When Is It Time to Take Toddler to the Dentist?

Well you're right on schedule! About 2 is when many specialists recommend a first dental visit. Usually the first visit is just a fun one to let the child develop a relationship with the dentist and formulate positive associations with going to the dentist for their first cleaning. Good luck and let us know if you find a good pediatric dentist.
Thanks.
L.

Hi, C.,
I just took my two year old for her first dental appointment. Even though she brushes her teeth every day, it was good for the dentist to do it - her teeth were really dirty. She hated it and I had to hold her down. Good luck.

My neice went to the dentist for the first time at age 4. I think there suppose to go when they start getting teeth or all of there teeth have some in. The pediatric dentist was different and had all the chairs in one big room, instead of a chair in a small room. I never knew about fearing the dentist till I was in my 20's and I thought it was weird that a friend was scared. I viewed it the same as a hair cut. sit in the chair stay still do as they ask no big deal. Good luck hope she does great.

My son's first trip to the dentist was when he was a little over 2 1/2, but that was because he had a bad fall and actually damaged one of his teeth. My daughter was 3 before her first visit. Some dentists say that the kids need to be old enough to sit still in the chair and comply with the dentist's requests. Other dentists say that if they have teeth, they should be seen. Find a good pediatric dentist in your area and call - see what they say. Good luck! :)

Once they have teeth and are starting to brush their own teeth, still with your assistance, it is good to go to the dentist. Mostly it is to get them used to the Dentist and for the to look at the progress and the care of the existing teeth.

"They" say as soon as they get teeth, but I think 2 is a great age. We took my son at 2, and my daughter is about to have her first check up at 21 months.

I took my oldest at 2 1/2 and my youngest at 2. The first time is usually just to look at the teeth and introduce the concept of the dentist. My youngest wasn't scared at all so they went ahead and did a little cleaning. Mine go every 6 months.

My husband and I have always gone every 6 months so it was easy for our dentist to see our three boys at 1,2 and 3 to quickly look in their mouths while we were there. They had just watched us get our teeth clean so they were ready to let him peek in their mouths too since it was the hygienist who had done the "work". Primarily this is to make sure the child has the correct number of teeth for their age, no sign of tooth decay, no problems with gum and oral mucosa, and to get them accustomed to the visits so that at age 4, I believe, they had their first cleaning. He was also able to tell us when they were two that he saw no problem with the child still using a pacifier but he will let us know by their next year visit if it looks like the use of the pacifier is creating a problem that could now effect the growth and position of the teeth. With both of my sons who this applied to, as soon as the dentist said to them that they needed to now stop using their pacifier, they both stopped without any problem. One threw his away in the office! Ask your dentist what year he/she prefers; they all have their own plan for preparing the kids for cleaning, xray visits later. Hope this helps!

Now is the time!!

I had one dentist and one doctor tell me to wait until my son was 4, but another doctor told me as soon as he got a "full rack". I took him in when he was 2 and I am so glad I did.
Turns out my son was born without enamel on his teeth (something the first dentist had failed to let me know about). Now at 5, he has already had at LEAST $3000 worth of work done (thank God for insurance)with sealants, fillings and more sealants. His present pediatric dentist is fantastic and he is now on daily "brush on" floride.
IF I HAD WAITED UNTIL HE WAS 4, the dentist said he might have lost all his molars!!! BTW, I took him to the first dentist and they told me not to worried that I was overreacting to the discoloration and they couldn't do anything to his teeth unless they did ORAL SURGERY!! I went to another pediatric dentist:

THIEL Pediatric Dentistry
4701 West Gate Blvd, Suite B-201
Austin, TX
###-###-####
thielpediatricdentistry.com

They were and still are fantastic. They fixed he teeth. When one of the sealants didn't take (my son's sealant fell off through no fault of the dentist, just bad enamel) they fixed it for free. I would recommend his practice to anyone. He and his staff are fantastic and his office is very child friendly and comfortable. They are very capable of soothing even the most terrified child!!

Good luck!

Hey C.,

My oldest didn't see her first dentist until she was 3yo & that was only because she had an absessed tooth. The whole left side of her face was swollen!!! Since then, I tried a million times to get her into the dentist's, but it always ended up in a fight. The first of this month we actually got her into the chair and completely through her procedures!! (She had to be given a sedative & laughing gas for all this to be done!) She was sooooo frightened by the thought of going that she wouldn't let ANY dentist do ANYTHING! She barely let them take X-rays, she was that freaked!!!!

Anyway, when she was finished with her procedures, her pediatric dentist said that I should make an appointment for her baby sister some time soon after her first birthday. (Baby sister is now 8mo.) I think that it's only recommended at that early of an age to get them used to the dentist, the office, chair, sounds, etc.

I have some genetic dental thing that the women in my family all share. My grandmother & mother both have dentures. My sister had all her teeth pulled at age 26 and now has dentures also. I, myself, got full top & bottom dentures around that same age. My two youngest sisters haven't reached that age yet, but they are both fearing the same fate. I hope that I can get my babies to practice good dental hygiene & visit a dentist REGULARLY, so that they may avoid it also.

I encourage you to go ahead and take your darling child to visit the dentist, even if it's just to get in the chair and look around!! It will help calm any issues he/she may have later on when a visit is necessary. Visit your personal family dentist or find a pedi dentist near you.

Hope this helps & good luck!!!!!

I took my daughter at 4 yrs but she already had a cavity by then and needed special flouride treatments. If you see anything that concerns you at all, it's time to take him. I have seen toddlers as young as two yrs in our ped. dentist's office so I don't think that's too young. Good luck!

You should start taking them as soon as they start cutting teeth. That way the dentist can give them a look and xray to make sure that all looks well.

The earlier the better. I interview doctors and dentists for a living and many of the dentists I talk to say that you should bring your child in when the first tooth erupts. I used to think it was a ploy to get more money (sorry any dentists out there) but I completely see where they are coming from. The earlier you bring them in, the more of a routine it becomes and the less frightening it is for the child. Often the dentists can stop problems before they start. There are machines out there that can test a tooth's density and catch a tooth that is at risk for cavities.

Take your two and a half year old in now! And then take the new one in as soon as teeth begin to erupt.

I started at 2 years old. I don't know where you live, but we went to Dr. Martinez in the Woodlands. She is faboulous and her staff is so good with little ones.

Good luck and congrats on your second little one coming!

A regular dentist will generall not see a child before the age of two or 5 depending on their interest in dealing with the special needs of little ones.

A pediatric dentist will see children every six months for cleaning from the time they get their first tooth!!! keep this in mind should you decide to have any more children ;-), or someone else asks you...

Regarding the appointment you scheduled. Yes it is very normal. You are expecting them to do the pictures with the big camera that goes around the head...but unless your son is incredibly easy to work with they will likely only be doing the bitewing x-rays... and those are done in the same seat he gets his cleaning done in...

Remember to ask them to give your son a tour of the office and to explain what they are doing in his terms if he seems at all nervous...

Do not be surprised if they ask you to sign a form allowing them to hold your child down if he fights them too much..from my experiences in several states with several pediatric dentists its somewhat normal...I avoid it happening by going in with my children and if they need to be held down for something, I do it...

I have not had any untoward experiences thus far and I have an 11 year old as well as twin 4 year olds who see the dentist regularly..

Good Luck!! ;-)

I'm actually gonna take my son to the dentist tomorrow. He is 15 months old. I was told children can have their first dental visit at age 1. My sister who is a dental assistant had suggested that I should.

You have received some good advice and from what I am hearing it is time to take your son to the Dentist. I took both of mine right after their first birthday. When they start off young they do not have a fear of going. My Dentist always has a box of little toys/stickers. My boys couldn't wait till their visit was over so they could pick something out to take home. As you can tell from the Mothers that waited they seem to regret waiting so long. I thought the Mother that took her children to her own personel appts was a good idea. Then your son will want to do like you and sit in the chair. Good luck.

In response to having the e-rays and cleaning done on the 1st visit...I would check around for another ped dentist. The first visit should be a getting to know you and your child visit. He/she should make sure your child is comfortable and explain (in child like terms) exactly what will be done/ Then a quick tooth count (tickling of the teeth) and then fun stickers, toys, etc...and out the door.

it is recommended that they start going once they have teeth but i took my daughter at 22 months...find a dentist that has a more friendly approach...my daughter's dentist is awsome...even though my daughter crys the dentist is very kind and patient...and she has the parent hold the child in lap and the dentist sits in front of you, knee to knee...but the whole office is very kid friendly!

The official American Medical Association says by the age of 1. The Texas dental association and Texas Medicaid dept. says 6 month. You might be surprised but I have found mulitiple cavities at the age of 1. Plus a happy visit will keep your child from being scared. Just don't worry -nowadays there is little for children to be affraid of so, find a good dentist and don't over prepare the child for the visit. Just say they will " count" you teeth and maybe take pictures.
Let me know if I can help.
I. Blaess, DDS and mommy

You can start taking him now. Start him off with a check-up to make sure no 'cookie bugs' have started forming or taken over his teeth. He should be used to the toothbrush and nightly, if not 2x daily, toothbrushings. Never too early...

Good luck!
A.

About now is good. If you're in Austin, Dr. Danny Watts on Loop 360 is great.

My oldest didn't see the dentist until he was four. Well, he saw a pediatric dentist earlier but I hated how my son acted afterwards -- it wasn't a nice visit. He had four cavities but he did well letting my dentist do one, then the second on a second visit and finished the last two in a third visit.

My second boy had bad tooth decay at the age of three, which is when I got up the guts to take him to a dentist. We ended up with sedation in the hospital to extract a tooth and fill in cavities. I felt bad about having waited that long.

When my third boy was 2-yrs-old, I took him to the dentist and we just had fun counting teeth.

My suggestion would be to find a dentist (pediatric or not) you are comfortable with and who your child feels comfortable with. A good dentist will let you know if your child is ready for regular check ups or if you two are doing well and your child should see a dentist after the next birthday.

Good luck.

I just took my 21 month old daughter to the dentist last week for her first visit!! It went better than I had anticipated. They laid her back in the chair and looked at her teeth. She was not receptive to a cleaning so he just examied her bite and looked for cavities. He told me to stop using the pacifier TODAY as it was affecting her bite. He told me to get rid of it cold turkey and that there would be some sleepless nights but better to do it sooner than later.He said it would only get harder if I waited longer. I feel it was a worthwhile trip. I's take your toddler now. Good luck!
B.