Dental treatment is a fact of life and therefore making sure that your child’s first visit to the dentist is as stress free as possible will really help ensure they do not develop any irrational fears of the dentist which may in later life impede them from seeking proper dental care.
Therefore choosing a children's dentist is an important step. If you have a family dentist that you already have a good relationship with then this can be a good starting point.
Talk to your dentist about your child’s first appointment. It is actually a good idea to start taking your infant for appointments when they are small and their milk teeth are beginning to grow. This will ensure that everything is progressing as normal. It is not a bad idea to make sure that by their first birthday your child has already visited the dentist to check everything is ok.
Children as young as 2 or 3 are at risk of developing cavities and therefore it is a good idea to get your child’s dental health on track as soon as possible. A dentist can also help you as a parent understand exactly how your child should be brushing their teeth and what other steps should be taken for their overall dental health.
If you feel that your own dentist is perhaps less child-friendly then do some research in your area. Some dentists offer specific paediatric dental care and as such have a much wider range of experience with children. Visiting the dentist can be scary for a child and therefore making sure that the dentist you choose is comforting to younger children is really important as it will affect your child's opinion of dentists for the rest of their lives.
