I get that dentists use toys and stuff to make kids less nervous, but honestly, three or four still feels pretty young to me. I mean, I know they're trying to build good habits early, but I'd worry that if the kid gets scared at that age—even with flavored gloves and stuffed dinosaurs—it could create a long-term anxiety about dental visits. Speaking from experience here...my first dentist visit was around five, and it definitely wasn't pleasant. The dentist tried to distract me with cartoons on the ceiling, but I still remember being really anxious and uncomfortable. Maybe waiting until a kid is old enough to understand what's happening and talk through their fears would be better? I don't know, maybe it's just me being overly cautious, but I'd rather not risk creating a negative association too early on.
I see your point, but maybe starting even earlier could actually help? My niece had her first dentist visit at around two—just a quick peek and counting teeth. She barely remembers it now, and she's pretty chill about going. Maybe early exposure helps normalize things?
I get the logic behind starting early, but honestly, two seems a bit young to me. When my oldest was around that age, we tried a dentist visit and it ended up being more stressful than helpful—lots of tears and squirming. Waited until he was closer to three with our second kid, and it went way smoother. Every kid's different, obviously, but sometimes waiting a little longer can make things easier for everyone involved...
I totally get where you're coming from. My daughter was about two when we first took her, and even though I'm in the dental field myself, I was super anxious about it. She cried, squirmed, and honestly, it felt like a disaster. We waited until she was almost three for the next visit, and it was night and day—way calmer. Guidelines are great, but sometimes you just gotta trust your gut and your kid's personality...
"Guidelines are great, but sometimes you just gotta trust your gut and your kid's personality..."
Totally relate to this. My son was around 18 months when we first tried the dentist, and it was honestly pretty rough—lots of tears and squirming. But then again, my friend's daughter went at the same age and did surprisingly well. Makes me wonder if certain personalities or even the dentist's approach play a bigger role than age alone... Did anyone else notice a difference depending on the dentist or office environment?
