Your child's first dental visit, made easy

Pediatric dental guidelines generally point to the first birthday, or within about six months after the first tooth shows up, whichever comes first. Since many babies get that first tooth somewhere in the second half of their first year, the first visit often lands between about 6 and 12 months.

If your child is already two, four or seven and hasn't been yet, that's fine. Book now rather than waiting for a problem. A first visit that happens before anything hurts is always the easier one.

Because baby teeth can get cavities as soon as they break through the gums, and early decay can move fast in thin baby enamel. Some of the most common causes surprise parents:

• Falling asleep with a bottle or sippy cup of milk, formula or juice, which bathes the teeth in sugar all night
• Juice or sweet drinks sipped through the day
• Grazing on crackers, puffs and dry cereal between meals
• Sharing spoons, which can pass cavity-causing germs from adult to child

Baby teeth also hold space for the adult teeth underneath, help with chewing and clear speech, and set up habits your child will keep for years. An early visit is mostly coaching for you, before there's anything to fix.

What helps depends on your child's age.

• Babies: nothing to rehearse. Book around naps and feedings, since a rested, fed baby handles new places better. Bring a favorite blanket or toy
• Toddlers, about 1 to 3: play dentist at home. Count their teeth with a toothbrush, then let them count yours or a stuffed animal's. A picture book about a dental visit helps
• Preschoolers, about 3 to 5: mention it a day or two ahead, not a week, so there's less time to worry. Keep it simple: the dentist will count your teeth and see how strong they are
• School-age kids: they can handle more detail. Let them ask questions, and if they're curious, let them watch a calm checkup of yours

Words matter. Skip "shot," "hurt," "drill" and "pull," and don't say "don't be scared," which plants the idea. Avoid promising it won't hurt, too. Let us use our own kid-friendly words for tools and steps. It also helps not to use the dentist as a threat, as in "brush or the dentist will be mad."

For babies and toddlers, many dentists use a knee-to-knee exam. You sit facing the dentist with your knees touching, your child lies back with their head in the dentist's lap, and they can see your face the whole time. Crying is common here, and it actually helps us see inside.

The visit itself is short. Here's what usually happens:

• We count the teeth that are in and feel for ones on the way
• We check gums, tongue and cheeks, and how the jaws and bite are developing
• We look for early chalky white spots, the first sign of weak enamel
• A gentle cleaning with a small brush, when your child is ready for it
• A quick coat of fluoride varnish that sets in seconds
• X-rays only when there's a reason, which for most babies and toddlers means none

Plenty, and there are no wrong answers. We're not grading you. We just need the full picture to give advice that fits your family. Expect questions about:

• How your child eats and sleeps: breast, bottle or cup, and what's in it at night
• Snacks and drinks during the day, including juice
• Thumb, finger or pacifier habits
• Your water: tap, filtered or bottled, since it affects how much fluoride your child gets
• Who brushes, how often, and with what toothpaste
• Cavities in the family, and any health conditions or medicines

It helps to jot down your own questions on your phone beforehand. With a squirmy toddler on your lap, it's easy to forget them.

You'll leave with a plan you can actually follow. For most families it looks like this: brush twice a day, with you doing the brushing. Use a smear of fluoride toothpaste the size of a grain of rice until about age 3, then a pea-sized amount from about 3 to 6. Start flossing once two teeth touch. After the bedtime brush, nothing but water.

The next visit is usually in six months. As your child grows, checkups add things like sealants on the back teeth, which you can read about on our children's dentistry page.

It's normal, especially under about age 3, and it doesn't mean the visit went badly. Babies cry at lots of new things. Our goal at a first visit is a short, positive experience, not a perfect exam.

If a child is truly upset, we don't hold them down to finish. We'll do what we can, keep it light, and try again next time. After the visit, praise what went well, even if that was just sitting in the chair or opening wide for a second.

Kids read their grown-ups closely. If your shoulders are up around your ears, your child notices. If a dentist visit is hard for you, it's fine to have a calmer caregiver bring your child, or to tell us ahead of time so we can walk you through each step as well.

Try to keep your own stories about bad dental experiences for another day. Your child's first visit is a fresh start, and it can stay that way.

Yes. Both of our dentists are bilingual, and your child's visit can happen in English, Spanish or a mix, whatever your family speaks at home. If a grandparent or another caregiver brings your child, we'll explain everything to them too.

Both doctors see kids every week at our Oak Lawn office on Maple Ave, and first visits are kept short and easy. Kids also like the TVs mounted on the ceiling above the chairs. Ask about booking siblings and parents back to back to save a trip.

Most PPO plans cover children's checkups and cleanings at a high share, and many include fluoride. We check your benefits before the visit so there are no surprises. You can see the plans we're in network with on our insurance page.

When you call, ask us what your child's first visit includes and what it will cost with your coverage. If your family has a different kind of coverage, ask about that too, and we'll give you a straight answer.