Taking care of your child’s teeth begins at an early age with the eruption of their first tooth. The Canadian Dental Association and The Ontario Dental Association recommends that a child’s first visit to the dental office should be within 6 months of the eruption of their first tooth or by their 1st birthday. Taking care of baby teeth is important. These teeth are crucial for nutrition and growth, speech development, jaw growth and self esteem. Most importantly, these teeth act as placeholders that allow proper jaw development and eruption of the permanent teeth.
The first visit to the dentist is usually short and involves little treatment. Depending on the child this visit may involve counting teeth and if indicated cleaning the teeth to a simple chair ride. This gives the child the opportunity to meet the dentist in a friendly environment. By seeing a dentist at an early age you are visiting the dentist before there is a problem. At this first visit the parents and the dentist will discuss how to take care of your child’s mouth, oral habits such as finger sucking, diet, teething, fluoride use and cavity prevention. After this first visit the dentist will suggest a check up schedule that is personalized for your child’s needs and cavity risks.