Importance of the First Dental Visit
When a child gets to around 3 years old, they’re ready to visit the dentist for the first time. This first visit is an important one for many reasons—and the most important is simply that it is the first visit. It’s the first time your child will ever encounter a dentist and a dentist’s office. It’s very important that this first dental visit is a positive experience for your child.
Establishing a Relationship with The Dentist
The first dental visit isn’t so much about oral health, so much as it is about establishing relationships. You’ll have a chance to meet with our Sterling Heights dentists, discuss your child’s oral health, and get tips on how to help your child take care of their teeth at home.
More importantly, your child is meeting the dentist for the first time, and it’s vital that this meeting is a positive one. The more positive this initial meeting is, the less likely your child is to feel anxious when they need dental treatment. Providing their experiences continue to be positive ones, they’re much less likely to suffer from dental anxiety either as a child or as an adult. Sometimes dental visits do involve discomfort or even temporary pain. But as long as your child feels safe and secure when they visit the dentist, they will understand that they have nothing to fear.
Preventative Care and Early Detection of Dental Problems
Most children aren’t subject to severe dental problems. It’s fairly rare that kids have such severe tooth decay that they need treatment for it. It’s also rare for kids to have severe tooth alignment problems that need to be treated at a young age. For young children, therefore, most of the focus is on procedures that are minimally-invasive, are performed quickly with minimal discomfort, and which provide a preventative or protective benefit.
One example of such a treatment is the use of tooth sealants. These are protective coatings that are applied to some teeth—particularly the back molars—to prevent plaque exposure and cavities. These kinds of treatments are important because they preserve the baby teeth, ensuring that they are replaced by the adult teeth according to the child’s own natural schedule.
While it’s rare for kids to have serious dental problems, it’s not completely impossible. Because of this, early childhood dental care serves another important service, as it means the child’s dentist will quickly detect any problems that do arise.
Developing Good Oral Hygiene Habits
Finally, dental visits help kids develop good oral care habits. And if your child develops a good oral care routine now, they’ll be much more likely to grow up into an adult who takes care of their teeth and gums, visits the dentist regularly, and has great oral health!
Call Dr. Van Eaton Today!
If you are looking for a gentle dentist that provides outstanding dental care for children, contact Family Dentistry in Sterling Heights. Dr. Jim Van Eaton and his team of friendly dental professionals keep families smiling with health and beautiful dentition.