When should my child have his or her first dental visit, and what can I expect?

The single most important thing you can do as a parent to prepare your child for this first visit is to have a positive attitude. Children are remarkably adept at picking up attitudes from those around them and will tune in if you are nervous. If you make negative comments about dentists or dental visits in the child’s hearing, your child will anticipate a negative experience.

To help prepare your child for the visit, show your child a picture of the office and the dentist on the office’s website. Tell your child how important it is to have healthy teeth and that the dentist will help you in this goal. Consider a library visit to check out some children’s books on teeth, dentists and good dental care. If you wish, you can call us for suggestions. Remember that our pediatric dentist is specially trained in relieving the fears and anxieties of patients and that our staff is equally experienced at putting children at ease.