Good at-home oral care, along with regular dental visits, are the best ways to ensure good oral health. And the earlier your child starts visiting the dentist, the more likely they are to see it as a normal part of life.
What Age Should a Child go to the Dentist for the First Time?
A child can start visiting the dentist as early as 2 or 3 years old. In fact, the earlier they see a dentist, the better off they'll be. Not just because of the importance of their oral health, but because the earlier they start seeing a dentist, the more they'll see dental visits as a normal life event.
If your child has older siblings, a great option before their first official dental visit is to take them along when their older sibling has a dental appointment. Let them see that the dental office is a comfortable and non-threatening place and that their older sibling is calm and relaxed when they see the dentist.
Early Childhood Dental Issues
Dental anxiety is a common problem in childhood but is one that many people overcome by the time they become adults. However, for some people dental anxiety can continue well into adulthood, and can even cause people to avoid the dentist, risking their oral health. Making sure your child has good experiences when they visit the dentist helps them overcome this anxiety.
Another potential issue is tongue and lip ties. These occur when excess frenulum tissue restricts the movement of the lower lip or tongue. Ties are potentially serious problems because they can prevent a baby from feeding properly from the breast or bottle. In addition, as the child grows a tongue or lip tie can affect how their teeth grow in and may result in teeth that are crowded or misaligned.
It’s also important that a child’s baby teeth be monitored closely as they start to grow in. Baby teeth are more than just a “practice set,” as they actually help ensure that adult teeth have enough room to grow in straight. This means that taking good care of baby teeth is important for both immediate and long-term oral health.
Tips for Developing Good Oral Hygiene in Childhood
One of the most important ways that parents can help their children develop good oral hygiene habits is to model them. For parents, this means modeling good oral hygiene, talking about how important oral care is, and helping the child learn the right way to brush and floss. Brushing and flossing together with your child is also a good option, as you have the chance to do all of these things at once.
Another effective option is to give your child some control over how they take care of their teeth. For instance, let them pick out their own toothbrush every three months and let them choose their own toothpaste, too. Remember that children should use a fluoride-free toothpaste until they’re old enough to brush without swallowing the paste.