The first dental checkups of an infant are something very delicate and important that parents should keep in mind in their plans throughout the growth of the child because although they are small, their dental hygiene is essential during the first years of life to avoid the development of diseases that could damage their teeth in the long term. And even before they develop their first tooth, care should be extensive.
Did you know all this? Are you a new parent and still don’t know how to take your child to the dentist for the first time? Don’t worry, here we will give you all the necessary guidance to know what to do in this process and how to handle it positively to make it a pleasant experience for you and your little one.
First of all, we would like to cover this topic, because even in adulthood we do not feel the need to go to the dentist or to have good control of our dental hygiene, so we can underestimate the benefits of going to the dentist as a young child.
A large part of the infant population does not have proper dental hygiene thanks to poor teaching by their parents, creating multiple problems ranging from cavities to infections.
Prioritizing visits to the dentist will give the child an incentive to maintain proper dental hygiene and also that a professional is in charge of the correct development of their teeth, teaching them pedagogically how they can help their teeth to be in a better condition.
Even if it is a child, having direct contact with a specialist who knows the ways to effectively explain dental information to the child may decrease the child’s ability to develop dental problems, as he/she will feel committed and encouraged to follow good dental hygiene.
Another very important part of getting the child used to going to the dentist is that you will be able to increase trust not only with the dentists but with any specialist that sees them. Because we know that sometimes it is very problematic to let them go to the doctor because of all the things that a general medical consultation entails.
That they are children does not diminish their ability to develop different types of infections ranging from dental caries to gingivitis, so a constant checkup will be able to correctly detect any type of dental problem that a child may be about to develop.
Prevention will always be important to treat any type of disease since we avoid reaching serious stages and the treatment is more extensive.
Another very common thing is that people do not pay attention to children’s dentition, because they are baby teeth and at the end of the day “They are going to fall out”. This is a serious mistake.
Any dental growth is fundamental for the correct development of the child, especially in such a critical phase where he will learn to relate to his whole body and its functions. The child will need healthy teeth to chew, learn to speak, and have correct phonetics when communicating.
In addition, baby teeth are fundamental because they are the first ones, and because they are the first ones, they are the ones that keep the space for permanent teeth. So if a baby tooth is affected by tooth decay, the next tooth that comes out may also be affected by this problem.
We also want to remind you that even though you keep your children’s dental appointments, it is essential that you teach them proper dental hygiene at home to avoid mishaps in the future. Children are very forgetful and are in the learning stage of the habits they will carry into their adult life.
As we have already finished with the importance of taking your children to the dentist, we will talk a little more about the first appointment and the importance of making it a quality one. Keep reading, we will continue with the main topic!
At City Dental Clinic we recommend that you take your child to our pediatric dentistry center after their first birthday. In the past, it was considered worldwide that the ideal age was two years old, but we must keep in mind that babies’ dental hygiene begins long before their first tooth, because the gums alone can develop diseases if we do not clean them properly.
The standard measure is to take children to their first dental visit when their first teeth have already started to come in or when the child is showing symptoms that their first tooth is about to come in.
A common problem is parents who take their baby after the first teeth have erupted, usually after the age of three. However, it is very common to see that children under four years of age already have cavities because they have not been treated correctly and on time. So we must be aware and comply with the standard measures recommended by health professionals.
Another reason to take our children at an early age is that there is a close relationship between facial development and the appearance of teeth in babies, so a professional checkup is needed to determine if there is any type of irregularity that can be treated before the appearance of teeth.
Pediatric dentistry is responsible for meeting the dental needs of children in their first years of development. When you arrive at the dentist, you will first have a general check-up of your baby teeth and gums. Physical examinations are necessary to determine if there is a visible or detectable problem with both the tooth and the jawbones.
At the first visit, the dentist will open a medical history of his or her own that will have the person’s medical history, which should include some parental information such as blood type or previous genetic problems.
This medical appointment is also important to be able to improve the dental hygiene that the parents are encouraging in the child and to encourage individual dental health in the child. Incentives never hurt, and if the child is committed to improving their dental health it is easier for parents to employ the necessary cleaning tactics.
Parents need to be well informed about their children’s teeth to increase dental hygiene. In the first year of life, incisors have already made their appearance and some baby molars may have appeared.
A particularity that many parents do not expect from the first visit to the pediatric dentist is that they will be advised on the child’s eating habits. The specialist will probably talk to them about how to moderate sugar consumption, how the bottle should be used and when to reduce the use of pacifiers to avoid dental deformities.
At City Dental Clinic we also focus a great deal on the possibility of the child developing dental trauma, so we strive to teach parents how to prevent these accidents during the exploration and learning stage.
In the dental checkup, we will also look for the possibility that the child has developed cavities, as it is very common for parents to transmit bacteria to their children that can develop this condition. How is it done? Easy, the most common habit like testing the temperature of the bottle with the baby’s spoon can easily cause small bacteria to be transmitted to the milk and cause tooth decay. So we could say that your “Dental Health” also influences your child’s dental health.
Normally, the first visit to the dentist is always a somewhat agitated experience, for both the child and the parents.
The child should be seen by a dentist who has already treated children before and who will not have the classic problems of an inexperienced person. People who have already treated children have more patience, some even have techniques or gifts for the child that will make the process easier and prevent the child from associating the experience with something negative.
If your child is old enough to understand you, explain step by step what is going to happen in the office and reassure them that nothing bad will be done to them. You can implement didactic games where you are a dentist class and he is the patient with tooth decay. And you can even choose didactic content from the Internet to help him, such as episodes of his favorite TV series where the main character goes to the dentist.
It may sound uncomfortable, but many parents insist on the child’s nervousness when those who cannot control their nerves are themselves. In the first visit, it is valid for the parent to pass so that the child gets used to it and feels that it is not a dangerous place, so they can both notice that they are in a space of trust and be aware of everything that happens in the office.
But it is important to note that parents should not enter the dental chair, because the dentist needs to create a bond of trust with the child, which will facilitate the child’s response to common dental questions.
The more active and rested the child is, the better he/she will react to the different new stimuli derived from a new experience and place.
It is understandable, the child is in an unfamiliar place and is going to feel alone. But even so, you should not give in to what the child asks for because the professional will be experienced to handle the situation and make the child calm down little by little.
In case your child has behaved excellently, it is ideal to reward him/her in some way to show him/her that it is not so bad to attend medical appointments and to create a good relationship between the health specialists and the child. But if the child misbehaves, you do not need to scold or punish him/her, education should always be positive so that the child takes it in the best way.
It is common that to avoid misbehavior you can threaten the child, but this is a complete mistake since the child will associate the experience with something negative that will happen to him. So the best way to act on these occasions is positive.
It is likely that the child already knows a case close to him that has some kind of mental illness such as a cavity or toothache. So you can allude to that person and show them that to have dental relief, they must maintain good oral hygiene. And that means going to the dentist occasionally to have them check that everything is in order with their mouth.
It is normal for children to have objects such as stuffed animals or toys that they feel safe with. Allow them to have them at hand in the consultation process, they will not make any problems and will remain safe when entering the office.
You are their highest inspiration and knowledge base, for the child to feel confident going to the dentist you must do so too. For this, you can take him when you have a consultation and show him that you left well and happy.
As with hygiene at home, where you must be consistent with yours so that the child feels supported to perform his brushing routine.
You and your children can come to the City Dental Clinic, where we have specialists experienced in handling children who will make them feel at home.
