1. When should parents take their children for their first dental checkup?

Parents should take their children to the dentist by the age of three. By this time the child has had all their primary ( baby) teeth grow in and it is important to help them keep these teeth in top condition. If the parent sees or suspects anything suspicious, of course we would welcome an appointment to our office earlier than three years of age.


2. What happens during my child s first visit to the dentist?

During the child’s first dental appointment, we would assess the child’s comfort level with us. If they were cooperative, we would first take them on a tour of our office. We would introduce them to our dental chair and we would invoke a two way conversation with them on how they currently care for their teeth. We would demonstrate our equipment to them and, if possible, clean their teeth. We would show them how we take x-rays ( pictures) of their teeth with our big camera ( x-ray machine). We would show them how to brush their teeth, give them a choice of toothbrush, take a Polaroid photo of them for our Wall of Fame and we would then introduce them to our dentist who would proceed to evaluate and examine their teeth. The appointment ends with a trip to our toy machine.


3. How can I prepare my child for his first dental appointment?

We ask parents not to try to prepare their children for the appointment other than trying to make them think that the appointment is no big deal and everyone goes to the dentist. We have seen some parents prepare their children so much that they cause fear in a child who would not normally experience such feelings. We also encourage parents to bring their children to the parents’ dental appointments so they can observe what goes on and understand that we are there to help them


4. How often should I schedule dentist appointments for my child?

First dental appointments should be scheduled as early in the day as possible. That way the child is fresher, not worn out by previous hours of play (or stress) and will be more cooperative with our staff and have a better experience.


5. When Will My Baby Start Getting Teeth?

Babies usually start to cut their first teeth at the age of 5- 6 months. The process continues until about the age of 3 years when all the primary teeth have normally erupted. The first permanent teeth start to erupt through the gums around age 5- 6 .