When to Start Oral Care for Children

Many patients come to our office and ask us when the appropriate time is to bring their child to the dentist. Even though a child's dental visit may be shorter than adults and there’s less amount of teeth that need to be checked or cleaned, it is nonetheless important and essential in obtaining good oral health.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends children make their first visit to the dentist as young as 6 months old and no later than age 1 to establish a foundation for their dental care.

Why Dental Visits are Important

Regular checkups at the dentist will prevent common oral complications such as a cavity getting too large and possibly causing more “tenuous” and difficult dental visits. If we treat the cavity while it’s still small, it’s always much easier on both the dentist and the patient.

Seeing a dentist regularly can help your kid with specific areas of oral health concerns, including:

• Finger and thumb sucking
• Teething
• The link between diet and oral health
• Managing a toddler’s oral hygiene

Early Prevention Tips for Kids

Bringing your child to the dentist as soon as their of age will ultimately benefit everyone. This is because early treatment and prevention provides a great outlook to dentistry and more importantly a great experience for your kids. Typically, when a young child is regularly seen by a dentist, the child will grow more comfortable at a dental office and lead to less anxiety and stress or fear of the “unknown”.

A few tips you can try to start implementing good oral hygiene in kids include:

• Providing them with brief information on good dental visits
• Reinforce the importance of clean teeth
• Ensuring you see the dentist biannually

Looking for a dentist in Spring Valley, NY, or Paramus, NJ? Call our team at (201) 809-9566 today.