Toddler Visits
Dental Health and Your Toddler
START INSTILLING HEALTHY DENTAL HABITS EARLY.
Bringing your child to the dentist early in their childhood (ideally by age 1) helps to create a positive relationship with dental visits. It’s a chance for them to warm up to the idea of the dental office and to get to know our friendly team. As pediatric dental specialists, we take the time to make appointments a lot of fun for toddlers. Our office is bright and colorful, and we have plenty of toys to help show them how to care for their teeth and gums. With each appointment, your toddler will become more comfortable and familiar with receiving dental care. This helps to create positive long-term oral health habits so they can maintain a healthy smile.
Your Toddler’s First Dental Visit
WHAT TO EXPECT
Your toddler’s first dental visit will be held in one of our colorful rooms along with you, their parent or guardian. First, we will ask you some questions about your child’s diet and their eating and drinking habits. Your child can sit on your lap while we conduct a gentle knee-to-knee evaluation. This will include cleaning their teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste. This approach continues until around the age of 3 or until your child feels comfortable transitioning to the big-kid chair. As your child grows older and becomes more confident with dental visits, we will gradually introduce dental instruments and polishing paste.
Children Age 2 and Over
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START.
If your child is over the age of 2 and hasn’t seen a dentist yet, don’t worry. It’s never too late to start bringing them in for regular dental visits. We will still do knee-to-knee dental evaluations until they feel ready to sit in the big chair on their own.
Our pediatric dentistry team believes in taking baby steps, letting your child adjust to dental visits at their own pace. This is important because to create long-lasting healthy dental habits, your child must feel comfortable. We want your child to trust our friendly team as we want the very best for them and their health and well-being.
From around age 3, the Pediatric Dental Specialists team in Hastings may start taking X-rays. These digital images will help us to monitor your child’s dental development and detect any potential issues early.
Tips for Preparing Your Child
MAKING DENTAL VISITS FUN IS THE KEY!
The key to preparing your child for a dental visit is to make it a fun and engaging experience. Here are some tips to help you and your child get ready for that all-important first appointment:
Try role-playing.
Role-play their dental visit at home. Let your child play the role of the dentist while you play the patient. Then swap roles. When role-playing as the dentist, tell your child why it’s important to brush your teeth after eating and how great it feels to have a clean and healthy smile.
Read your child books about dental visits and toothbrushing.
There are so many books out there showing famous characters visiting the dentist or brushing their teeth. Include some of these books in your weekly reading routine so your little one can see their favorite characters enjoying looking after their teeth and gums.
Watch cartoons or videos about dental visits and toothbrushing.
If your child has a favorite TV show or character, try to find a dental-visit episode or video content of them brushing their teeth. If your child sees them doing it, they may also become excited to do it themselves.
Shop for toothbrushes together.
Get your little one involved in the shopping. Kids love getting to choose their own toothbrushes! It can also be helpful to buy a few different toothbrushes in their favorite colors or featuring their favorite characters. When children feel involved and empowered to make some small choices themselves, like what toothbrush to use, it can help get them excited about forming healthy habits.
Demonstrate healthy habits yourself.
Kids become what they see. If you and your other family members are enthusiastic about visiting the dentist and brushing your teeth, they will likely see those as positive things to do too.
There are options for that unexpected dental procedure.
We want to make it easy for you to get your child the dental care they need, with or without insurance.
We work with your insurance to maximize your benefits.
No insurance? We also accept other forms of payment, such as credit cards, cash, and check. We also accept CareCredit, which offers flexible monthly payments, with zero interest for six or 12 months on larger charges.
Are you looking for a pediatric dental specialist to take care of your toddler’s dental needs?
Our Hastings team of pediatric dental specialists has decades of experience working with babies and toddlers. Our warm and gentle approach will help your child quickly become comfortable with dental visits and create positive memories that last a lifetime.
Contact the team at Pediatric Dental Specialists–Hastings today to make an appointment for your child.