First Visit
When & What Is My Child’s First “Regular” Visit?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend a child’s first dental examination by age 1. Although this may seem early, Dr. Birsch and her highly-trained staff can show you how to properly clean your child’s teeth, check for problems such as dental decay, and provide oral health information based on your child’s stage of development. You should consider this a “well-baby check-up” for your child. By starting visits at an early age, you will help your child build a lifetime of good dental habits.
At the first visit,ourdental team will offer helpful information and guidance on what to expect.During this visit, we will review your child’s health history and gently examine your child’s teeth and gums. If necessary and possible, x-rays may be takento reveal decay and check on the progress of your child’s permanent teeth under the gums. We may clean your child’s teeth and apply topical fluoride to help protect the teeth against decay. We will talk to about your child’s eating and drinking habits and make sure your child is receiving adequate fluoride at home. Most important of all, we will review with you:
- A program of preventive home care including brushing, flossing, diet and the importance of fluorides
- A caries risk assessment
- Fluoride supplements
- Nutrition as it relates to decay
- Early Childhood Caries, which may be due to bottle feeding, inappropriate nursing habits or use of Sippy cups
- The latest facts about finger, thumb and pacifier habits
- What you need to know about preventing injuries to the mouth and teeth
- Information on growth and development
Getting an early start in regular dental care is an important step on the road to teaching your child healthy lifetime habits. We want to share with you the latest available methods for keeping your child healthy and safe. Although it may be tempting to try to save money by not taking your child to the dentist, early preventative care helps avoid dental problems and saves you the cost of treatment later on.