When to Schedule Your Child’s First Dental Appointment

Teaching your children good oral hygiene habits start very early. The moment your child’s first tooth erupts – which can happen as early as six months of age – it’s time to take them to the dentist! While it may seem like it’s way too early to start thinking about your child’s dental hygiene, here are a few things to consider when making their first dental appointment.

The Importance of Baby Teeth

Although baby teeth aren’t permanent, they play a very important role in a child’s oral health and development. Your child will learn to eat, talk, and smile with these first teeth, so making sure they grow in healthy and remain clean is an important task. Visiting the dentist the moment your child’s first tooth arrives gives them the ability to carefully track your child’s oral development from the start.

Caring for Baby Teeth

Caring for baby teeth is a lot like caring for adult teeth. It is important to teach your child good oral healthcare habits early, whether that is providing them with dental teething toys as babies or preventing them from eating too much candy and sugary snacks as children. It is also important to teach your children not to force their wiggly baby teeth out, but rather to gently wiggle them to loosen them up in order to prevent them from damaging their gums and impacting the way their adult teeth grow in.

Future Dental Visits

Bring your child to the dentist every six months in order to make sure that their teeth and gums are healthy and developing properly. Dental visits are a good time to instill the importance of maintaining proper oral hygiene in your children at an early age and can also give their dentist the opportunity to teach your children oral hygiene techniques easily.

At Rockridge Family Dentistry, we want your kids to enjoy visiting the dentist. We specialize in anxiety-free dentistry so your kids feel right at home. We also offer convenient family block appointments so you don’t have to travel back and forth to our office. Contact us to schedule an appointment today!