How Early is Too Early for Pediatric Dentist Appointments?

During their first months, your baby hits so many amazing milestones. Among them is watching your infant grow their first baby teeth.

Your baby’s teeth, and initial pediatric dentistry appointments, come surprisingly quickly. Board-certified dentist Bella Pinkatz, DDS, located at Kew Gardens Dental P.C., in Queens, New York City, shares when your child should start visiting the dentist and what to expect at their early appointments.

When do baby teeth emerge?

The average age for babies to get their first tooth is 6 months. Some infants start to get teeth a few months earlier, while others don’t get any teeth until they turn one year old.

Once you see their first tooth sprout, you can expect more to follow relatively quickly. You can expect your child to have a full set of baby teeth by 3 years old.

When to schedule the first pediatric dentistry appointment

Once your infant gets their first baby tooth, get in touch to schedule your child’s first dental visit. Your child should have their first appointment as soon as possible after getting their first tooth.

You should also schedule that important first visit if your child has turned one and doesn’t have any teeth yet. Our team can still check on the health of your child’s oral development and gums and start to get them used to dental visits.

If your baby doesn’t have their first tooth but is showing signs of a possible dental problem or emergency, you should also bring them in for a visit. This could include a mouth injury or signs of gum decay, such as bleeding gums.

What early pediatric dental visits look like

Early pediatric dentistry visits are gentle experiences that check that your baby or toddler’s oral health is on track, while your child acclimates to the experience of visiting the dentist. Certain parts of pediatric dental visits, like dental X-rays, don’t happen until your child is older.

You stay with your child throughout the visit. What you can expect at a baby or toddler dental visit includes:

Oral exam

Our team examines your baby’s emerging teeth, gums, and mouth to see if they’re developing as expected. We assess these areas for any potential abnormalities.

We also check any existing teeth and your infant’s gums for any signs of tooth decay and gum disease.

Teeth cleaning

Our team gently cleans any teeth that have emerged and your baby’s gums. The cleaning is quick when your child just starts to get teeth and becomes more extensive as more baby teeth emerge.

Question and answer time

Our team always makes time to answer any questions or concerns you have about your child’s oral health and development. We recommend writing down your questions to ensure they all get addressed at the appointment.

Oral health education

These early visits are also the perfect time to learn how to start your child’s oral health on the best foot at a young age. We’re here to help you with your teeth, gums, and oral health, including:

• How to brush and floss 
• Fluoride needs
• Pacifier and thumb sucking
• Teething
• Nutrition

When your baby starts pediatric dentistry appointments at a young age, you’re more likely to prevent problems from progressing and get any issues solved quickly. 

To schedule your young child’s first visit, contact our office.