Exams
Help your child have a reason to smile.
When should my child have their first dental visit?
The first few trips your child makes to the dentist will shape how they feel about dental visits well into adulthood. That’s why positive first experiences are so very important; it can help them develop good oral health habits for a lifetime. As soon as your child’s first baby tooth erupts, we encourage you to bring him or her into the office for the first dental visit.
Your child’s first visit to Aliso Smiles
It is important that you begin dental visits for your child early; we generally recommend that you bring your child to see us by his or her first birthday and no later than age 2. During these early visits, we can look for problems such as baby bottle syndrome, teething, or thumb sucking.
The first visits will essentially consist of your child getting to know us and becoming comfortable in our office. We will make sure to approach the visit in a cheery and upbeat manner, keeping your child calm while we carefully examine the teeth and gums. We may perform a gentle cleaning and show your child how to care for his or her teeth at home.
You can come into the treatment room with your child, and even have him or her sit on your lap as we perform our examination.
Preparing for your child’s dental visit
Parents are a key component to successful dental visits. Prior to the visit, call us and let us walk you through what occurs in our pediatric dental check-ups. During this conversation, we will also ask for any important information regarding your child’s medical or oral health history. This conversation will help us plan ahead to meet your child’s needs. Then:
- Be positive about the visit! Children can notice your anxiety, so focus on making the visit to our office sound fun – which it will be!
- Try to have the appointment in the morning, when children are at their best.
- Don’t speak to your child about specific treatments or dental instruments.
- Arrive early if possible; this keeps your stress level to a minimum, helping your child remain calm as well.
- Avoid words like “drill,” “injection,” or “shot,” prior to the visit. These dental tools are rarely ever used during the earliest childhood visits, and they’ll only instill anxiety in your child.
Words that you can use instead:- Say “sleepy juice” instead of “injection” or “shot.”
- Say “whistle” instead of “drill.”
- Say “magic air” instead of “gas.”
- Say “sparkly” instead of “numb.”
- Say “wiggle” instead of “yank” or “pull.”
By speaking to your child about their first visits in very upbeat terms, you can greatly reduce fears. Before the visit, simply say, “We’re visiting the dentist today!” If you were taking your child to the park, you’d simply say, “We’re going to the park!” Just make it sound like any other thing you’ll do that day.
Periodic dental checkups are important for children, too!
Why are checkups suggested at six-month intervals?
Because of how quickly children grow and change, a lot can happen between one six-month exam and another. During that time, all kinds of changes are happening: baby teeth are coming out and permanent teeth are growing in, bones are growing longer, and your child’s bite is forming. Bringing your child into Aliso Smiles every six months allows Dr. Patel to track his or her progress and to detect any problems at a stage where they can be easily corrected.
At what age should my child have his or her first dental exam?
We believe children should have their first exam soon after the eruption of their first tooth (which typically happens by the age of eight months, or sometimes as late as one year). That way, parents can begin learning how to protect their child’s teeth from decay. At your child’s six-month visits, Dr. Patel will talk to you about cleaning new teeth, and about using fluoride supplements to make them stronger. He’ll also discuss the importance of putting your child to bed with water only, without milk or juice.
I would prefer to avoid x-rays on my child, is this step necessary?
X-rays are extremely important to a thorough dental examination. This diagnostic tool allows us to see vital oral structures, and to detect the presence of disease, which we would not be able to see with the naked eye. Parents concerned about radiation can feel better knowing this: we only take x-rays twice a year, and the exposure to radiation is comparable to spending 30 minutes in the sun.
My child is not a sugar eater. How is it possible that we are having a problem with cavities?
Cavities don’t just come from eating candy. Hidden sugars in foods like potatoes or bread can also affect teeth, while sugars found in raisins or fruit rollups can cling to teeth longer than sugar from soft drinks. What’s more, drinks consumed from a bottle—like milk—can lead to decay if your child falls asleep with a bottle in his or her mouth.
When oral bacteria feed on sugar of any kind, the result of cavities is a real possibility. The risk of cavities can be significantly decreased by carefully brushing baby teeth with an infant toothbrush. If your child has yet to develop visible teeth, a moist cloth can be used to wipe the gums clean after each meal.
One of my children has several cavities, while the others have none. How can this be?
The reason one child has more cavities than the other could be related to the spacing of their teeth. When teeth are more difficult to clean, it is possible for food to be trapped between teeth. It’s also likely that one child is consuming more sugar than the other. Alternatively, a little investigating may reveal that dental hygiene is the reason. Are all of your children brushing and flossing as much as they should?
My child is terrified to visit any type of doctor. What happens if a filling is needed?
Most children, when given details in language can understand, and
respond well to the dentist. What’s more, children can often read when their parents are concerned or fearful. That’s why it may help to wait outside the exam room while we work with your child. By giving your dentist and your child room to develop a bond, you may be surprised at how well he or she behaves during treatment.
I want my child to have positive dental experiences, without the use of restraint, firm voices, or sedation. Is it possible to do this?
Yes, though your child’s age has to be considered. Children who are only two or three but need extensive work will have trouble tolerating several long visits without the help of sedation. For older children, however, or children who require a milder treatment, that may not be the case. Letting your dentist talk with your child before treatment will help us decide how we can best meet his or her needs.
Dr. Patel and the staff at Aliso Smiles offer gentle, compassionate care for patients of all ages. Contact us for your family’s check-up today.