We started around one year too, and yeah, it felt a bit silly at first—my daughter had maybe four teeth total. But our dentist explained they're mostly checking gums, spacing, and early signs of decay or issues with tooth development. Honestly, the first visit was mostly just chatting about brushing habits and diet tips.
Insurance-wise, ours covered it fully, but I know that's not always the case. Might be worth double-checking your policy or even calling them directly to clarify.
I do think starting early helped my daughter feel comfortable later on. By age two or three, she was totally relaxed in the dentist's chair—no tears or squirming at all. So even though those early visits seemed quick and kinda pointless at the time, they definitely paid off for us down the road.
We waited until about 18 months for our first dentist trip—honestly, I was pretty anxious about it. My son barely had any teeth, and I kept thinking, "What exactly are they gonna check?" But like you said, it was mostly a casual chat about habits and stuff. Still, I don't think waiting those extra few months made him any less comfortable later on. He's four now and does fine at the dentist...well, except for the sticker choosing—that takes forever, lol. Guess every kid's different though.
We went around 12 months, mostly because our pediatrician kept nudging us about it. Honestly, I was skeptical too—like, what exactly are they checking when there's barely a tooth poking through? But turns out, it's more about getting parents comfortable and answering questions. Did your dentist talk about fluoride or brushing techniques at that first visit? Ours gave some surprisingly useful tips I hadn't thought of before. Still, I doubt a few months either way makes a huge difference in the long run...
"Honestly, I was skeptical too—like, what exactly are they checking when there's barely a tooth poking through?"
Haha, that's exactly what I thought at first. We ended up going around 14 months, mostly because I kept procrastinating and figured a few baby teeth couldn't possibly need that much attention yet. But I agree, the first visit was way more about us parents than anything else. The dentist spent most of the time talking about brushing techniques and fluoride toothpaste amounts—stuff I hadn't really considered before. Did your dentist also mention the whole "rice grain vs pea-sized" toothpaste thing? Ours stressed it quite a bit, and honestly, it was news to me.
One thing I found surprisingly helpful was when they talked about habits like thumb-sucking or pacifiers and how those might affect tooth alignment later on. I was a thumb-sucker myself as a kid and ended up needing braces, so that caught my attention. They said it's good to gently discourage these habits early on if possible—easier said than done, right?
I do think you're right though: whether it's at 10 months or 16 months probably doesn't matter all that much in terms of dental health long-term. It's more about building good habits early and getting comfortable with the dentist visits themselves. Our little one cried briefly at first but calmed down pretty quickly once the dentist started chatting and making silly faces. Now he's totally fine going back (fingers crossed it stays that way).
Did your dentist say anything about flossing yet? Ours mentioned it briefly, but honestly, flossing baby teeth still feels kind of ambitious to me...
"Did your dentist say anything about flossing yet? Ours mentioned it briefly, but honestly, flossing baby teeth still feels kind of ambitious to me..."
Haha, I felt exactly the same way when our dentist first brought up flossing. Honestly, I thought she was joking at first! But she explained that once the teeth start touching each other, food can get trapped pretty easily—even in those tiny gaps. We gave it a shot a few times, and let's just say it was...an adventure. My granddaughter was not impressed and made her feelings very clear.
But you're right; the early visits are mostly about building comfort and good habits. Our dentist also emphasized thumb-sucking because my grandson was pretty attached to his thumb. She gave us some gentle strategies to redirect him without making it stressful, and surprisingly, they worked pretty well.
Overall, I'd say it's never really "too soon," but there's definitely no need to stress if you haven't gone yet. It's more about setting the stage for future visits and getting everyone comfortable with the routine.
