Your child’s first dental visit

You should schedule your child’s first dental visit around their first birthday. One of the most important reasons for this visit is to familiarize your child with the dental office environment and to ease any anxiety associated with future visits. On this first visit, a gentle but thorough examination will be performed to monitor growth and development and address any problem areas while providing preventive care when needed. OC Kids Dental is dedicated to providing a positive first experience for children in Aliso Viejo, CA.

What To Expect At Your Child’s First Dental Visit

Getting an early examination provides your child with preventive dental care while establishing healthy dental habits at an early age. Ensure that your child’s future smile is a healthy, confident one. While you definitely should have your child into their first appointment by one year of age, the eruption of their first tooth signals time for a first visit. The earlier you get started, the sooner you’ll have all the necessary information to ensure your child’s teeth remain healthy.

Your first visit is an opportunity for Dr. Cima Mazar-Atabaki to provide tips and guidelines for pediatric dental hygiene. Some common points of discussion will include:

• Baby bottle tooth decay
• Infant feeding practices
• Mouth cleaning
• Teething
• Pacifier habits
• Finger-sucking habits

These early visits also help ensure that your child has an opportunity to develop a positive relationship with dental care. As your child ages, you can begin to explain to them what to expect during the visit. Staying positive and showing excitement will help them be excited as well. It’s also important to acknowledge your child’s concerns and help set them at ease regarding their visit.

During Their First Visit

Your child’s first visit to our office will likely be brief, lasting only 30 minutes or so. Depending on your child’s age, Dr. Mazar-Atabaki will do a full examination. This will include a visual inspection of their gums, bite, teeth, jaws, and other oral tissues to ensure they’re developing properly. It may be necessary for them to undergo a gentle tooth cleaning as well, as well as fluoride treatment. We often won’t perform imaging for younger children, as the baby teeth will eventually fall out. However, it may be necessary to do an X-Ray if decay or other developmental concerns are identified.

Between visits, it’s important to maintain good oral hygiene. You can achieve this by helping your child do the following:

• Brush their teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush sized appropriately for them. Only use a portion of toothpaste equivalent to a grain of rice for those under three. This can be increased to a pea-sized dab once the child can consistently spit out the remaining foam.
• Only give your baby a bottle of water at bedtime or nothing at all. Sweetened liquids, even milk, can lead to tooth decay.
• Don’t allow your child to cling to their bottle. They should be finished with their meal within 5-6 minutes.

If you live in or around Aliso Viejo, contact Dr. Cima Mazar-Atabaki’s pediatric dental office with any questions or to schedule a dental visit today.

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