The first dental visit

Hey everyone!!!! welcome to my blog.

During the the first year of life, your baby is developing at an amazing pace, hitting new milestones everyday, teething being one of them. Your little one’s first tooth usually appears around 6 months but there are individual variations. How late is too late for that first little tooth to pop out of the gums? If the baby still has no teeth after the first birthday, it may be time to see a pediatric dentist.

Lower front teeth are the first teeth to come in. Try to schedule a visit with your dentist as soon as the first tooth erupts or by his/her first birthday.

Why the first dental visit is important?

Tooth decay is the #1 chronic childhood illness; so scheduling the first dental visit is imperative for preventing caries

Since baby teeth are.. well baby teeth, you might not feel it all that important to take proper care of them but did you know that the health of these teeth is vital for healthy permanent teeth and also the overall wellbeing?

What does the first dental visit entail?

The first visit to your child’s dentist is kept short, its more about introducing your child to the dentist and making his/her future visits stress-free. The dentist will discuss all about maintaining good oral hygiene in your child. Once the child and the parents are ready and comfortable, the dentist will do an oral examination.

How often should you be brushing your baby’s teeth? Twice a day, with a rice grain sized amount of toothpaste on the brush, until he/she reaches the age of 3, when you can use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.

Follow these steps to keep your child’s teeth healthy:

1. Fluoride: it is a mineral that helps prevent tooth decay. fluoride is often added to water, so once you start your baby on solids, you can introduce some water in a sippy cup.
2. No baby bottle in bed: do not allow your child to fall asleep holding a bottle containing milk or any sugary liquids.
3. Do not allow frequent intermittent snacking.
4. Encourage your child to finish every meal in less than 30 minutes to avoid food pouching; prolonged contact of food with teeth causes more harm to the teeth.
5. And finally, cultivate the habit of regular tooth brushing in your child.

Signing off!! your peppy pedodontist ………… until next time.