, and how do you prepare them?
Your child's first visit to the dentist should be a positive experience that gradually introduces them to the world of dentistry. We therefore advise you not to wait until they are in pain to book an appointment, but to bring them along as early as possible.
- When should the first visit take place?
The first visit should take place before your child's first birthday. Ideally, the baby should be brought in at around six months of age, before the first baby tooth comes through, so that the mother can receive preventive guidance on possible changes in breastfeeding frequency, bottle use, eating habits and oral hygiene.
Remember that you take your child to the dentist so that you can learn the tools you need to make sure your little one never gets tooth decay. The dentist's advice and an early consultation will help your child avoid toothache.
- Why take my child to the dentist so early?
You have probably read articles online suggesting that you take your child to the dentist at around three years of age, when they already have all their teeth. However, waiting until the age of three is not recommended. Why?
Because more and more baby teeth are developing decay, and we must try to prevent this. And what are the causes? One of the main factors is today's diet. Constant contact with the sugar in formula milk, for example, already makes children prone to decay from an early age.
It is also necessary to check for any problems with the first set of teeth in order to resolve or prevent certain conditions. In addition, an early visit allows the position of the teeth to be assessed and defects to be corrected early, as well as helping to establish good oral hygiene habits.
How do we prepare a child for their first dental visit?
How should you prepare your child for their first visit to the dentist? It is important to make sure that the dentists at the clinic you choose have experience with very young patients.
A dentist who has been practising paediatric dentistry for a long time will have no great difficulty in winning the child's trust and cooperation, building a relationship with them on equal terms that is both calm and playful.
Parents, for their part, can do a great deal, starting with the child's everyday life. Above all, you should not instil fears or worries – for example, try to avoid speaking negatively about anything to do with dental care in front of your child.
First of all, it is essential to remember that the purpose of the first dental visit is to familiarise the child with the environment. The child should therefore not associate the dentist with pain and/or fear; instead, a positive and pleasant experience should be created in their mind.
For this to happen, preparation needs to start at home. You can prepare your child by playing “dentists” with them, asking them to open their mouth so you can count their teeth, or telling them stories about brave children who go to the dentist. The main aim is to make them feel safe, remove any uncertainty and make it all seem normal and fun.
Remember that your emotions and behaviour directly affect your child, so before going to the dentist, relax and try to give your little one confidence.
Also, don't hesitate to bring a list of questions for the specialist to help you take the most appropriate steps for your child's dental care. Try to be understanding of the dentist's requests, too, as building a harmonious relationship between patient, parent and dentist is essential. To this end, we invite you to read our recommendations:
Making them feel safe
It is vital that little ones feel safe. Together, we must commit to shaping their idea of the “dental surgery”. We need to work together to make the child's visits more pleasant and comfortable. Remember that a child's greatest fear is fear of the unknown. It is therefore a good idea to start preparing them at home.
We must make an effort to help them understand that the main purpose of the visits is to prevent problems. Let your child know that visits to the dentist are good for them because they help them look after their teeth, so they can grow up healthy and eat without problems. We need to make sure your little one feels completely at ease when they walk into the dental surgery, and this depends not only on us, the dentists, but also on their parent.
Here at Dental Studio Dr. Leuștean, we would be happy to meet you and your children and show you around the clinic before your appointment date. This helps children get to know us, ask questions and feel much more confident on the day of their actual appointment.
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