Children should see the dentist as early as age 1or 2 and then once each year.Starting early will help children to have strong teeth, good breathe, healthy gums and a happy smile

A Visit to the Dentist is an Important Step in Getting Ready for School

MAKE IT FUN

Why Start Dentist Visits So Early?

·        Parents might not recognize early problems

·        Children start to get cavities as soon as they get their first baby teeth

·        Cavities in baby or milk teeth cause pain and can interfere with eating and talking

What Will the Dentist Do?

·        Show and Tell with your child to explain what is happening

·        A gentle examination of the teeth, jaw, bite, gums to look for any problems

·        A gentle cleaning which includes polishing teeth and removing any plaque, tartar build-up and stains

What Parents Can Do to Get Ready for the Dental Visit and Make it FUN

·        Schedule the appointment for early in the day when your child is not tired and hungry

·        Play “dentist”. Count your child’s teeth while you shine a flashlight in their mouth

·        Let your child count your teeth

·        Read your child a book about going to the dentist

·        Don’t try to tell your child exactly what will happen – the dentist has special words that will make the visit fun for your child

·        Do not say negative words to your child – words like “pain” “jab” “pull” or “drill”

·        Do not let anyone tell your child scary stories about the dentist

·        Do not make the dental visit a punishment and don’t make the dentist the “bad guy” or the “villain”

What Parents Can Do at Home to Protect Their Child’s teeth

·        Let your child watch you brush and floss your teeth

·        Floss your child’s teeth as soon as 2 teeth touch

·        Brush and floss your child’s teeth twice a day

·        Use a child size toothbrush

·        By age 7 children can brush alone – before that they will need help to do it right

·        Let your child brush their teeth and then you brush their teeth – this helps them learn to brush correctly and makes sure their teeth are clean each day.