How old were your kids when you took them to the dentist for the first time? My daughter is 2 1/2 and I have a cleaning appt tomorrow for myself. My dentist said to bring her just so she can get used to it. Is this really necessary? I'm not wild about going to the dentist to begin with but add to that chasing a toddler.... Not fun.
My kids were around 3. My dentist also suggested I bring them in with me first to help alleviate any fears they may have and I did.
My daughter was introduced to my dentist around 1. The dentist looked at her teeth, etc and she went with me up until she was in preschool all the while having her first dental cleaning with a pediatric dentist by 2.
It was just was way to ease her into the office, noises, etc.
I strongly agree with sealants when needed, even if insurance does. It cover it.... It will save you $$$ in the long run as you child gets older.
At that age it's visual exam and possibly a flouride treatment. My BIL is our dentist and he didn't do a cleaning on our kids until they were four. And then it was just a quick cleaning. Nothing intense or painful.
I always brought my kids to all my appointments (dentist, doctor, hair stylist). I had to because my husband was at work and I don't have a sitter. The dental assistant would give them a chair to sit on, and they watched me get my teeth cleaned (or whatever). At that age the dentist always let them "go for a ride" on the chair, and took a quick peek in their mouths. They didn't have their actual first cleaning and check-up until they were four. My boys were normal active toddlers, but were pretty good about sitting still when it was appropriate (dentist, doctor, church, restaurant, etc).
She was about 3 and had fallen down some concrete stairs and broke her front tooth. I took her to Ocean Dental and they looked at her mouth and handed me a list of pediatric dentists. I called them and the one that could explain what a pediatric dentist was and why she needed one is the one I made the appointment with. He is totally awesome and I won't take the kids to anyone else until he tells me they are just too darn old....lol.
He is Jason Lee in OKC and Midwest City Oklahoma. He has 2 offices.
Our grandson went when he was about 20 months old. He sat and they completely cleaned his teeth and did x-rays. It was very harmless and he enjoyed it.
My kids (twins) were about 2 1/2 when I brought them to a pediatric dentist.
My pediatrician suggested that I get my kids signed on as patients for a dentist because it's not uncommon for toddlers to fall and, well, hurt their face that requires a dentist to check them out.
For the first visit, they tried to introduce them to the various aspects of what a dentist visit entails, but they didn't force them to do any of it. I think the most the dentist was able to do was get a mirror in their mouths for a quick tooth count. For the second visit, one of my kids pretty much did the whole thing including multiple X-rays. The other kid did some X-rays and a little bit of an inspection/cleaning. So, it's a work in progress, but at the young age, they just try to get them comfortable with the process but don't force them into it.
As a parent, it was worthwhile. I learned some stuff about my kids teeth that I wouldn't have learned otherwise, including an area of their teeth where we weren't brushing well enough.
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i took my daughter right after she turned 3. and she did GREAT.
