A Pediatric Dentist Can Help Prevent Oral Decay and Disease
Starting dental visits early gives your child the foundation for a lifetime of healthy teeth. Here’s when to schedule that first visit and how a pediatric dentist helps prevent oral decay and disease.
A pediatric dentist is key to giving your child the best start to a healthy oral hygiene practice in life. Our teeth are with us when we are born, even though they are unseen. Everyone wants a healthy smile free of cavities and disease. Parents want to make sure they are doing as much as possible to help their children learn how to take care of their teeth so they last a lifetime.
By taking your child to a pediatric dentist early on, you remind them the dentist is our friend. We want to make sure dental anxiety never becomes an issue. Having a child experience the dentist early on and a positive experience will give them the foundation they need for a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.
When should a child have their first dental visit?
Many parents are unsure of what age they should take their children to the dentist. Most parents set up their child’s first visit in the early toddler years. It is recommended that you take your child to the dentist by their first birthday or when the first tooth erupts from their gumline.
This is a general rule most parents aren’t aware of. A baby could get their first tooth around 5 to 6 months. You may be unsure of how the dentist will do an exam since a baby cannot sit in the chair like most, but your dentist will help show you how to position your child for the exam properly.
How can a dentist prevent oral decay?
When a child goes to the dentist, it is important they have a complete dental exam, dental x-rays, and find out any important family history. Your dentist wants to be sure they are aware of any concerns right from the start.
The dentist will look for tooth decay, plaque build-up, or signs of proper or improper tooth placement under the gums. They want the teeth to come in as straight and healthy as possible.
Your dentist will recommend filling any cavities to prevent the decay from spreading to other teeth and keep the gums healthy for future teeth.
Once a child’s back molars come in, they will apply a dental sealant. This is quick, gentle, and helps prevent cavities from forming on the permanent back teeth. Children with sealants are three times more likely not to have cavities than children without dental sealants.
The benefits of early dental visits
A pediatric dentist will also start showing your child how to properly take care of their teeth from the first visit in between dental checkups. They will teach them how to correctly floss brush and help them to see the importance of their oral health. The best way to keep your child’s dentist visits positive and healthy is to start them as young as possible and encourage them to want to brush their teeth and keep their mouths happy.
Parents also ask.
By their first birthday, or as soon as the first tooth erupts, whichever comes first. Most parents wait until the toddler years without realizing this, but a first tooth can appear around 5 to 6 months, and early visits let the dentist spot concerns from the very start. Just as importantly, starting young teaches a child that the dentist is a friend before dental anxiety ever has a chance to take root.
With your help: for infants and very young toddlers, the dentist shows you how to position your child properly so the exam can happen safely and calmly, often with the baby resting against you. It is quicker and gentler than most parents imagine, and you stay part of it the whole time. Parents are always welcome chairside at our office, so if you are unsure how a first exam would even work, call or text us at (760) 730-3456 and we will walk you through it.
Yes, the numbers are striking: children with sealants are three times more likely to stay cavity-free than children without them. A sealant is a quick, gentle protective coating applied to the permanent back molars, the teeth whose deep grooves trap food and are hardest for kids to brush well. For the amount of protection gained, it is one of the easiest preventive steps in all of pediatric dentistry.
Want the deeper answers? Dr. Tsai answers the 20 questions parents ask most in our Comprehensive FAQ.