When did you take your DS to their first dental checkup?

[mom2aidan]

It's open enrollment at my DH's company and we're trying to figure out if we should enroll our DS for dental coverage for 2006. He's 18 months so we're not sure if he should be going to the dentist at all next year. I'm just curious at what age did you bring your DC for their first dental appt?
I appreciate your input.

Thanks!

[brittone2]

I think the recommendations really vary. I believe the American Dental Association suggests by one year of age (our old ped shared a building w/ a ped dentist and they recommended prior to one year). I've heard by 2 years, and definitely by 3 years.

DS went at 17 months because when I would play with him and tip him backwards, I noticed a very small tannish spot on the back of one of his teeth. I wondered if it was a cavity, and our appt. confirmed that it was (despite being great about brushing and DS does not eat sugar on a regular basis at all, and has only tasted juice 2-3 times ever). He had a small (white) filling placed on the back of that tooth (did not need novacaine) and a sealant on the matching tooth on the other side.

For most kids I'd say sometime between 2 and 3 would make sense but we obviously needed to go in before that. It was also beneficial because we learned he has a supernumerary tooth based on his xrays (an extra permanent tooth) so he'll be monitored by an oral surgeon starting around 3 so they can decide when to remove it. This is a fairly common condition and it runs in my family.

[Sarah1]

At Audrey's 2-year checkup, the ped recommended she go for her first dentist visit between 2 and 3 yrs of age. So, we went a couple months after her 2nd birthday.

[JacksMommy]

OUr pediatric dentist won't even take kids before their 3rd birthday.
Laurel
WOHM to Jack, 6/4/02
Baby Madeline 12/14/04

[kedss]

DS was about 18 months when he had his teeth worked on, there are pediatric dentists who specialize in working on younger teeth. :)

[LBW]

We waited until Liam was 3. Before that he wouldn't even sit for a haircut without major fussing, so I knew there was no way we'd make it through a dental appointment. If he had been ready, I would have liked to have taken him around 2.

[icunurse]

Both our ped and dentist said around 3 years old, but I think I'll probably take him in earlier to a ped dentists. I just want a baseline for him and I don't want the first visit to be traumatic, maybe just count the teeth and a brushing.

FWIW, our dental insurance wasn't much to add DS. We've had him on it since last year, just in case he would get an early cavity or break a tooth on a fall - at least we'd have coverage.

Traci
~Connor's Mom 02/2004~
Agency paperwork completed - waiting for #2!

[SewSarahSew]

We tried to bring Daniel in for a check up at 3 yrs old, but he was just too freaked out by it and wouldn't even sit in the chair. My dad is a dentist and we were at his office, so even with GRANDPA trying to bribe him, he wouldn't have any of it. I was pushing pretty hard, but my dad advised giving it a rest. He said that making them sit in the chair when they are really freaked will only make them more traumatized. So if you don't have any issues or concerns and are pretty confident that your child's teeth are fine, you really don't need to go in before 3 yrs old (assuming your ped. has educated you about brushing your child's teeth). If we had some concerns, I would have found a pediatric dentist and tried again the next month.

Daniel did sit in the chair this summer, at 4 yrs old, and a had a mini-check up. Really, Dad just counted his teeth and took 3 x-rays. I don't think they even made it to cleaning because he was still really freaked out.

Amelia is 2.5 yrs old and we haven't brought her in yet...

[steph2003]

The pediatric dentist I am taking DS to next week said they start seeing patients as early as 1 - how that works I have no idea. I'm taking him in because he has all his teeth except his 2nd year molars. He'll be 2 in February. And while we brush them morning & night I still want to make sure we are doing a good job. How the actual appt. will go I have no idea but I figure the pediatric dentist probably has some experience in this kind of thing ;)

[trumansmom]

DH's cousin is a dentist, so we are in a bit of a different situation. She usually recommends kids coming in at age 2. However, the first appointment she just counts and brushes their teeth. Basically, just makes it fun.

DD went at 18 months, because DS and I were due to go. Since everyone else had been in the chair, she wanted to, too!


Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/01 and Eleanor 4/04
Independent Consultant, Do-Re-Me & You!

[kozachka]

Our pediatrician recommended DS see a dentist between 18 and 24 months. DS had his first check-up and cleaning at a pediatric dentist around 22.5 months. He did not cooperate but it is still was worth it since he had some yellow staining on his upper front teeth despite our best efforts at brushing them nightly. The doctor recommended DS see him again in three months for another cleaning.

DS was upset at the time of the actual cleaning but kept asking to go back to the doctors office afterwords so I don't think it put him off dentists for life ;). It did not hurt that DS got a "new patient" sticker upon arrival and was allowed to pick up a small toy from a bin after he was done.

[nupe]

15 months
Pediatric dentist recommended by Ped.

My dentist didn't want to see him until later.

We had already put DS on the plan, so we took him.

It was a few minutes of DS's time, but a lot of our time. THe dentist spent 30 minutes educating us about proper oral care for DS.

Nupe

[jerseygirl07067]

We just went last week for the first time. Sammy is almost 2.

She hated every minute of it, but since she has all 20 primary teeth already, I knew we had to do it.

Marcy

[Ari]

We took our son when he was 3.5 it was fine.

[JBaxter]

When I was working as a hygienist we saw kiddos about 3 unless there was a problem.

[mum1day]

My DD has been going to the pediatric dentist since she was 12 months (rec by her ped) at which point she had all of her teeth! She goes every 6 months for a cleaning, and insurance covers everything.

[lilycat88]

We have an appointment next month and DD will be 18 months. My DH has a history of enamel defficiency in his family and he has a crossbite so we wanted to get her in sooner rather than later. The pediatric dentist we're going to said they like to start when the child has 6-8 teeth and we just hit that mark.

[chiqanita]

My dentist was great, he offered to take a look at my twins' teeth at about 9 months on. He told me to bring them in anytime...no appt necessary...free of charge. He loves little kids and new me well. But the happiness was short lived, he opened up a new office a couple of hours away and moved to get it going.

The pedi dentist I want to use now said to bring them in at 18 months. Twin A has about 6-8 teeth (4 of them have not completely surfaced yet. Twin B almost has a full set of teeth.

[newnana]

Enamel deficiency in my family, plus at 7 months, DD already has 5 teeth, so we'll be going soon. Lucky for us, when I was pregnant with her our dentist recommended bringing her by and letting her sit in the chair when she doesn't have an appointment and that we could do this often. Or that we could come by and she could watch as mom or dad got their teeth cleaned to show that it isn't scary. That way when it's time for an appointment it's not completely foreign to her and she doesn't feel the tension from everyone else in the room as to how she'll be.

That being said, because of the enamel problem I had growing up and the bazillion cavities regardless of brushing/flossing/rinsing I'm terrified of the dentist. So DH will have to be the one to do this and he hasn't yet. I do not want to teach her my silly fear.

[JElaineB]

We took DS for the first time at age 3, as recommended by our dentist.

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02