When it comes to your child’s oral health, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association advises that children see a pediatric dentist early on for their first dental exam within six months from when their first tooth comes in. By providing early infant and toddler dental visits, your little one can start having positive associations with dental visits as we can help you follow good dental hygiene care for your child.
At Sugarbug dental, our caring dentists and dental team love developing healthy relationships with our young dental patients. This helps your baby prevent cavities that can develop once teeth come in. And while their baby teeth do fall out eventually, they serve as placeholders for their emerging permanent teeth to come in. You don’t want them to lose teeth to tooth decay prematurely!
Preparing Your Child
-Babies are happiest when visiting the dentist after naps and feedings as well as by watching your interactions and cues.
-Prepare your toddler in advance by talking positively about what will happen during their visit.
-Practice having your toddler open and close their mouth for when the dentist will count and check their teeth.
-Read books or watch videos about children’s first dental visits so they know what to expect.
-Make the in-office visit as short as possible by filling out patient forms online ahead of time or downloading them and bringing them in filled out.
-Write down your questions or concerns and bring them with you so you don’t forget. We’re happy to answer questions about your child’s teeth, thumb sucking, or when to discourage their binkie habit.
What You Can Expect
Our dentist will check your child’s smile to ensure their jaw and teeth are developing properly. If necessary, your child can sit on your lap during the visit and exam while our dentist looks for dental issues. Next, their teeth will be cleaned and you may receive dental hygiene tips to help keep their mouth healthiest.
Our Sugarbug dental team in Oxnard, California, encourages you to think of the visit as a happy and fun experience for your little one. We look forward to helping our young patients look forward to future dental visits! Please call 805-985-2400 to schedule your child’s first visit.