3 Things To Expect At Your Child's First Pediatric Dentist Appointment
You are recommended to take your child into the pediatric dentist at a clinic like Children's Dental Center Of Central Iowa PLC for the first time 6 months after their first tooth comes in, or at around one year old. While this appointment is generally short and quite simple, it is important. It allows the pediatric dentist to check your child's teeth for the first time, and it also helps them to get used to going to the dentist. This article will discuss 3 things to expect at your child's first pediatric dentist appointment.
Oral Examination
Your child's pediatric dentist will look into their mouth to check their teeth for a variety of different things. They will look over each of their teeth to make sure that there are no signs of weakening or decay. If your child's teeth show damage at one year old, then something is going to need to be changed in order to prevent them from getting future cavities.
Your child's pediatric dentist will also check to make sure that your child has the appropriate number of teeth, as well as appropriate positioning. Your child should have about 8 teeth either in or coming in by the time that they are one year old, and they should also have spacing between these teeth because other teeth have not yet pushed them together.
If your child is older when you take them into the dentist for the first time, or if the dentist sees potential problems with your child's teeth, you may also need to have them get x-rays done at their first appointment to examine the bone health of their teeth.
Fluoride Treatment
Once your child's dentist is done examining their teeth, they will use a q-tip to spread a fluoride treatment across all of their teeth. This fluoride treatment is simply a precautionary measure, and can help to protect your child's teeth against cavities. This fluoride is generally flavored to taste good for your child, so they shouldn't have any problems with the flavor. Also, because the process is so quick, it shouldn't be too upsetting for them, if at all.
Question and Answer Period
At the end of your appointment, the pediatric dentist will ask if you have any questions. This is a great time to ask questions in regards to what type of tooth brush to use, what kind of tooth paste to use, how to brush your child's teeth, if you should be flossing their teeth, and any other questions you may have. They will be able to explain to you that you should be using a soft child's tooth brush with fluoride-free tooth paste. They will also explain that although brushing their gums, tongue, and flossing between all of their teeth isn't required at the age of one, it is a good idea to start early in order to get them used to it.