You’ve just recently had a child. You’ve been busy taking that child to medical appointments. But, now, you’re curious: when should you take your child to see a Suwanee pediatric dentist for the first time?
There is some variation as to when a child should first take advantage of Suwanee kids dentistry. However, it’s probably less than you think. So, to give you a clearer picture, we’re going to examine the topic in detail below.
When Should Your Child First See a Dentist?
Though many parents wait until their children are well into their 2s before bringing them to a dentist, in reality, they should be taking them much sooner. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry actually recommends taking your child to the dentist before he or she turns 1. In most cases, it’s recommended that you go within 6 months of the child’s first tooth coming in.
Why so early, you ask? Because the second that teeth start to come in, they affect the child’s oral health. And this effect doesn’t just have short-term consequences but long-term ones as well.
In truth, the care and treatment of baby teeth can have permanent repercussions for a person’s dental health. As such, it’s important to assess and treat these teeth as early as possible.
Now, this doesn’t mean that waiting is the end of the world. In fact, a study shows that around 50% of children don’t have their first dental appointment until they’re between the ages of 3 and 6.
But do you know what brings a good many of these kids to the dentist for the first time? It’s usually some dental complication, such as a cavity. This complication might have been avoided had the child seen the dentist earlier in his or her life.
So, while you don’t want to freak out over not having taken your child to the dentist before the age of 1, if you haven’t taken him or her yet, you might want to think about finding dentistry for kids in Suwanee.
What Happens at a Child’s First Dental Appointment?
Now, you might be wondering: what happens at a child’s first dental appointment? That depends on whether it’s a standard checkup or is occurring due to a specific dental problem.
If it’s just a standard checkup, the dentist will assess the child’s teeth and gums to ensure that everything is supposed to be. The dentist will likely apply fluoride to the teeth as well and should also help the parent of the child with things like proper brushing and flossing.
If the appointment is occurring due to a specific dental issue, further action will need to be taken in addition to what was discussed above. For instance, the dentist might need to drill and fill a cavity.
In either case, the dentist and his or her staff will go out of the way to make your child feel comfortable. First dental appointments can be anxiety-inducing for the patient and must be handled with care.
Easing Your Child’s Mind Before and During the First Dental Appointment
As was noted above, children can feel some fairly substantial anxiety before and during dental appointments, especially when it’s their first. As such, before bringing them to a Suwanee pediatric dentistry office, it’s a good idea to implement strategies as a means of easing your child’s mind. Some of the methods you can utilize include the following.
Make Sure Your Child Gets Plenty of Sleep
If your child is tired before his or her appointment, he or she is bound to be in tantrum mode. If your child has anxiety over the appointment, this is likely to be doubly so. As such, before embarking on the appointment, you must make sure that your child has gotten ample sleep.
Play Pretend
Another thing that can help ease a child’s mind before his or her first dental appointment is to play pretend. You can act like the dentist and poke around at your child’s teeth. Try to make this a fun experience, and your child will likely see the appointment as being fun as well.
Have Fun Right Up to the Appointment
You want your child to be in as good a mood as possible when going into his or her appointment. As such, you should be encouraging fun right up until the appointment starts. Play a game before leaving, sing songs during the car ride, and do whatever else is necessary to put a smile on your child’s face.
Educate Your Child
The last thing you want to do before your child’s first appointment is to lie to him or her about what it’s going to entail. You shouldn’t be hiding anything or downplaying what your child will have to go through. Instead, you should be entirely honest about the situation.
In essence, you should educate your child. Explain what a dentist is and what a dentist does; discuss what the experience will be like; and answer any questions that your child might have.
By educating your child on the matter, he or she can go into the appointment knowing what to expect. This will, in most cases, help to relieve anxiety as opposed to increase it.
Looking for a Reputable Suwanee Pediatric Dentist?
You don’t want to take your child to just any Suwanee kids dentist. You want a reputable Suwanee pediatric dentist, in particular. “But how can I find a reputable pediatric dentist near me in Suwanee?” you ask.
You’ve already found one on this website: Dr. Rhonda C. Hogan.
I am the top pediatric dental specialist in Suwanee. My Suwanee pediatric dental office is perfectly equipped to handle the needs of young children. Sporting a staff of kind and caring dental assistants, we go out of our way to provide top-notch Suwanee dentistry for children.
Contact us now to schedule an appointment!