Preparing for your child’s 1st dentist visit

(THE RHODE SHOW) – October is dental hygiene awareness month and for some children heading to the dentist for the first time can be exciting or even a little scary- but there are ways you can prepare.

“A lot of times what I will do is have parents bring their child to one of their visits to basically introduce them to the office….introduce them to what’s going on around here so that the next time they come for their first visit it’s not totally strange to them,” says Dr. Frank D’Amato D.M.D.

Some kids have a mouthful of teeth at 1 year-old, while others might just have one or two. So, when should you schedule your child’s first dental visit?

Dr. D’Amato says, “Usually at that 3 year range we recommend that the child comes in for their first visit…all their baby teeth are in place.”

D’Amato says they try to make it a fun experience. What can you expect at their first check up?

“We count their teeth. We try to make it an enjoyable experience and get mom and dad involved in it so we can keep it one big happy experience,” says D’Amato.

Starting at a young age to teach kids about good oral hygiene is always best and of course being diligent scheduling cleanings twice a year.