Pediatric Dentistry
Your child’s first routine dental checkup should occur when they are one year old. Their first trip to the dentist will likely be short and involve few or no procedures. The parent may be asked to sit in the chair and hold their child during the examination. In some other cases, the parent may be asked to wait in the reception area for a portion of the visit so the dentist and child can start to form a bond.
The dentist will begin by carefully examining your child’s gums and teeth. For some children, we may use X-rays to check for decay and monitor the development of permanent teeth under the child’s gums. If we clean your child’s teeth, we will brush with fluoride to help prevent decay. It is also important to make sure that the child is getting the proper amount of fluoride throughout the year. Finally, we will go over how best to maintain your child’s teeth with you.
If there are decay or infection, the dentist will do fillings, pulpotomy and crowns, or extractions.