There is no right or proper age for a child to have their first visit to the dentist. Some dentists recommend that kids first dental visit should take place sooner rather than later, and that after 6 months would be a good age to take the child to see the dentist for a first check-up. The visit can take place even before the first baby teeth have emerged, to check the condition of the gums and give preventive measures. Others say that the first visit can be from the first year.
Giving preventive measures to parents is important, because in recent years more and more preschoolers have been seen with cavities, this is due to bad habits that some have when it comes to feeding the little one and that they are unaware of. Some examples of bad habits are putting sugar in bottles or getting used to giving sugary juices between meals.
The appearance of cavities is mainly due not to the amount of total sugar that the child takes, but to the frequency with which it is taken. In this sense, it is more dangerous to drink two juices spread out six times during the day than if you only drink one to accompany lunch and another to accompany dinner.
Regardless of the months, the most important thing is to go with the baby to a first visit so that they can advise us on the correct care of the children’s gums and teeth. From then on, it is advisable to return approximately every year for a quick check-up of the mouth.
Although professionals recommend that they go before the year, it is true that most parents take their children much later in preschool age. If that is the case, we must try to avoid making the child anxious about seeing the dentist by making the first few times pleasant for the child and not live with anxiety. Little by little you should become familiar with the consultation, the dentist, the instruments used in a check-up, the rest of the staff, the smells…