Dental Visit

My mom is a hygienist and she told me I didn't need to worry about it until age 2-3. However, you are supposed to start brushing their teeth after the first tooth comes in! :) This mainly just gets them used to brushing. They don't need toothpaste, just water.

with both mine we went around age 1. i can't recall how many teeth they both had though
it helps to take them early so they get used to the dentist sticking his fingers in their mouth and just the surroundings. not really for any check up on the teeth.
what i did was i called the ped. dentist to ask them the norm and also asked others, like you are doing..lol

Hi S.,

My little man got lots of his teeth early also. He had 6 by 9 months and now has nine including one of his molars, and many more onthe way. He is 15 months now. I asked our dentist and he said to bring him in at 2. You may want to check with your dentist though as many probably have different views.

My son was not quite 2 (just b4 his 2 yr molars came in). Our regular dr. actually suggested we set up a visit. She said that if you brush with the age appropriate paste regularly up until then you'd be fine. If all their teeth look good and not jumbled up on each other it's really not necessary to go much b4 then.

we went the first time so sam could check out the office. He is not fond of loud unfamiliar noises. then the 2nd time I did have to lay in the chair and let him lay on top. the 3rd time he started okay by himself, but then when the doctor brought out the "buzzy teeth cleaner" he wanted no part of it again.

My dentist told me that about age 3 is when you should start. He suggested that I bring my son the first time when he was almost 3 when his sister had an appointment then they could just let him watch her and then they sat him in the chair and the dentist just looked at his teeth briefly that first time. He did great the next time I took them.

We were just at a health fair and the peds dentist said that it's never to early once the teeth come in. Call your local dentist and see what they say. I took my son when he was a year and he had to have all caps on all of his teeth.

He was born with "very little enamal" on his teeth. Even his permanent teeth have no enamal. It's a problem so I'd get your son checked right away.

I have been told by a few medical professionals that you should take your child once their fisrt tooth arrives so that they can get used to it. My dentists office, on the other hand, said that when my daughter can sit still for a hair cut I should take her into the dentist. You may want to check with your family dentist to see what they prefer.

i was told by 3-4, when they can open their mouths by themselves and can sit relatively still. I know some take them younger, but they have to put them to sleep somewhat, and if your like me, I refuse to have that done to my child just to have healthy baby teeth, which they will lose anyways. So check around for a good dentist that thinks it best to wait until they are older! You can brush those teeth now, they have baby toothbrushes and toothpaste that they can swallow without any harm. Good Luck!

I always heard you didnt have to go to the dentist until they had all their teeth and hit 3 years of age but some schools are making it necessary for you to get a dental check up earlier. I'd check with the daycare you are using for their requirements and if your not then at the very least until your child is 1 I think is the rule.

My friend took her son at 2 years. Mine are 7 and 6 and they have yet to go. I'm bad with appointments. I know the schools are starting to make it a requirement to go before they start school. I would think you would want to start taking him so he gets use to them. Even if the first visit is just nothing but a friendly visit with NO instruments.

It has always recommended to me that a child that has teeth by age 1 see a dentist, I know you said that your baby has lots of teeth already but I would go with the 1 year rule then every year thereafter. That way even though all the teeth are not there the dentist can make sure there is nothing wrong with them.

My brothers ex did not take their daughter to the dentist at 1 and by 2 she had the worst case of baby bottle tooth decay, if it was caught sooner she would not have had to have her teeth pulled.

Just something to think about.

S.-
I read you should get the baby to the dentist 6 months after their first tooth came in. My daughter's first came in at 4 months, I think I took her around a year. It gets them used to the dentist. I know it helped with her because she started to develop cavities pretty early and it was a breeze to get them filled just before she turned 3 because she was used to having them cleaned and looked at. My son is 16 months and he went when he was 1 yr and he has another appointment around 18 months. The dentist can also give you tips and spot any potential problems. My son has a chip on his front tooth that I need to make sure gets brushed very well because it is prone to decaying more.
Brekka

Hi there! I've been a dental hygienist for several years now and I don't know if you've already gone to the dentist or what has happened since you posted this...What we learned via textbook is that a child should see a dentist 6 months after they get their first tooth. In my experience however, the best visits were based on "emotional readiness." Some kids were ready at 2 years old, some not until they were 3 or 4. I never worked in a pediatric dental office so I never saw anyone younger than that, but even at 2 years old, if they're a little shy or timid about life it might be a better idea to wait, unless you see something inside their mouth or on their teeth that doesn't look right to you. Furthermore, have them watch an older sibling or parent who loves the dentist so they can see what it's all about and gain positive experiences before they even get started. You probably know that you should be brushing your sons teeth 2x a day, morning and evening are best, not put him to bed with a bottle, and at 1 years old check and see if there is fluoride in your water or see whether or not you'll need to give him fluoride drops.
Hope that helps a little.
L.