At what age is the first dental visit?
Earlier than most parents think: within six months of the first tooth, or by the first birthday, whichever comes first. Not when it hurts. A first visit while they are comfortable teaches them that the dentist is a place where their teeth get counted and they get praised.
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When exactly is the first visit?
In practice, your child may see a dentist with only one or two teeth, and that is not too early.
Many parents wait until all the teeth are in, or until the child can sit in the chair on their own, or until the first toothache. Each of those can turn an easy visit into a harder one. The first visit is not about treatment. It is a beginning: a look at their teeth, a talk with you, and a chance to get to know each other.
| Where your child is now | What to do |
|---|---|
| The first tooth has come through | This is the time. No need to wait for the rest of the teeth. |
| Nearly one year old, and no teeth yet | Book anyway, because this is when the first visit is due in any case. Some babies get their first tooth after their first birthday, and usually that is just their timing. When your child's teeth come through: the full timeline |
| Over one, and has never seen a dentist | It's not too late to start: a calm check-up, before there is any pain. |
| Has pain or swelling, or has had a knock to the mouth | This is not an ordinary first visit. Difficulty breathing or swallowing, swelling that has reached the eye or the neck, swelling or a fever with unusual drowsiness or refusing to drink, or a knock to the head with vomiting or unusual sleepiness: go to the nearest hospital emergency department now, not the clinic. Swelling in the cheek or under the jaw, a fever with the pain, or a knock to a tooth: call us now, and if the clinic is closed, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Pain without swelling or fever, even if it wakes them at night: call today, and if we are closed, call as soon as we open. The full list of signs is further down. |
Why so early, when nothing is wrong?
Because a visit with no complaint is the easiest start your child can have with a dentist. It gives you three things you miss if you wait for pain:
They get used to the place while nothing hurts
For many children, the first time they see a dentist is because of pain, and they need treatment on day one. So they learn that the dentist means pain, and later visits can get harder. A first visit for a calm check-up makes it a comfortable place for them, not a place of pain. That difference can stay with them for years.
A chance to spot white patches early
Decay does not start as a hole. It starts as a dull white patch on the tooth, often close to the gum, and most parents don't notice it. At that stage it can be strengthened again with fluoride, good brushing and less sugar. In other words, you can protect the tooth before it gets a hole that needs a filling. Fluoride for your child’s teeth: helpful or harmful?
You leave with answers
Part of the first visit is for you: how to brush their teeth and with how much toothpaste, until what age you keep doing the brushing, what to do about night feeds, and how to cut back on sugar between meals. They take minutes to answer, and the answers are what protect their teeth at home every day. If they fall asleep feeding or drinking milk, mention that to the dentist in particular.
What happens at a young child's first visit?
A short, calm visit, at your child's pace. The aim is for your child to leave without being afraid to come back. It usually goes like this:
- 1
Getting to know each other firstWe talk with you and your child before anything else, and ask about feeding, sleep and brushing, and about anything on your mind. Meanwhile they look around the room and at the instruments at their own pace.
- 2
Your lap can be the chairA young child can be examined sitting on your lap, with no chair at all. That way they can still see you and feel you close.
- 3
A look and a tooth countThe dentist counts their teeth, looks at the gums and at how the new teeth are coming through, and checks for any white or brown spot. The check itself takes a few minutes, and involves no drilling or needle.
- 4
If they cry, that's fineCrying at this age is normal, even on your lap, and it does not mean the visit has gone wrong. If a step is too much for them, we don't push through it by force; we tell you what comes next. Sometimes the first visit is just getting to know each other, and the check happens next time. That isn't a failure.
- 5
You leave knowing what's nextYou hear what we saw, what to do at home, and when the next visit is. Any treatment, if it is needed, is explained before it is done and gets its own appointment, unless something is urgent.
How do I prepare them for the visit?
With a few calm words, and no promises or scare stories. A child reads your face before they read the room.
- Tell them about it simply: “The dentist is going to count your teeth and see how clean they are.” Don't say “don't be scared” or “it won't hurt”, and don't mention needles. A child hears the word, not the “not”.
- Play dentist at home: they open wide and you count their teeth out loud, then they count yours, or their teddy's.
- Pick their calm time: not nap time, and not when they are hungry or tired. A settled child cooperates more.
For step-by-step preparation, and what to do if they are already scared: My child is scared of the dentist. How do I prepare them?
After the first visit, how often?
It depends on each child, and the dentist decides at the examination. There is no single number that fits every child.
At the examination the dentist looks at what might put your child's teeth more at risk of decay than other children's: frequent night feeds once teeth are through, sugar between meals, brushing that is a struggle, or spots seen before. From that, the dentist decides when the next visit should be, and whether extra protection such as fluoride varnish is needed. A child whose teeth are more at risk is seen more often; a child whose teeth are doing well, less often.
Between visits, if you see a white or brown spot on a tooth, or their gums bleed when brushed, book within the week, ahead of their next check-up, and keep brushing gently until you come in.
Signs that don't wait
Go to the nearest hospital emergency department now, not the clinic: difficulty breathing, swallowing or speaking · swelling that has reached the eye or below it, or the neck · swelling or a fever, and they're unusually drowsy or floppy, or won't drink · a knock to the head with dizziness, vomiting or any loss of consciousness, even for a moment, or if afterwards they seem unusually sleepy or not themselves.
Call now: swelling in the cheek or under the jaw · a fever with the pain · difficulty opening the mouth · a knock to a tooth, or a tooth broken or knocked out. If the clinic is closed or you can't reach us, go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Don't wait.
Call today: pain that wakes them at night · a small swelling on the gum with no fever. What to do until you get here: Is your child crying with toothache? Here's what to give, and what not to.
A high fever with no swelling and no pain in a tooth that's already through, and they are alert and drinking: talk to your child's paediatrician first.
Questions people ask
When should a child first see the dentist?
Within six months of the first tooth, or by the first birthday, whichever comes first. Not because something hurts, but so they get to know the place while they are comfortable, we see the teeth as they come in, and you can ask about brushing and feeding. If your child is older and has never been, it isn't too late: book a calm check-up.
When are a baby's teeth considered late?
Most babies get their first tooth somewhere between about 6 and 10 months, and some not until after their first birthday, which is usually just their timing. If your child is around 18 months old with no teeth at all, that is when it is worth a check. The first visit is due by the first birthday anyway, so book it even if no tooth has come through yet.
What can a dentist tell from the first look in your mouth?
For anyone: decay, the gums and the bite. With a young child in particular: how many teeth have come through and whether they are arriving in order, how the gums look, and any faint white patches that parents tend to miss. From there the dentist starts keeping track of how the jaws are growing, and your answers about feeding and food make the picture clearer.
How do I look after my child's teeth?
From the first tooth: brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, a small amount to match their age, and do the brushing or watch over it until about seven. Cut back on sugar and juice between meals, and no juice at all before their first birthday. Don't leave a bottle in their mouth while they sleep. Book the first dental visit on time; that is where you hear the exact amount for their age.
Your next step
Book your child's first check-up while they are comfortable, not when it hurts. A short visit, and you leave with the date of the next one.
Pages that go with this one
This is general information, not a diagnosis. The decision is made at the examination.