When Should I Take My Child to the Dentist for Their First Check-Up?

As you’re gearing up for your little one to hit a number of big milestones, one you should keep track of is their first visit to the dentist. When good oral health habits are put in place from an early age, it sets your kid up for success and happy smiles for many years to come. In this blog post, we cover when you should bring your child in and why it’s so important.

The Rule of Firsts

There’s an easy trick to remember when you should take your child to the dentist for the first time. In fact, you can think of it as the rule of firsts. You should bring them into a dental office when they get their first tooth or by the time they celebrate their first birthday, whichever happens first!

Regular Preventive Care

After that initial visit, you can continue to bring your child to the dentist every six months. This is easy to remember because it’s how often you should be visiting the dentist for your own regular check-ups. In some situations, we may recommend more frequent visits if there’s a condition that needs additional attention.

Why It’s Important

Some people may wonder why it’s even necessary for a child to receive professional dental care when they only have one tooth and it’s a baby tooth that’s going to fall out eventually. Baby teeth, or primary teeth, actually play a very important role in a child’s oral health. They serve as guides for where adult teeth should come in, and if they’re lost early due to poor dental hygiene, it could lead to orthodontic issues in the future.

Family Friendly Dentistry in Oakboro, NC

Do you have any other questions related to your child’s dental care? The Oakboro Family Dentistry team would be happy to get you some answers! Our family-friendly practice in Oakboro is always here to help when it comes to ensuring you and your family have beautiful, healthy smiles with our various dental services.

Categorised in: Family Dental Care, Preventive Dentistry