Answering Commonly Asked Questions About Your Child's Teeth

The health of your mouth is crucial because you use it every day for talking, eating and drinking. Furthermore, you don't want to be in pain, have unsightly teeth, have foul breath or have an infection. You certainly don't want these problems for your children either. Here are a few answers to questions you might ask paediatric dentists:

At What Age Should You First Take Your Child to the Dentist?

People usually give different ages, which might confuse you. Instead of giving an age, it is better to inspect your child's mouth all the time. Of course, you can't take your child to the dentist when his or her teeth have not yet come out. The lower front teeth will pop out first at around 6 months, followed by the upper front teeth and then the rest.

If you see these teeth growing awkwardly, slanting to the side or becoming discoloured, take your child to a paediatric dentist.

If you don't see any bad signs, you still need your baby's teeth looked at by a professional paediatric dentist to confirm they are growing right. Don't worry, your dentist won't probe or inject your baby; they only use their eyes and hands.

Usually, the dentist will inform you when to come back, most likely when all your child's teeth have emerged.

Why Is Your Child's First Dental Visit Crucial?

During the first visit, the dentist gets to see the layout of your child's mouth and can form a systematic program to help monitor and ensure your child's jaws, gums and teeth grow healthily. The dentist can also catch underlying issues early enough to remedy them. Some of these issues are hard to remedy when you are already an adult.

Are These Appointments Expensive?

Not really. Unless the dentist is performing a procedure, appointment fees are usually low. It is, however, important to have medical insurance and to ensure your paediatric dentist accepts your insurance company.

How Do You Deal With Your Child's Fear of the Dentist?

The first impression your child gets from the dentist is crucial. Let the first experience be fun: play dentist with the child, let him or her 'ride' the patient chair, let there be no injections, reward the child afterwards, etc. This makes the child take the whole process positively so that they will not be afraid of dentists.

Dentists are also skilled in making your child comfortable. Most of the time, instead of having typical white dentist coats and masks, they will have colourful or cartoon-printed coats and masks.    

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