What is the recommended age for a first dentist appointment?

It is never too early to bring your child to the dentist. But certainly by the age of 3 years old is wise to start. At the age of 3 years, your child will have all of their primary (“baby”) teeth present in their mouth.

These teeth need a good preventive regime so that they last until they are due to naturally fall out and be replaced by the “Adult” teeth.

How to overcome a child's fear of visiting the dentist?

Let’s look at some ways you as parents can help reduce your child’s dental anxiety:-

Start visits at a young age: The earlier a child gets used to a dental clinic setting, the more comfortable they will be with somebody looking into their mouth or performing any treatment on them.
Keep things positive: Your child's experience on their first few dental visits will influence their behaviour at all subsequent visits. So it is vital to let positive cues influence the child's behaviour .
Use kid-friendly language: When speaking to your child about the dentist, avoid using words like "pain", "hurt", "drill". Instead, set a positive tone with your comments, which will get them excited to visit the dentist. You can tell them you can't wait for them to "get strong, healthy teeth" or a "sparkling smile".
Lead by example: Youngsters pick up a lot from their elders and siblings. Do not reveal your fears, anxieties, or negative experiences at the dentist in front of your child. Talk about how nice their dentist is .
Educate them about the importance of good oral hygiene: Children should be taught the importance of dental hygiene early on and the correct way to brush their teeth. Stress that dental visits are a way to keep their pearly whites healthy and prevent future problems.

The benefit of bringing a child to the dentist

Teaching a child the importance of good oral health and regular visits to the dentist at an early age will ensure they carry these habits with them for life. With easier access to sugar and junk food, more and more kids are developing cavities and tooth decay nowadays. Disturbingly, a study found that six out of ten children have tooth decay.

Bringing the child to the dentist will show them they need their baby teeth to be healthy, to prevent problems with their permanent teeth when they grow up. Since toothaches can also interfere in a child’s daily life, preventing them from going to school, eating or sleeping, it can cause behaviour problems. Hence, we must catch and treat oral diseases in the early stages before becoming serious and requiring complex treatments.