What to Expect at Your Child’s First Dental Checkup

Routine dental checkups are a necessary part of keeping your children happy and healthy. Most children don’t go for their first real dental checkup until around the age of four or five years old. At this age children can become very anxious and nervous about visiting this doctor that they have never met before and letting that person stick things into their little mouthes. So I’ve compiled a small list of what to expect at your childn’s first dental checkup. Hopefully this will help you and your child be better prepared for their first dental checkup.

Take a Ride in the Chair- The first thing that your child will get to do is sit in the big dental chair. WOW! A chair that goes up and down with the push of a button can be very exciting for your child. Let them enjoy it. The hygentist will most likely be the first person that your child will meet so make sure they have a friendly one. The hygentist will show your child how the chair works before ever asking them to cooperate for a dental checkup.

Counting Teeth- For this part of the dental exam all your child has to do is lay back, open wide and let the hygentist count their little pearly whites. The hygentist is checking for cavities and and soft spots in their teeth. A friendly hygentist comes in very handy during this. They can male small talk with you, make silly sounds to your child to get them to open wide and even tell silly jokes or ask fun questions of your child.

Cleaning- Now comes the fun part. My girls always say that the cleaning part of their dental checkup tickles a lot. The hygentist will scrap off any plaque build-up. Then they will clean the teeth with a paste available in may flavors. Your child will may even get to pick out the flavor of their choice. After all of the teeth are cleaned the hygentist will rinse with water and ask your child to close their mouth down on the special “sucking straw”. After all of that is finished it’s time for flossing.

X-Rays- X-rays are usually taken once per year, just like with adult dental checkups. These x-rays are identical to your own routine dental x-rays. Your child will need to bite down on the little foamy block on each side of their mouth while holding still long enough for the x-ray to be taken, generally around thirty seconds or so. If you have a child that has a strong gag reflex or who is uncomfortable with the x-rays then you may need to put off the first x-rays just a little bit longer.

Flouride- This part of the dental checkup makes my girls giggle. Their favorite hygentist tells them that it’s time to look like ducks. There is a mouth piece that sort of looks like football mouth guards. This mouth piece is filled with foam, flavored flouride. Then it is placed on your child’s teeth and has to stay there for about a minute or so. Some pediatric dentists are also using a new “paint on” flouride for children. It goes on easy and the children don’t have to wait before eating and drinking like you do with the foam flouride.

Dentist Checkup- Finally it’s time for the dentist to come in and look over your child’s little teeth. If there are any problems that the hygentist noticed or the x-rays picked up then the dentist will address them. If you have any questions or concerns then this is the perfect time to let them be known to your child’s dentist. Your child’s dentist will let you know how your child’s teeth are doing.

Goodie Bags- Lastly, there are the special goodies! Most dental offices that cater to children will have some sort of speciall goodies that your child can enjoy after their checkup. Your child will, of course, recieve the normal baggie filled with a new toothbrush, toothpaste and floss but there’s nothing more exciting to them then getting to choose a balloon color or a special toy or sticker.

If your child decides that they just do not want to go through with their dental checkup then that’s alright. Don’t force it. Just go slowly and maybe next time they will make it further into the dental checkup routine.

The best advice I can give is to find a great pediatric dentist that is cheerful and has a kid friendly office. Having a dentist that can make your child smile and feel comfortable will make all the difference in how your child responds to the dentist. Having a kid friendly office will help your child feel more relaxed and possibly even distract them enough to get through the checkup quickly. My children love their pediatric dentist. He makes them giggle and lets them know everything that is happening. They love going for their checkups and they enjoy all of the little goodies and balloons that they receive after a great checkup.