A child’s first visit to the dentist should be enjoyable. Children are not born with a natural fear of the dentist, but they can fear the unknown. Our office makes a special effort to use pleasant, non-frightening, simple words to describe each treatment. We want you and your child to feel at ease from the moment your family arrives at our office. The more you and your child know about the first visit, the better you will feel.

I have always recommended that you begin your child’s visits to the dentist on their third birthday. When your child is less than 12 months old, any teeth that have erupted can easily be cleaned with a wet washcloth. There are also fingertip-fitting cloths for this purpose that can be purchased. When the back teeth begin to erupt, a children’s toothbrush can be used by you. You as their parents are their primary caretaker. If you notice anything during your daily cleaning of their teeth that looks concerning, please bring your child in as soon as possible for evaluation.

I don’t recommend that you child brush their own teeth unsupervised until age 6. Children can fall with a toothbrush in their mouth causing sever injuries. Letting your child get familiar with the toothbrush under your supervision to begin brushing their teeth is great!