Child's First Visit

Your child's first visit to a dental clinic must be a pleasant experience. Otherwise the scar of the first impression will last a lifetime. The right time to bring a child for a dental visit is before all the milk teeth have appeared - before the child has completed 2 years of age. This sets the stage for ideal preventive dentistry, something that this individual will appreciate when he/she has grown up cavity-free.

There are several reasons for this early visit:

• Bringing a child when there is no emergency will make the visit a pleasant experience.

• Parents may not recognize a dental problem in it's early stages.

• Your dentist can prevent problems like decay from occuring.

• Advise on nutrition and home care can be provided.

Fear of the dental clinic is not inborn. It is learnt either from personal experience or what a child hears from others. Be completely natural when you inform your child about this visit. Make it sound like a routine item. Allow your child to get familiar with the dental clinic. Most important - do not show any anxiety or fear yourself. Children pick-up non-verbal cues very quickly and tend to mirror the emotions of their parents.

It is upto parents to decide whether they want their child to be cavity-free. The technology is available, all that is required is the will to use it to your benefit.