The first visits to the dentist for children are often complicated, because the little ones are nervous and restless. Therefore, it is very important to establish a trusting relationship with your pediatric dentist.
Pediatric dentists are specialists in providing both preventive and curative care to children from an early age until the end of their growth.
Our goal is that the first visit (and all) is a good experience, where the little ones feel comfortable and get used to make regular visits to take care of their dental health.
When should I go to the children’s dentist with my child?
The Spanish Society of Pediatric Dentistry (SEOII) recommends that, if there are no previous anomalies, a good time to visit the dentist is when the teeth start to come in . That is, from the age of 12 months.
When they begin to erupt, regular visits to the pediatric dentist or pediatric dentist are highly recommended, since it will be possible to detect and evaluate possible problems that may affect the permanent dentition.
And, during the change from baby teeth to permanent teeth, it is essential to see a specialist . Regular visits should be maintained throughout childhood and adolescence to ensure proper oral health.
In addition, children often suffer from congenital alterations such as those affecting the number, shape or size of teeth. Or you may have disorders such as a forward jaw or a smile where the gum shows too much. Problems that can also be corrected at an early age, thus taking advantage of bone growth.
Prevention and dental hygiene at home
The work of parents is essential so that the little ones at home get used to regular dental hygiene. Therefore, before the baby is one year old, it is advisable to clean the gums after each feeding. This can be done with a wet gauze.
And, when they start teething, it is also advisable to use a toothbrush appropriate for their age.
Because even babies can develop cavities if there is prolonged contact with the sugars contained in the milk, so it is important not to leave them alone with the bottle in their mouths for a long time, as well as cleaning them every time the bottle is removed.
In this post we talk a little more about children’s dental hygiene and the use of toothpaste.
Avoiding fear of the dentist
As we said at the beginning, one of the problems with children’s first visit to the dentist is that they often go with fear. To avoid this, it is essential to encourage the child’s relationship with the dentist.
Sometimes it is the parents who unintentionally transmit this fear to their children with phrases such as: «don’t eat sweets or else you will have to go to the dentist». Or things like that.
So it is important to have and generate a positive attitude from children towards the pediatric dentist:
– Initiate them in the responsibility of oral hygiene, with the support of the dentist.
– Explain to them that the periodic visits to the dentist are to avoid problems in the teeth and in the mouth in general.
– Do not threaten to take him/her to the dentist. We should also avoid commenting on our own experiences, especially if they have not been positive.
– If the child has been going to the dentist since he/she was 1 year old, it will make it easier for him/her to go to regular check-ups without fear.
Recommendations for children’s first visit to the dentist
Some recommendations you can follow during your child’s first visit to the dentist are:
– Carrying a totem: That is, an object that you consider valuable or important. We can indicate to him/her that he/she can bring this object and explain that with it he/she will become very powerful and will cope better with the visit. The little girl or boy will be filled with courage and will have a better disposition.
– Informative and encouraging talk: It is good to have a talk with our son or daughter before his or her first visit to the dentist, where we explain where he or she is going and what the objective is. We can tell you that your visit to the dentist is to check that everything is fine and to be congratulated on how well you are doing with your teeth.
– Demonstrate a concern for good oral hygiene for the whole family: As always, the best thing to do is to set an example, so it is necessary for the little one to observe the oral hygiene habits practiced by everyone at home. In this way, they will realize the importance of taking care of their teeth and will not be afraid to go to the dentist.
It is also good that at the end of their first visit to the child’s dentist, we recognize their bravery, initially verbally, to emphasize their good behavior and how proud we are of it.
Have you had your child’s first visit to a pediatric dentist?
In Cervantes Dental Clinic in Granada we have an exclusive orthodontist, for early diagnosis and if necessary treat them with functional appliances that direct bone growth and proper eruption of permanent teeth.
In addition, for children we perform preventive treatments such as pit and fissure sealants. We teach them how to brush so that they have a correct technique.
It is also very important to maintain the space left in the mouth by the loss of a temporary tooth. This is done with space maintainers until the eruption of the definitive tooth to avoid subsequent crowding.
Because we care about the dental health of the little ones of the house, we advise you properly to treat the case of your child in specific.
Book the first appointment with the dentist in Granada for your child, just call or write us, we will be happy to assist you.
Smile is a universal language. Come to our dental clinic in Granada and we will advise you. First appointment free of charge!
