First Trip to the Dentist for 2 Year Old

I heard the 2YO advice and I took my daughters but I thought it was a waste of time. Wait a year or two.

For both my sons, who screamed everytime we brushed their teeth, watching the dentist do my teeth made it so they let the dentist do it. Incidentally, they were fine with the dentist, but still scream at night when we do it :-)
J.

My son is 1 1/2 and I just took him to a pediatric dentist. He doesn't communicate well yet either and hates getting his teeth brushed but he did pretty well up there. All they really did was look around in his mouth and talk to me about what I should be doing to take care of his teeth. He didn't really let him look around too much but they just do what they can!

My best piece of advice is to go to a FAMILY dentist and let him watch you going first. Explain to him that healthy teeth are very important so he needs to let the tooth doctor look at his teeth to make sure that they are healthy.

My younger son was a smidge younger than yours at his first dentist appointment last winter and he didn't really want to open his mouth, even though his big brother went first. The dentist was cool with that and just took a quick peek when he did briefly open his mouth. This first visit is more about making him comfy in the dentist chair than anything else. Hopefully whatever dentist you choose realizes this and won't press the issue if your little one is uncomfortable. By my son's second appointment 6 months later, he was ready to do whatever the dentist wanted. He even let the hygenist clean his teeth. The only thing we skipped was the fluoride treatment and that was because of his age, not his behavior.

We have always done a pediatric dentist. The first visit is usually just to familiarize them with the dentist and what he wants to do. My first son actually got a really good toothbrush cleaning at his first appointment. My second son allowed the dentist to peak at his first visit, but went for a full out cleaning the next time. They were so great with my daughter when she cut the muscle that connects the top lip to the gums. Oooh that bled horribly! They were able to see that it was just cut and not damaged and sent her on her way. She really likes the dentist now, although she hasn't had her first cleaning yet. We usually take the kids in around their third birthday, although, my second son was in earlier due to taking lots of different meds. We just wanted to make sure they weren't taking their toll on his teeth. Anyway, I think if it isn't a good experience, you need to find a different dentist. They should understand that kids sometimes need some time to adjust. It probably wouldn't hurt for him to get to see you get your teeth cleaned first. GL!

i would definitely go to a good pediatric dentist. i brought my son around the same age for the first time, and all the cool stuff and distractions made all the difference for him and my other kids too. they actually had fun. not to mention the digital xray with something like 1/4 the radiation of a traditional xray.

Usually at three they want to take a peek. If your son has a lot of dificulties with this, then talk to the dentist first and see if they might be able to make him at ease. I love the pediatric dentists. They are usually really good. My daughter has autism and we have had to go to them too. It is VERY tough taking kids to dr.s, but if you have a good dentist they will be very patient and let him look at the tools and things. GOOD LUCK!

I would never take any child to a regular dentist for any reason. We found our Pediatric Dentist through Ocean Dental, our girl had fallen down her moms steps and broke off her tooth. They gave us a list that had several on it and I accidentally picked the one we use and I have never looked back. He is awesome, he, ALL DAY, works with toddlers, pre-schoolers, and school age children. He is a professional playmate that looks around in their mouth and makes it fun. We took my youngest grandson at about 20 months and he sat and let them clean his teeth, take pics, and he asks all the time when we are going back to see Dr. Lee. We drive 125 miles to the Dentist and back home, 125 miles, twice a year. We usually spend the night in a hotel and make a big deal out of it. We go in April and during Fall Break in October.

I have a friend who made appointments for her kids to go to our Pediatric Dentist and when we got there for our two and her two kids appointments they wouldn't take her insurance. So she took her daughter, who had a cavity right in front, to her family dentist. He gave the daughter the shots, drilled, filled, etc...all the stuff. It fell out a few weeks later: shots, drilling, etc...all over again, two more times. He finally said he just didn't know how to fill it and he talked her into just pulling the front tooth. That was over a year ago and she still doesn't have a tooth there. My girl fell at her moms and broke her front tooth with a huge chip in it. Dr. Lee put her to sleep in the hospital surgery room, fixed the tooth, used white material to fix it, it never fell out, it never turned colors, it looked like a regular tooth, it never hurt, and when she lost the tooth a few months ago you couldn't tell it had a cap on it.

It IS worth the time and effort to find one and use them exclusively until the kids are so old he just can't see them anymore..

My dentist was awesome with my little boy's first visit just a couple of months ago at three years. The dentist has a strict rule... no parents in the room. At first this seemed objectionable to me, but then he explained that in his experience, when the parent is with the child, the parent is anxious and thus the child is too. Dr. S also is very patient. When he has a child patient, he blocks out a lot of time for them so that the child can set the pace for the exam, procedure, etc. Anyway, after some reassuring time in the waiting room, and some cajoling, I got my son into the exam room, the hygienist took over quite easily from there and I just slipped away. The hygienist let my boy play with the air/suction tool, pick up the tools for "counting", and lots of stuff like that before he actually sat down. It went great. I suggest you ask around about dentists and when you think you have a couple of good suggestions, ask the dentist directly what her approach to treatment is. Not sure a pediatric dentist is absolutely necessary. Also, I happened to be having a bit of work done in the six months prior to my boy's first visit, and I told he each time I was going to the dentist, and that it was fun, and the dentist just tapped my teeth with a tool. And, the dentist primed me to NOT use any words about pain, or "only hurt a little" prior to his visit, and he said if I get a book about the first dentist visit, be sure that it doesn't show pictures or talk of getting shots. If your child does need dental work after the checkup, you can start to ease him into that before it happens.
Good luck.

I've been a dental hygienist for 15 years. In our office we've always recommended that kids visit at around age 3 for a "happy visit" where we just familiarize them with the office and do a quick little exam IF the child seems ready for that. Then at the next 6 month visit we do a little more. Most kids do great with everything including x-rays by age 4 or so. Younger than 3 usually doesn't work out well! Of course if you have concerns or questions it's never too early.
As far as going to a general dentist or a pedodontist: there is no hard fast rule. General dentists treat TONS of little kids. It's just a matter of personal preference. Some are absolutely fantastic with kids! A pedodontist isn't "necessary" per se unless your child has a lot of decay or other problems that require general anesthesia, or if you simply prefer to use a pedodontist instead of a general dentist until they outgrow the chair there when they reach their teens. It's totally up to you. And it's not like you can never switch if you change your mind! A lot of people visit a handful of offices before they find one they're comfortable with.

My oldest starting going to the dentist with me when she was three. She was able to sit and watch what the hygienist/dentist did to me and ask questions. I have seen the same hygienist for years and am really comfortable with her. She even let my daughter push the buttons when taking x-rays of my teeth. After my daughter came with me once, we made an appointment for her at the same place. She actually let the hygienist count her teeth and clean them the first time!!! I think knowing what was going to happen ahead of time made my daughter much more comfortable. I wasn't nervous so she wasn't nervous either. She knew she would get a new toothbrush and balloon when she was done, so that made it all worth it! The family dentist has worked for me, but I think it depends on the office. My sister has 3 kids and two of them have switched to a pediatric dentist. The oldest child stuck with the family dentist b/c he doesn't like change and was comfortable where he was. The other two kids switched b/c one needed cavities filled (I believe pediatric dentists are better at this) and the other was afraid of some of the dental equipment and the pediatric dentist was better at alleviating fears. Just make sure you are comfortable and not projecting anxiety onto your child. Explain that the dentist needs to count his teeth to see how many he has (even let him guess how many he thinks he has) and the dentist has special toothbrushes that make the teeth extra clean. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Unless you think there is a problem with your son, I'd put it off for at least a year. The first time I take my children, it is just so the dentist can "count" their teeth. Nothing else. They get a prize and a new toothbrush. Low key, no worries. I wouldn't rush this.

I took my daughter at 2 1/2 the first time. We chose a pediatric dentist who has a very fun and child friendly office. Usually first visits are more of an introduction to dental care and relatively very easy going. Most pediatric offices are use to children and they really do a lot to make the child feel comfortable. I just talked very matter of fact like to my daughter about the appointment. Explained the dentist was much like her doctor and just is there to make sure she is healthy. They let me come back with her on the first visit. The hygienist let my daughter explore all the tools and equipment, explained what it was about and then "counted" and brushed her teeth and the dentist just "counted" her teeth again. Maybe I was lucky, but my daughter loved it and had a great time. The second appointment 6 months later was a little more than the first appointment and they did xrays. But again, they made it fun for her. I actually had to wait about 20 minutes after her appointment because she was having so much fun coloring the tooth picture they gave her. LOL
anyhow, I think the key is finding a good pediatric dentist and just being confident that things will go well.

We took both of our kids at age 2 to the dentist (not a pediatric one). The whole point of the first visit was really just to get them comfortable with sitting in the chair, seeing all the instruments, and if they were OK with it, polishing their teeth. I think it helped that I had my appt just prior to their appts, so they were able to see what the dentist was all about and there was no pain, etc. My son was very much like your son at the time we brought him, and he did just fine. Although its not a pediatric dentist, our office does have a "kids program" where they take the kids pic with the dentist, then let them get a toy out of the treasure chest when they are done. Those might have been good incentives for them to cooperate as well. If your dentist doesn't have a similar program, maybe you can build your own incentive for cooperating into the day. Good luck!

I worked for a dentist for 5 years before my daughter was born. We would recommend to parents that they bring their children with them (to their teeth cleaning appointments) when they're about 2. We explained that we probably wouldn't be able to do anything, but that it was important to get them used to going to the dentist. We would also explain that for a few weeks before the appointment, the parents should talk to their child about what the dentist will do, and NOT to say any negative things, or show fear about the dentist around their kids. At the appointment, the dentist would try to count the child's teeth, and then give them their own toothbrush and toothpaste, and let them choose a prize. We would NEVER charge for any type of visit like that. That being said, took my daughter (now 5) to our family's dentist with me when she was 2. I just had her watch for a few minutes, then I had her sit on my lap & look into my mouth while the hygentist was cleaning my teeth. The hygentist also let her feel the "tickler" (the instrument that they use to clean teeth) with her finger. The hygentist spoke to her and explained everything she was doing in my mouth. She also told her how important it is to brush and floss so we don't get any "yucky sugar bugs" eating our teeth. When our dentist was doing my exam, he asked her if he could count her teeth. To my surprise, she jumped up into the chair and asked if the nice lady could "tickle" her teeth too! I was really glad that our dentist and his staff had made our daughter feel so comfortable. Now that she's 5 she loves going to the dentist. She even wore her special toothbrush hair clips to show him. She loves the TVs they have in the ceiling, loves using the headphones and watching Dora or anything else on cable. She loves the prize basket, and how special they make her feel when she's there. My baby boy will be 2 next month, and we have our 6 month cleanings scheduled for December. I plan on doing the same thing with our son as I did with our daughter. He's a bit more stubborn and willful, but I'm going to try. Hopefully, we'll have the same (or close to it) outcome with him.

My advice is to take your child to your family dentist if you feel comfortable with him/her. You're the mommy and you know your child. How will he react with your dentist? Will he freak out? If so, maybe you should wait 6 months or so. Pediatric Dentists are great for kids with lots of anxiety, or lots of tooth problems. There's no harm in "shopping around" for a dentist that fits your family's needs. You need to do what is best for your family. Good luck!

The American Association of Pediatrics recommends children have their first dental visit at age 1. That said, I had a difficult time finding a regular dentist that wanted to see my 1.5 and 2.5 year old children. No one wanted to see them until age 3! Which is the old way of thinking, and I have been paying for insurance for these kids since they were infants! I finally found a "family" dentist who was willing to see them both at the same time but I had to tell them that I just wanted a "happy visit" and we discussed ahead of time what they would experience. I would definitely recommend a pediatric dentist if you can find one on your insurance (I could not). The regular dentists just didn't "get it" and I don't think they know about "happy visits". This visit should be very comfortable for the children and no prodding or poking unless the child is comfortable. Have them sit in the chair on your lap and talk about the importance of brushing, maybe look inside his mouth, and a prize at the end. No xrays, no cleaning (unless possible), just hapiness.

We bring the kids to the dentist right after the first tooth pops through. We LOVE our pediatric dentist! My kids think it is sooooo unfair that they only get to go 2 times a year!! I would highly recommend a pediatric dentist!

It is NOT necessary. You can look in his mouth yourself and see that everything is fine. There is nothing they can do at that age and no xrays will be taken. So it is basically your kid sitting in a chair and getting his teeth counted.

You can get your child ready for the dentsist later by doing this at home yourself, and save yourself some money, which is hard to come by these days.
Lean your child back in a chair, have him open his mouth .Shine a flashlight in it, and start counting his teeth. Tell him that is what the dentist will do when he eventually goes when he gets older. Do this once a month. This works good for skiddish kids.

I visually check all my kids teeth myself for any caries. I do not want to expose them to Xrays unless I ABSOLUTELY have to. My 13 yr old has been to the dentist 3 times. Once at 6 when they convinced me to fill her baby teeth (that promptly fell out) and once at 10 to put sealants on. She hasn't had any caries.

Give your children magnesium to help harden the teeth and make them more resistant to decay. I personally like magnesium malate.

To keep the gumline free of plaque, (hence, no teeth cleaning with a steel pic) I dip a Q-tip in tea tree oil mixed with coconut oil 50/50 and go around the gumline at the tooth. once teeth are touching, put tea tree oil on two fingers and swipe it down a peice of dental floss, then floss with it. this will get any plaque bacteria in between teeth.

I took my daughter the first time at age 2 and she sees a pediatric dentist. It helps because usually their office's are more appropriately decorated with toys, bright colors and kid type things. Plus the staff works with kids on a day to day basis so when it comes to children and their fears they are well prepared with how to CALMLY deal.
The one thing my daughter's dentist did that I thought was good for the first time is she had me hold her on my lap with her legs across mine and then the dentist sat in front of me and we touched knees. Then I gently laid her back so that her head was in the dentist's lap. This way majority of her body is with mommy and mommy can hold her hands and talk to her to make her feel safe. It can be very scary to a child especially if they have never seen this person before and they have to look in their mouth!
When she went back again 6 mos. later she remembered being there and was actually excited to go. And then she got to sit in the big girl chair and was totally comfortable.
The first time going may be a little rough but it gets better the more times they go. Take in a comforting item with you that he can hold while the dentist looks him over. My daughter took in her favorite blanket and it helped.
Good Luck!

Absolutely! My 3 and 5 year old both go to the pediatric dentist and LOVE it. They've been going since they were 2 and 3. My son was a preemie and had some pretty good cavities due to enamel problems common with being early and ended up having to have 6 crowns at age 3. Both he and my daughter ended up with an extra permenant front tooth on top and needed them dug out of their gums before they caused problems. My 5 year old and 13 year old sons also each had an extra tooth between their front and canine teeth. With my older son we went to a family dentist and were told just to let nature take it's course. It never fell out and had to be pulled later. I think That's the reason he needed braces later. My 5 year old had his taken out when they had him under to put the crowns on so we'll see how his turn out :o) If you happen to be anywhere near Logan Utah I highly reccomend Dr. Doug!

Until recently 5 was the age to take the kids. So instead of listening to all the "new" stuff out there, I took my son at 5. I also went to a regular dentist and they did a really good job at getting my son to enjoy his visit. They explained everything and had him play with it and use it. My twins are 3 and they went with me to my son's first visit and now all they want to do is go to the dentist because it was so cool. Just say how neat it is and most dentists, if they are good, will make the child very comfortable and excited to come and see them, plus they get a toy, their very own toothbrush and toothpaste, etc. when they are done.

Definitely worth the trip to the pediatric dentist! That is what they do!! We didn't take our daughter in to the dentist until she was 4 and that is where we took her for her first visit. We did however take her with us to ours where she would observe and sometimes 'help' the dentist. Getting children used to the dentist, the office, the chair, the noises, the tools, and all the goings on is very important so that when they do go if there is a problem it isn't a shock to them to be around such a strange place. Much nicer to start going when there are no problems than when there are major problems.... right?

Good luck!
V.

I wouldn't even bother trying to see a regular dentist. The pediatric dentists are wonderful and totally equipped to handle little kids. Just keep in mind that your son may not let them look at all and they are totally used to that. There will be no pressure, no problems, and he gets a little toy at the end. None of my kids have let the dentist do anything until 4. I think I had one of them actually let the dentist count his teeth earlier but that was it. The great thing is, the dentist didn't charge for the visits until they were able to actually do something either. All three of my kids love to go to the dentist.

Just to convince you further, I tried a regular dentist with my first son at 3 years old, and although my dentist is very nice he just had no luck getting anywhere. It was a pretty miserable experience and I was quite embarrassed by the whole thing. Just go pediatric, it's worth it.

Good luck.

For sure go to a pediatric dentist. My kids all started going around 2 and they know exactly how to make them comfortable. Ours has a TV over the chair they can watch while the dentist works on them and they don't even notice what is going on. They are now excited when it is dentist time. Unlike me who my mom couldn't tell me we were going until we pulled up and I figured it out and went balistic!!!