According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), it is recommendable that children visit a skilled dentist once they touch the age of one. Ideally, the right time for a parent to seek the help of a dentist for their child’s oral health is when the first tooth grows up, but not at a later time than their first birthday.
Sure, the teeth of babies are weak and they do not actually hang around for a long time, and fall off to clear the path for adult teeth (at a time when your child is six or seven), but it is still important to keep those tiny teeth in the gums, which are essential for the growing teeth.
Are you aware of the fact that the teeth of children begin forming way before birth? The first baby or primary teeth erupt as early as about four months. Keeping this in mind, you must be wondering when it’s the best time to consider a Tulsa dental clinic. Once you see visible teeth, consult a pediatric dentist for your child’s oral health. How to make sure their teeth remain perfectly white? The trick here is to brush the teeth of your little ones at least twice in a day, then book an appointment.
You can also ask your friends and family to help you choose a good dentist in your area. As a parent, you know how sensitive your child can be, and when you choose the right pediatric dentist, it should leave a lasting impression.
Prepare Your Child
Before the appointment, you have to make sure your little one is not hungry and well rested. It is best to consider noting some questions you wish to ask the dentist. Of course, you should also check with your dental insurance provider about coverage and co-pays before the first dental visit. At the time of service, some providers end up asking for some proof of medical or dental insurance. Furthermore, bring the complete list of your child’s current medications and fill out any form necessary before the consultation.
It’s not necessary to prepare your little one in advance, but to be safe; you can discuss this with your little tot. If your child has some anxiety, the best option to calm them down is to read stories to them or let them watch some shows that visualize visits of children to dentists.
The First Visit Expectations
When you visit the pediatric specialist for the first consultation, this will be an informal and short visit. It’s more like a “meet and greets” session for your child with the dentist. All depending on how comfortable your little one actually is, you may have to hold him or her while the dentist examines their mouth and teeth. At other times, you may have to wait in the waiting room and let your little one ease up a bit and get to spend some time with the staff and dentist to open up.
For the oral health of your child, the Tulsa Child Dentist will inspect your little tot’s teeth to check for any possible decay and look at your child’s bite, jaw, and gums. In the initial consultation, your dentist may clean your child’s teeth and apply some fluoride especially if there’s a high risk of cavities or stains they have, or they will save it for the next visit.
In this meeting, the chances are higher that your dentist will ask you about the oral habits of your child, and give you the chance to discuss everything about the teething of your toddler, his or her thumb sucking habits, and anything related to your little one’s oral health. You would also want to ask them any question and get the best answers.
Just know that you will have to schedule regular dental visits for your child. Several dentists often like to see children after every six months, which helps to establish a level of confidence and comfort in their visits, as well as helps dentists to monitor the teeth and treat any developing problems.
A Regular Dentist vs. a Pediatric Dentist
Although the job of a regular dentist is pretty much the same as a pediatric dentist, the only difference is that pediatric, dentists go through an additional two years of training beyond dental school. This time helps them to focus on management and proper treatment of the developing teeth of little children, physical growth, and developing teeth.
A pediatric dentist in a Tulsa dental clinic is capable of addressing every oral health care need of your little one and ensures to create the best environment for them to ease up and get the best oral health care. Even though both of dentists can take care of the children’s oral health if you are searching for one who can attend to your child, ask your physician or dentist to recommend the best pediatric dentist.
