Child's First Dentist Visit

I agree with Holly S - Kid's Dental is great. We go to Dr. Sonia Louca in that office, and she is great. We had to go when my son was 1 because his tooth started darkening after a fall. She was great with him, and there is play area for the kids so that they have some fun while they are there. She had us come in around 2 1/2 to get his first cleaning. She said before then, it is too hard. I highly recommend this office. I saw Dr. Holt once while Dr. Louca was on maternity leave, and he was good too.

I didn't take my child until he was 3 yrs. old to his first dental visit. i think prior to that is premature unless you are anxious or concerned about cavaties or tooth development.

I would ask your pediatrician for referrals as well. My pediatrician suggested: Melissa Rozas, DDS (Coppell) or Hollea White (Irving).

Comments:
Melissa Rozas, DDS - www.rozasdds.com. I've been told she is good, but she doesn't take insurance and very expensive - you have to file insurance yourself. Also you can not go back and hold her child's hand while the dentist is working on him/her.

Hollea White - also told she was good, but due to location in Irving, didn't pursue her.

So, I've taken my kids to:
Kids Dental-Coppell (Dr. Jeffrey Holt)-www.kidsdentalonline.com ###-###-####. They haven't seen Dr. Holt for cleanings but he has gotten dental awards. They have a kind & friendly staff, kid-friendly(videos on the ceiling, stickers, tube slides, etc..) and they let you sit back with your small child while they are doing the cleaning, which is big deal for me. :)

There was a big discussion about this on my moms' group recently. Basically it seems that most pediatricians are recommending a first dental visit at approximately the 3rd birthday. They only need to go sooner if you suspect a problem. Obviously you already need to be brushing and teaching good oral hygiene at home. A couple of moms I know took their kids to Pediatric Dentists due to problems they noticed and the dentists told them that all kids should visit at their 1st birthday and then every 6 months from there. I have asked my dentist who I trust totally, and he agreed with the pediatricians in that there is no point to going prior to 3 because most parents can barely get a look in a kid's mouth let alone a stranger. He said he likes to see them for "happy visits" starting at 3. So don't feel guilty for not going already. It seems to me that like many other things, it is totally an individual decision and should be based on your child. My son turns 2 next week and I don't plan on taking him till he turns 3. I have the blessing of my pediatrician and my family dentist so I am perfectly comfortable with that plan. If you really want to take your son in now, go for it. Why not ask your pediatrician who he or she recommends.

Hi S. !!!

I found my wonderful pediatric dentist by going to this free web page..... Dentist4kids.com You will then enter your zip code and it will list all pediatric dentist in your area. It will also pull up that particular dentist's personal web page if they have one. Good luck !!
I LOVE my pediatric dental office in Hurst. Drs Hyde, Bailey and Cremer. (their ph number is ###-###-####) The dentists are great and their staff members are extremely friendly and professional. Great team ! Good luck to you !!!

It's good to start taking your child to the dentist early so they get used to the surroundings before anything actually starts happening. We take our son every 6 months. Our dentist calls it a 'happy' visit because they don't charge for it, it takes about 30 minutes, and it's really just a time for my son to meet everyone, play with the cool dentist stuff and for the hygentist to sneak a peek at the teeth and give me a chance to ask questions.

Dr. Charles Medearis (Dr. Chuck) takes toddlers and is wonderful with people of all ages. He's been my dentist for years, and he sees my 35 month old (and has since she was about 18 months - she goes in with us (my husband or myself) and he pokes around and looks at her bite and just gets her used to him looking at her teeth. He doesn't charge for that. We can go back with her, he has TV's in the ceiling of each room (this last visit a month ago she sat in the chair, he tipped it back, she watched a video with the headphones and got a 'big girl exam' (nothing invasive, just looking, touching her teeth with the instrumentation, scraping a tiny bit of plaque off the surface, to show her what it was to 'clean teeth', she was fascinated and wanted to see and be told about all the instruments, and he will take time to talk to HER, then she got to pick a new toothbrush.) He's in N. Carrollton, off Josey Ln. north of Beltline, south of Frankfort. That may be too far for you, but he is fabulous! You can tell him I sent you ^_^

M. D.

A little about me:

Happily married, celebrating 5th anniversary in 2008, mom to nearly-3 yr old darling daughter.

I know they say you should take your child as soon as they have teeth. However, my dentist doesn't see them until they are three years old unless they are having some sort of problem. I only write this so that you know you are okay that he is 20 months old and hasn't been yet. Unless there is a problem, you will be fine if you wait a while longer.

I recently had my dental appointment, and my daughter was there in a booster seat. I asked my dentist when she should have her first appointment, and she said that if we are brushing her teeth everyday and don't see any problems, then we can wait until she is three. If we see problems, then we should bring her in sooner.