When & How Often Should Your Child Have Dental Checkups?

Many parents fail to take their children early enough. Others, on the other hand, know how important it is for children to have early checkups and visits. Find out when and how often should you take your kid to the dental office.


Dental checkups for children keep baffling parents in terms of when and how often should they take their kids to the dental office.

The opinions among the parents seem to be divided. Many parents fail to take their children early enough. Others, on the other hand, know how important it is for children to have early checkups and visits.

Find out when and how often should you take your kid to the dental office.

When should your child start going to dental checkups?

According to research, 48% of the parents believe that their children should visit the dentist between the ages of 2 and 3, and only about 17% said 4 years of age.

Surprisingly, 35% of the parents who participated in the research gave the correct answer, which is that children should have their first dental checkup by the age of 1.

You should take your child to the dentist's office by the time their first tooth erupts. This is usually somewhere between six months and 1 year, which varies from child to child.

Don’t think that just because your child only has one or a few teeth that they don’t need to have their teeth checked. The first couple of visits, while your child is still very small, can help them bond with their dentist and the dental office in general.   

Finding a great dentist for kids is crucial, as the said dentist will be responsible for the first impression and any further relationship that your child will have with them. The first and second dental checkups will be short and introductory. The dentist will check your child’s mouth to see if everything is going along nicely.  

This is the perfect time to ask the dentist how to properly take care of your kids dental and oral hygiene.

How often should your child visit the dentist?

After that first initial visit, the dentist will recommend that you start bringing your child every six months.

These visits will allow the dentist to monitor the further development and emergence of all the primary teeth. If there is a need the dentist will schedule additional visits.

Somewhere around the age of three, the dentist will perform a complete and full dental examination. It’s important to know that all these checkups are a preventative measure. There are things that you as a parent can’t check or see, like tooth decay. That’s merely one of the reasons why you should take your child to the dentist regularly.

As your kid gets older, his teeth might need to be checked out by the orthodontist. The orthodontist will then tell you if there is a need for corrective devices such as braces.  

The purpose of dental checkups

As already mentioned, visiting your dentist regularly serves as a preventative measure and it’s a good way for your dentist to follow the development of your child's teeth, gums, and overall dental and oral hygiene.

It’s also a good way to get your kids used to visits of these kinds and to show them that there is nothing to be afraid of.

Moreover, parents tend to believe that cavities are the only problem their kids can have this early on. However, they aren’t aware of how difficult it is to treat not only cavities but any other dental disease in children. This is because the cooperation of kids who have never been to or are afraid of the dentist is difficult to achieve.

Similarly, children who are not used to visiting a dentist regularly may have serious problems getting used to these checkups in the future.

These dental checkups can be convenient for you, as a parent, too. The dentist can teach you how to properly take care of your child’s dental hygiene. This is convenient, as you’ll be taking care of their oral hygiene at least until they are 6 years of age. You should set an example for your child to follow.

 

To sum up, you should take your child for the first dental visit once the first tooth emerges or by the age of 1. After that, visiting a dentist should be done every six months. If there is a need, the dentist will schedule an additional or more frequent checkup.

Do yourself and your children a favor and take them to the dentist's office early enough. Don’t be fooled by thinking that there is no need for a dentist just because they only have one tooth or a couple. Taking preventative measures and following the development of your children’s teeth is something that only a dentist can do.

Dentists can also tell you all you need to know about dental hygiene and how to properly perform it. All you need to do is regularly take your child to the dental checkups.

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