I took my little one to the dentist around her first birthday, and honestly, it was way easier than I expected. Just scheduled the appointment, brought her favorite toy, and kept things chill. Anyone got other tips or better timing suggestions?
Yeah, first birthday sounds about right. We did the same—brought a comfort blanket and scheduled it after nap time to avoid crankiness. Also, double-check if your insurance covers early visits; ours did, thankfully, but I've heard some don't until later.
We waited until about 18 months, mostly because our pediatrician said it was fine to hold off a bit longer. Honestly, I think it depends on how many teeth your little one has and if there are any concerns. Funny story—our first visit was a total disaster because I forgot the favorite stuffed animal at home...lesson learned the hard way. Did anyone else's dentist recommend fluoride treatments right away? Ours did, but I've heard mixed things about starting that early.
We started around 12 months because our dentist suggested it once my daughter had a few teeth. They did mention fluoride treatments right away, but we decided to wait a bit since she wasn't great at spitting yet...every dentist seems to have their own take on it though.
Starting dental visits around the first birthday aligns well with current pediatric dental guidelines. Early appointments mainly focus on familiarizing little ones with the dental environment and educating parents on proper oral hygiene practices. Regarding fluoride treatments, it's common practice to delay them until the child can reliably spit out excess fluoride toothpaste, usually closer to age two or three. Each dentist indeed has their own approach, but the general consensus is early exposure helps build comfort and prevents future anxiety.
