Protecting Your Child’s Smile From The Very Start

As parents, we have a lot of responsibility. We need to keep our babies safe and healthy from the moment they are placed into our arms. Feeding children a healthy diet, keeping them clothed, and providing a loving home for them are the basics of being a parent – but we all know that good parenting goes way beyond the basics.

One area that most parents do not think much about in their children’s young lives is oral health. Yes, it is exciting for those first two baby teeth to poke through your children’s gummy smiles, but it is usually not seen as “necessary” to instill good dental habits until your children have a full set of teeth. Yet, this is a misconception!

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that children have their first dental appointment within six months of the first teeth erupting, or by their first birthday. While this seems very early to many parents, the reasoning behind starting dental visits at such a young age is twofold.

1. Taking very young children to the dentist’s office allows them to gain a healthy perspective of dental visits. Many children have dental phobia, which is generally caused by waiting too long before they are exposed to the dentist’s office. If children do not visit the dentist before the age of 6-8, they will inevitably need to have a lot of scraping and cleaning done to their teeth. This can cause fear and anxiety associated with visiting the dentist. Yet, when children are brought in early, they gain a healthy perspective of dental visits and the tools that are used. The very first appointments for young children typically do not involve cleaning. They are simply set up to help your children become comfortable with the dentist and hygienist.
2. Early dental visits allow the dentist to become familiar with children’s mouths. When dentists have a baseline to go by, they can easily spot concerns that may come up in future appointments. Having a dentist who is extremely familiar with your children’s smiles is highly beneficial.

Contact ConfiDENT today to schedule your child’s first appointment! We look forward to providing excellent dental care for your entire family!