Random fact I came across: apparently, some dentists say you should take your kid in as soon as their first tooth pops up. I always thought it was more like age 3 or so? My mom swears we didn’t go until kindergarten. Curious if anyone actually did the “first tooth” thing or waited longer. Did your pediatrician push for an early visit, or was it more chill?
I always thought it was more like age 3 or so? My mom swears we didn’t go until kindergarten.
Same here—my mom’s attitude was basically “if you’re not screaming in pain, you’re fine.” We waited until preschool for both my kids. Honestly, the pediatrician just mentioned brushing, nothing about racing to the dentist. I get that early checks might catch stuff, but for us it felt a bit overkill to go before they actually had teeth to count.
We got nudged by our pediatrician to go when my daughter turned one, which felt super early to me. I remember thinking, “She barely has teeth—what’s the point?” But apparently they want to catch stuff like bottle rot, or just get kids used to the chair. The visit was honestly more about me learning how to brush her teeth than anything else.
I do wonder if waiting a bit longer would’ve made any real difference. Did your kids have any issues pop up later on, since you waited until preschool? Ours had a tiny cavity at three, which surprised me because we were pretty careful... but maybe genetics plays a role too?
But apparently they want to catch stuff like bottle rot, or just get kids used to the chair.
That’s exactly what our dentist said too. I totally get feeling weird about going so early—my son only had like four teeth at his first visit. We waited until about 18 months, mostly because I was nervous about how he’d react. No major issues popped up, but I’m super anxious about cavities because I had a bunch as a kid, even though my mom was strict about brushing. Genetics definitely seems to play a part... I still stress every time they check.
I still stress every time they check.
Age 18 months isn’t late at all—honestly, most families I see are in that same boat. The “first tooth, first visit” thing is technically the guideline now, but I think a lot of people still wait until their kid has a mouthful or is at least walking around. I remember when my nephew went for his first appointment, he just sat on his mom’s lap and mostly chewed on the toothbrush they gave him. The dentist barely got a look, but it was more about getting him used to the lights and weird noises.
Cavities are such a tricky thing… you can do everything “right” and still wind up with them because of genetics or even just how teeth grow in. My family’s kind of the same—my sister never had a cavity, but I got them all the time as a kid. Now I’m hyper-vigilant with my own kids but still feel that anxiety every checkup. That first dentist visit really is just about starting the routine, not expecting perfection.
