What happens on the first visit?

Early visits allow your child to become familiar with the doctors and staff, lessening the fear often associated with dental visits. Early visits allow us to prevent future problems and to intercept them early. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend that a child’s first visit to the dentist occur at 1 year of age or 6 months after the eruption of the 1st tooth.

It is important that we make your child’s first dental visit a positive experience. A parent or legal guardian must accompany the child to the first visit.

Less than 3 years old – The initial visit consists of:

• complete oral exam including oral cancer screening
• discussion of oral habits including thumb/finger sucking, pacifier usage, etc.
• demonstration of proper tooth-brushing and flossing techniques
• fluoride discussion
• assessment of growth and development of the teeth and jaws
• detection of existing or potential oral problems.
• nutritional counseling

Older than 3 years – includes all the above and dental cleaning, fluoride treatment, and x-rays, if appropriate.