In spite of the fact that your child will begin to visit the dentist on a regular basis around the age of one, the first dental cleaning will most likely take place a little later, once the bulk of the baby teeth has emerged.
Because of this, the initial cleaning from your dentist will usually be conducted some time during the toddler years, between the ages of 1 and 3 years old. During this time, your dentist will be able to detect and remove plaque and tartar buildup before they have a chance to become a more serious issue.
Preparing Your Child for Their First Dental Cleaning
It's important to spend some time talking with your child about what will take place before the first cleaning visit happens. Talk to children about the significance of keeping their teeth healthy, and describe what the dentist will do in language that is suitable for their age and stage of development.
You might want to try and keep it basic. Providing too many details may cause your youngster to get concerned. Most of the time, we recommend that parents say something along the lines of this:
"The dentist is going to look at your teeth, count them, and make sure they are healthy and strong. The dentist’s name is Dr. Doctor. They are really nice!"
If your child is worries about going to the dentist already, try to avoid using any unpleasant words or phrases around them. Even if you use more gentle language to describe your the discomfort of a dental treatment such as terms like "not too bad" or "only a little," other words like pinch and needle are likely to stick in your kid's mind and cause some fear or nervousness.
If dentist appointments are a source of worry for you, try not to express your feelings to your kid during the session. When it comes to responding to new experiences, they look to you for direction. If you appear to be concerned, they will be as well.
During the Appointment
We encourage you to speak with our dental team ahead of time and tell us a bit about your child. Do they act afraid or rebellious when confronted with new situation? Do they have attachments or developmental concerns that we should be aware of during the appointment?
The more information you are able to provide us, the better we will be able to cater to your child's individual requirements to help make sure that they get the care that they need.
At the beginning of the session, we will inspect your child's teeth, jaws, gums, and bite to ensure that they are in good health.
In addition, we will use specialized devices to remove plaque and tartar from the teeth, exactly like we do with adult patients.
We will present recommendations for correct brushing and flossing techniques. Whether your child washes and flosses his own teeth or you still do it for them, it never hurts to get a refresher course on the subject.
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have concerning your child's oral health or any impending dental treatments during the visit.
Following the completion of the exam and cleaning, we will schedule any required follow-up visits. Also, if you like, we may schedule the next cleaning and checkup session sooner if necessary.