When Should Your Little One See a Pediatric Dentist?
A baby’s first year is an exciting and exhilarating time for families. Amidst the developmental milestones, you also frequent the pediatrician multiple times in your little one’s first year of life. With all these visits, you start to form a relationship with the pediatrician that is key for your baby’s wellbeing. We all know to start seeing the pediatrician from birth to develop a healthy start however, when should a child first start seeing a pediatric dentist?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry launched the “Get it Done in Year One” campaign urging parents to complete the visit to the pediatric dentist by age 1. Parents always seem perplexed by this since the baby only has a handful of teeth at that age, so why this recommendation?
A visit by age 1 ensures that you’re getting ahead before most problems occur. The pediatric dentist will make certain that you are aware of the best preventive measures and daily care for your child’s teeth. By learning to properly care for the baby teeth, you can prevent cavities and further dental issues that may require treatment down the line.
Early visits ensure that you find a dental home for your family. Little children are prone to trauma, in fact, 1 in 4 children suffer dental trauma, with the vast amount of trauma occurring from ages 1-2. By having a visit before age 1, you have established records in a practice and know where to contact in the event of dental trauma. Most pediatric practices have after-hours hotlines established for this reason.
Get to know your dentist! By starting semi-annual dental visits by age 1, your child will have 6 visits completed by the time they enter Pre-K! By getting used to the dental environment, your child won’t fear the dental office since they will have multiple exposures to it prior.
Save $$$. A study published in Pediatrics noted that children who had their first visit by age 1 had 40% lower dental costs in the first 5 years of life, compared to children who had their first visits by age 2-3, largely because the parents were aware of the best preventive plans against cavities, dental disease, and infection.
Dentists look at more than just teeth! Pediatric dentists are trained to help you with habit reduction including pacifiers and bottles, detect tongue & lip ties, and assess for proper growth and development of the mouth and jaw.
Visit the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry website to find a pediatric dentist by you!
References
Kovacs M, Pacurar M, Petcu B, Bukhari C. Prevalence of traumatic dental injuries in children who attended two dental clinics in Targu Mures between 2003 and 2011. Oral Health Dent Manag. 2012 Sep;11(3):116-24. PMID: 22976571.
A. (n.d.). Get it Done By Year 1. Retrieved December 19, 2020, from http://www.mychildrensteeth.org/assets/2/7/GetItDoneInYearOne.pdf