What to Expect During the First Dental Visit


Dr. Fuller is the pediatric dentist at Pediatric Dentistry of Redlands, and recommends that your child should see a pediatric dentist no later than the age of one.  His recommendation is supported by both the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and  American Academy of Pediatrics.  This recommendation was instituted to help prevent the most common medical problem in children, dental decay also known as caries. So now that you know when a child should have there first dental visit, what should you expect?

Dr. Fuller doing a knee to knee exam.
Children that are less than that age of three are usually not as cooperative as parents would like.  To a pediatric dentist that is okay.  So don't worry about them being a child when they visit. We are trained to work with children with all personalities! With the younger children you can expect Dr. Fuller to not only review the medical history and diet, but to also do a visual examination on your child, discuss growth, eruption of teeth, discuss fluoride and even do bacterial testing if necessary.

Children over the age of three tend to be more cooperative.  At this point of their development radiographs or x - rays are usually taken.   These imagines allow the dentist to gather more information about your child's health.  Children that are more cooperative can also have there teeth cleaned as well as have an anti-cavity treatment done.

If there are no problems noted during the child's  initial appointment that is great news.  However, that does not mean that they should not be seen on a regular basis.  At least 6 months for a low risk child  and every 3 months if the child is high risk.  Dr. Fuller says "it is always easier to treat the problem when it its smaller".  We encourage parents to ask questions. Do not hesitate!  The more a parent knows, the better off the child's health will be.





Comments

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