We waited till my grandson was almost three, mostly because I was nervous he'd freak out (honestly, I was probably more anxious than he was...). Stickers are great, but for us, a quick trip to the ice cream place afterward worked wonders too.
We took ours around his first birthday, mostly just to get him comfortable with the dentist's office. Honestly, I think I was more nervous about him biting the dentist's finger than anything else... 😅 Thankfully, no fingers were harmed! But yeah, stickers and ice cream sound like a winning combo—though our dentist gave out little toothbrushes shaped like dinosaurs, which was surprisingly effective. Whatever works, right? Glad your grandson had a good experience!
We actually took ours a bit earlier, around 6 months, after our pediatrician suggested it. At first, I thought it was way too soon—like, what could they possibly do at that age besides peek in and say "yep, teeth are coming"? But the dentist explained that early visits aren't just about checking teeth; they're also about educating parents on proper oral care routines from the start. We learned some really helpful tips on cleaning gums before teeth even fully come in, and how to handle teething discomfort without accidentally causing cavities later on (apparently some teething gels can be sugary—who knew?).
I totally get the worry about biting fingers though... ours was more interested in grabbing the dentist's glasses than anything else. Dinosaur toothbrushes sound adorable, but our dentist gave us these little finger brushes instead—super handy for gently massaging sore gums. Ice cream afterward sounds fun, but maybe save it for special occasions? Our dentist recommended sticking to non-sugary rewards when possible. But hey, whatever keeps them happy and cooperative at appointments is a win in my book. Glad your little one had such a positive first experience!
We also went around 6 months, though honestly I wasn't fully convinced at first either. It seemed like we'd barely gotten used to pediatrician visits, let alone adding a dentist into the mix. But like you said, it ended up being more about parent education than actual teeth-checking. Our dentist showed us how to clean gums properly with a damp cloth (something I hadn't even thought of before), and explained how early habits can really set the stage for tooth health later on.
One thing our dentist mentioned that stuck with me was about nighttime bottles—apparently letting babies fall asleep with milk or formula can increase cavity risk, even before teeth fully appear. It was helpful advice since we'd been using bottles to soothe our little one to sleep sometimes. As for teething gels, we were advised to stick to chilled teething rings or cold washcloths instead—less sugary and still soothing.
Finger brushes were a hit for us too, though ours mostly ended up as chew toys rather than actual cleaning tools... but hey, whatever works to get them comfortable with oral care early on, right?
We waited until closer to a year for our first dentist visit, and honestly, I don't feel like we missed out on much. Our pediatrician had already given us a lot of the same advice—like avoiding nighttime bottles and using cold washcloths for teething. I totally get the point about parent education, but sometimes it feels like there's a bit of overlap between what pediatricians and dentists cover at that early stage.
One thing I noticed was that by waiting a bit longer, our little one was more comfortable with strangers poking around in his mouth. At 6 months, he was super clingy and wary of new faces, so I'm not sure how productive a dentist visit would've been then. But every kid is different, and if going earlier helps parents feel more confident about oral care, that's great too.
Also, about the finger brushes—ours ended up as chew toys too, haha. Eventually, we switched to a soft-bristled toddler toothbrush, and that seemed to work better for actual cleaning. Just something to consider if the finger brush isn't cutting it.
