When to Schedule your Child’s First Checkup?

Many parents ask us when they should schedule their child’s first dental appointment and how often we would like to see them back.

When thinking about this question we immediately start thinking about teeth and checking for proper development, but there are many benefits to routine checkups for infants and toddlers.

Early preventive dental visits (EPDVs) have an important impact on a child’s future oral health and prevention of disease (1).

We recommend scheduling your child’s first dental visit when a couple of teeth are visible or around their first birthday. The first couple visits are simple, we check for proper development, try to bond with the child, make them comfortable with instruments and try to make the overall experience enjoyable. In addition, we answer many questions parents have and give tips on keeping your child’s mouth health and cavity free.

References
1. Bhaskar, Vaishnavi, Kathleen McGraw, and Kimon Divaris. “The Importance of Preventive Dental Visits from a Young Age: Systematic Review and Current Perspectives.” Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry. Dove Medical Press. Web. 25 Aug. 2015. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3964025.