Your child was just born recently. You are welcoming them into the world and are happy that they are happy and safe. Once the dust settles, you realize as a parent that you have to keep it that way. While this is not enough, about 86% of kids in the United States do go to the dentist in a calendar year. If you are the parent of a newborn, you are likely looking for an Elizabethtown pediatric dentist. Well, that is where we can help you.
When should your child visit a pediatric dentist in Elizabethtown? What will an Elizabethtown kids dentist do for your child during that visit?
This is your guide.
First Tooth
Something that you should look out for as a parent is when your child develops their first tooth. Unless there is a significant delay in this process, there is not much a dentist can do for a child that has no teeth.
So, when should you expect the first tooth to pop up? Typically, this will not happen until the child is at least six months old. However, it can take up to a year for your child to grow their first tooth.
Once you see your child’s first tooth, this is the time that you should start to think about bringing them in to see a kids’ dentist in Elizabethtown, KY. Then, that pediatrician can help guide you with the next step.
If for some reason, your child still does not have teeth by the time they are more than a year old, you should bring them to the dentist anyway to see if there are any issues with their oral hygiene.
Information Gained
During a child’s first dental visit, you are likely going to get swarmed with dental hygiene information from your child’s pediatrician. The first visit sets to stage as to how the child is doing with that.
Are there any signs of tooth decay? Are you finding a way to brush that tooth? Are you keeping the child’s mouth clean?
However, not everything is going to come down to oral hygiene during this visit. The dentist may want to see if the child has any bad habits that they need to break. If they do not witness this themselves, they may end up asking you if your child does any of these things.
An example can be your child teething on a pacifier too often. If they do this frequently enough, it may result in your child having buck teeth.
Another example may be your dentist noticing that your child likes to suck their thumb a lot. This can lead to similar issues as the pacifier, where your child can alter how their future teeth line up if this bad habit goes on for too long.
Overall, you want to make sure that your child is on the right track during their first dental visit. If you are new parents, an Elizabethtown dentistry for children can be the perfect place to check on your child’s oral health.
Preparing Your Child
Since this is going to be a new experience for your child, you should try to prepare them for this visit. This may be more difficult to do for a child that is less than 12 months old. However, there are still things that you can do.
One thing you can do is to try to expose them to more light in the house. A dentist will likely use a strong light to try to get a better look at a child’s mouth.
Another thing that you can do is to try to show them pictures of the tools that dentists use or get toys that look similar. You can have your child play with them to try to get them not to be afraid of the tools.
Or, you could practice a dental visit at home and you can try to do similar things that a dentist might do during a visit. That can include placing the child in a chair, putting your fingers in your child’s mouth, getting them to open their mouth, and more.
What to Expect
So, what should you expect as a new parent? A dentist for children will understand that this may be a difficult visit for kids that have never been to a dentist. They also know that new parents may be a little anxious about this visit.
No need to fear. Try to picture what the dentist was like for you as a kid and remember that these people are professionals. Pediatricians specialize in dental work for children, so they have likely dealt with children and parents alike that are nervous about a child’s dental visit.
You can ask the dentist to go over exactly what they are going to do during the examination. In return, you can give the dentist a heads up if your child is a little more resistant to leaving your arms.
See an Elizabethtown Pediatric Dentist
These are some of the most important things you should know about a child’s first dental visit. Ideally, you want to have this dental visit as soon as the child’s first tooth grows. However, you should try to do this by the time they are a year old at maximum.
Then, you need to prepare your child and yourself to visit the dentist. Just know that the dentist is likely going to give you a lot of useful information when it comes to oral health.
Do you need an Elizabethtown pediatric dentist? Schedule an appointment with us today.