We took ours pretty early too, around 12 months, and honestly, I get why it feels pointless at first. But hear me out—my nephew didn't go until he was almost three, and by then he had some sneaky cavities hiding in there. Poor kid had to deal with fillings before he even knew what candy tasted like. 😂
I think the early visits are less about the dentist actually doing anything groundbreaking and more about getting the kid comfortable with the whole dentist vibe. My daughter screamed bloody murder her first two visits, but by the third, she was chillin' in that chair like it was her personal throne. Now she's weirdly excited about dentist appointments (I know, right?). Plus, catching any potential issues early can save you from bigger headaches down the road—trust me, braces are expensive enough without adding surprise fillings into the mix.
I totally get the comfort angle, but honestly, 12 months still feels a bit early to me. We waited until around 18 months and it worked out fine—no cavities yet and my kiddo warmed up pretty quick. Guess every kid's different though...
We actually went at 12 months because our pediatrician recommended it, but honestly, it felt more like a quick check-in than a real dental visit. If you're budget-conscious, waiting until around 18 months is probably fine unless you notice something concerning earlier. Our dentist even mentioned that the main thing at that age is just getting them comfortable with the environment...so no rush if everything looks good.
We waited until about 18 months, mostly because I was a nervous wreck about how my little one would handle the dentist chair (and, let's be honest, how I'd handle watching it!). It turned out to be way less stressful than I'd imagined—like you said, it was mostly just about getting comfortable. Our dentist was super patient and spent most of the visit just chatting and letting my daughter explore the room. I think if you're not seeing anything worrisome, waiting a few extra months is totally reasonable.
But honestly, I think the biggest hurdle is probably us parents stressing ourselves out over it more than the kiddos actually minding the dentist! At least that's how it was for me...but then again, I'm the type who gets anxious even thinking about dental visits. Sounds like you're doing great either way.
We took ours around 20 months, mostly because I kept putting it off thinking it'd be a meltdown disaster (and also because dental visits aren't exactly cheap...). But honestly, it was pretty similar to your experience—way more relaxed than I'd imagined. Our dentist was great about letting my son hold the toothbrush and play with the little mirror thingy. He mostly just poked around the room and giggled at the funny chair moving up and down.
I totally agree that we parents tend to psych ourselves out more than the kids actually mind it. I was bracing myself for tears and drama, but he was totally chill about the whole thing. One thing that helped us was reading a couple of picture books about going to the dentist beforehand—it made the whole thing seem less scary. So yeah, if there aren't any obvious issues, waiting a bit longer seems totally fine. You're doing awesome either way.
