
As soon as your child’s first tooth comes out (might happen around 6 months old), you should bring them to the dentist. If your child is already two years or older, you should set a dental appointment for them as soon as possible.
Why a dental visit is essential
Prompt and timely dental visits are essential for the children’s proper oral development. Although baby teeth will fall off immediately, these baby teeth actually play an important role, which is to guide the eruption of permanent teeth and aid in proper oral development.
In addition, a prompt dental visit can help spot early problems (and correct them immediately). This will help your child’s teeth to properly erupt and develop. This can also help prevent the necessity for invasive procedures (which can be extremely frightening to children).
Convincing your child to go to the dentist
Although a dental visit is essential, it can still be a frightening experience to children. After all, it’s an unfamiliar experience.
One key then is to make the experience a bit familiar to them. You can initially show videos about dental visits to your child (but avoid showing videos with children crying in a dental clinic). You can also take your time in calmly explaining what will happen during the dental visit. The goal here is to help your child become familiar and comfortable with the experience.
Another key is to choose a paediatric dentist, a professional who specialises in children’s dentistry. Aside from having special-sized dental equipment that is more comfortable to children, these specialist dentists also know how to keep children calm during a dental exam or treatment. These professionals are also able to make a frightening experience a positive and fun one.
In addition, the offices of paediatric dentists have bright colours and child-friendly decors. Also, there might be iPads, arcade games and movies in the waiting room. These child-friendly offices can help children feel comfortable. This also helps set the atmosphere that the dental experience is nothing to be afraid of. As a result, after their first dental visit, children might actually look forward to the next because of the fun and positive experience.