[Closed] How soon is too soon for baby's first dentist trip?

We took our daughter around 18 months, mostly because I was curious about the whole "by one" thing too. Honestly, it felt more like a meet-and-greet than an actual dental checkup. The dentist just peeked in her mouth, counted teeth, and gave us some brushing tips. She said the same thing—that it's mostly about getting kids comfortable with the dentist early on.

I do wonder though... is there really a big difference in how kids handle dental visits later if they start earlier? My nephew didn't go until he was almost three, and he's totally chill about it now. But my friend's kid started at 10 months and still freaks out every time. Maybe it's just personality?

Anyway, I agree with you—probably no need to stress too much as long as you're brushing regularly and keeping an eye out. Teeth seem pretty resilient, haha.

We started around 12 months, and honestly, I think personality plays a bigger role than timing. My oldest went early and still had meltdowns until he was four, while my youngest didn't go until closer to two and was totally fine from day one. Early visits probably help normalize the experience, but some kids are just naturally more anxious about new situations. Regular brushing and good habits at home seem way more important overall than exactly when that first dentist trip happens.

Totally agree that personality matters a lot. My grandkids were all over the map with dentist visits—one started at 10 months and screamed every time until he was three, another didn't go until almost two and was calm as could be. Honestly, the best thing I've seen work is just keeping it low-key and positive at home. Kids pick up on our anxiety, so if we treat dental care as no big deal, they usually follow suit... eventually.

"Kids pick up on our anxiety, so if we treat dental care as no big deal, they usually follow suit... eventually."

Couldn't agree more with this! When I was a kid, my mom was always super chill about dentist appointments—she'd just casually mention it like any other errand. Honestly, I never felt nervous about it. But my younger brother was a different story... he was anxious no matter how calm everyone else was. Definitely shows personality is a huge factor, but keeping things relaxed at home really does help ease the overall experience.

My dentist actually recommended bringing my daughter in around her first birthday, even if she barely had teeth yet. Seemed early to me at first, but honestly, it helped her get used to the environment before any real work was needed... made later visits way easier.