Q: When should I take my son to the dentist for the first time?
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Expert:
A child should initially see a dentist when they are around 2- 2 1/2 years old. It should be sooner if there is any trauma to the facial area or if the parent notices any color changes in the teeth or any holes or black spots.
The maintenance of the health of the primary (baby) teeth is vital to the healthy development of the permanent ones. Decay in baby teeth can result in a loss of space needed for the adult ones to erupt into. Infections arising from deep decay can turn into fever causing abscesses. The position of healthy baby teeth in the jaw bone also contributes to the normal development of the bone structures.
Baby teeth NEED TO BE BRUSHED or swabbed to remove food and plaque which causes decay. Sometimes it’s hard to use a toothbrush, so I usually recommend letting the child chew on the brush… with supervision! NEVER let a small child run around with a toothbrush in their mouth. That’s an accident waiting to happen!!!!
Overall, I am not concerned with delayed eruption of teeth until the baby is closer to age 2. Then, the dental expert must observe proper development of the jaw structures, and if it appears that there may not be “baby” teeth in the jawbone, an x-ray may be necessary to confirm this. However, this condition is extremely rare.
-Dr. Auster
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Comment by Zaherera on Jan 23 2009 05:17:20:
Hi, I just took my 3 yr old son to have his front 2 teeth extracted because they needed a root canal and two back molars have cavities. The dentist I went to was AN ANGEL!! She took literally 20 minutes and it was done! I was agonizing the visit for months. But thank God it was ok and now he looks even cuter without his front 2 teeth…..they grow back by his 5th or 6th yr…..all this because he drank milk at night!!
Comment by Natasha on Mar 16 2009 05:15:45:
Hi, I took my son to the dentist when he turned 1 and again six months later. My dentist stressed the importance of children coming to the dentist sooner than later. By age 1 the Dentist is able to inform you of any problems and ways to prevent problems later on. His second time they actually gave him a cleaning and told me to get a spin brush! Who knew.
Comment by Dawn on Oct 23 2009 01:46:03:
I tried to get our 2 1/2 year old daughter in to see the dentist but they said unless there was a problem going on with her teeth ( which there was not) 4 or 5 was the age kids start going to the dentist. And our insurance would not cover it either. I was disappointed!!
Comment by Broooke on Aug 27 2010 05:00:40:
The common mistake people make is tha they dont take thier child to the dentist untilthey actually have teeth. I researched and starting taking my daughter to the dentist at 6 months old. Just because they dont have teeth doesnt mean they shouldnt see a dentist. Gum care is just as important, if not more, than tooth care. It also help the child to get use to brushing. The other important factor is when they do have teeth, their is a misconception that they are only baby teeth so they aregoing to loose them anyway. The problem with that is, baby teeth can still get cavities and if left untreated it goes into the root with will affect the adult teeth.
Comment by Jessie on Nov 06 2010 11:41:47:
I initially took my oldest daughter when she was 2 1/2, but it was already too late. She had to have dental surgery the same week which required her to have numerous caps on her teeth including her front teeth. I asked the dentist when I should have started taking her to the dentist and she said when she was 18 months. This year I took my one year old along with my oldest daughter. The dentist inspected her teeth and talked to me about oral hygiene. He told me I should already begin to start brushing her teeth using the toothpaste without flouride. This dentist takes babies of all ages. I know it is expensive to take young children to the dentist, but it is definitely worth the precaution.
Comment by Sarah on Jun 24 2011 12:33:39:
I just read an article in a parenting magazine and doctors recommend that you take your child to the dentist by the time they are 1 year old. I can’t say that I have followed that advice but that is what most dentists and doctors recommend.
Comment by Jonna on Aug 24 2011 11:33:48:
My children started going around one years old. We are fortunate enough to have a local pediatric dentist who will see children under 3 for free. My children also have no fear of going to the dentist because they got use to it at a young age.
Comment by Melissa on Oct 15 2011 02:18:18:
First tooth. If you have insurance, go right away with first tooth. Makes it easier on your kiddo!
Comment by Caitlin Nicole on Mar 19 2012 11:59:20:
I disagree with this post (the answer) a bit. Granted, the "initially" that was thrown in the first sentence kind of makes it sound as though a parent doesn't even need to worry about it until after their child turns 2. Regardless, I figured I'd give my feedback, anyway. I took my son to the dentist shortly after he turned one. He had a good number of teeth, so I wanted to go ahead and introduce the idea of going to the dentist and dental care in general (even though he hated it). My son turned two last month and he's already used to brushing his teeth daily (by himself, with a little help of course). Ultimately, in my opinion, if your child is under a year old, don't worry about it. But, if your child has a good number of teeth after his/her first birthday, it's not a bad idea to go ahead and get the first dentist appointment over with. I'm very glad that I took my son shortly after he turned one — he's already used to brushing his teeth and I learned a lot from his dentist (about dental care in children).
Comment by Jen Gibbons Lizakowski on Jul 13 2012 03:32:18:
Your site has some really helpful information. We invite you to read our articles about oral health topics such as http://www.dentalinsurance.org/tabsContent/Childrens-Oral-Health-Timeline.aspx.
Comment by Victoria Bidwell on Jul 24 2012 09:27:32:
Take your child to the dentist as soon as he or she gets a tooth… even if there is nothing wrong it will help you to connect with your childs dentist early on or even find the right dentist for your child… this will also help you to start life long habits for good tooth care for your baby. ~Resident mom
Comment by Penny McGee Kopf on Sep 27 2012 03:36:21:
American Academy Of Pediatric Dentistey recommends within 6 mts of first erupted tooth or by the age of 1……
Comment by Penny McGee Kopf on Sep 27 2012 04:01:53:
And to update 2012/2013 protocol states at eruption of first tooth or within first year
Comment by Elisaveta Svanevik on Dec 07 2012 04:45:40:
Thanks for the post. I suppose its time for me to call up <a href="http://www.drsandstrom.com/contact-us/contact.asp">queen creek dental</a> and make an appointment for my son!