Practical advice for parents
When should I take my child to the dentist for the first time?
The first appointment with the dentist should take place around the end of the child’s first year. A good indicator is the number of erupted deciduous teeth – take your child for an examination with 6-8 erupted teeth. Do not wait for the formation of the entire dentition. This examination will assess how the teeth erupt and develop; what eating habits are developed in the child – healthy or, opposite- supporting the development of tooth decay and how to maintain good oral hygiene.
The first visit should be planned, not in emergency, when you find a large black hole on the tooth or the child complaints from severe pain when eating solid foods or taking cold and hot drinks. In children, even small visible spots and holes on the teeth can be a symptom of already advanced decay.
How to psychologically prepare my child for an examination at the dentist office?
The parent-child conversation on the topic of healthy and beautiful teeth should be extremely careful, especially with children aged 2-3 years. In the presence of your child, be careful not to share unpleasant personal memories and experiences from the past or present. The children hear everything! They have a strong emotional memory and experience every other person’s pain as their own. Instead, try to pique his curiosity. Tell him about the place where the dentist works, show him pictures. Explain what will happen during the examination. Look at his teeth and then let him examine yours.
What will happen during the first examination and what advice as a parent will I receive in the dental office?
During the first examination, the dentist will talk to you about the diet and nutrition of your child, the control and inspection of the way you brush your child’s teeth, what toothpastes and brushes to use, also the dentist can perform the first manipulation. To get the child used to the dental chair and the specific tools that are used it will be an easy and fast one (most often professional oral hygiene).
What should I do if I am late with the first examination and tooth decay must be treated?
Take your child for an examination as soon as you find something disturbing on the surface of the tooth, even if it looks like a small spot. Let the dentist explain how he will treat the affected tooth. Do not tell the child, “You will not feel anything,” “It won’t hurt.” Prepare him that the dentist is there to help heal the tooth. When the word “pain” is mentioned, children subconsciously turn their attention to it and expect to experience it. A sense of fear awakens in them. In addition, during the manipulation the child will get acquainted with various new sensations – vibration, touch, pressure, may experience discomfort and then he will understand that you lied to him. Trust the doctor and he will explain everything in a language understood by the child. Only then your child will continue to go willingly to the prophylactic examinations that are ahead of him.