From an early age a parent should instill a proper dental health routine in a child. Most children love brushing their little teeth with a brand new toothbrush when they hit around 18 months to 2 years old. After that point, the thrill is over and the child needs constant reminding to brush in the morning and at night. One way to encourage brushing is having your child place a sticker on a chart for each required time to brush her teeth. Just try not to give sugary snacks as a reward for a job well done.
If you have a preschooler chances are you have already taken your child for her first dental exam. Since dentist visits are only twice a year you may have to go over the dental visit routine a few times until your child gets used to going. You can find plenty of books and unit studies to help your child acclimate to the dentist. However, if you child has not visited the dentist it is important to prepare for the visit. Many pediatric dentists do not allow parents in the room, so it will be important to demystify the dentist before going. You may want to play “dentist office” a few times first.
When should you first take your child to the dentist?
I had a family dentist who told me that a child did not need to visit the dentist until about 4 or 5 years old. Yes, he is ancient. He also did not want to work on children under the age of 5 so that may have played into his answer. If you poll dentists on the age a child should have her first appointment you will hear, 2, 3, or as young as 12 months old. The American Dental Association now recommends a child being seen between 6-12 months old.
What if your child has to have a dental procedure?
When my third child was four she had to visit the dentist to fill a cavity. Our family dentist promptly referred me to a pediatric dentist to take care of the cavity. This was because it was the size of the Grand Canyon. The tooth affected was in the back of her mouth so I could not see it easily. That did not make me feel any less guilty for missing that she had a cavity to begin with. So, I had a four year old who had a cavity that required a drill and anesthetic. The new dentist explained the procedure would take about 45 minutes. Guilt ridden, I quickly bribed my child with a Barbie for being a good girl at the dentist. Before the dentist proceeded he explained everything to both of us and showed her every tool he would use. He also ran the drill for her to hear before using it. She seemed unaffected and ready to get the cavity filled. Thankfully, the procedure went quickly and she did very well.
If your child requires a dental procedure it is important to prepare her. Ask your dentist if he or she would do a mock run of the procedure first. I truly believe my dentist doing this for my daughter helped tremendously. He allowed her to sit in the chair, see all the instruments, hear the drill, and even pretended to do some work in her mouth. This did not take long and truly helped prepare her in the real setting. If this is not an option, then explain the procedure thoroughly and show pictures to enhance your discussion.