Building a foundation for lifelong oral health starts early. From the first tiny tooth to the full set of adult pearly whites, childhood is a crucial time for establishing healthy dental habits. At 38 Devonshire Street, we understand the importance of gentle, comprehensive dental care tailored to each stage of a child’s development. Our approach focuses not only on addressing immediate dental needs but also on educating both children and parents on the best practices for preventative care.
This guide will walk you through essential dental check-ups, hygienist visits, and preventative measures, ensuring your child’s smile stays bright and healthy as they grow.
Dental professionals recommend the first check-up at around the time of the baby’s first birthday or within six months of their first tooth appearing, whichever comes first.
This initial visit is to establish a comfortable relationship with the dentist and obtain advice on early childhood dental care. Think of it as laying a sound foundation for oral health: you will want to ensure strength and stability from the very beginning. Any particular anomalies may be identified, which will enable you to focus on the individual needs of your young one, in addition to some more general guidelines for prevention and ongoing health and stability.
Following this initial visit, regular check-ups every six months are recommended. This allows the dentist to monitor your child’s dental development and identify any potential issues such as early signs of tooth decay, any issues with the quality of the structure of the teeth or the positions of erupting teeth. The dentist will also provide guidance on brushing techniques as the number of teeth starts to multiply. Problems with the airway, tooth grinding or snoring can be identified and advised on additionally.
These regular check-ups track a child’s overall dental and facial structural development. Generally, we do not recommend dedicated hygienist visits for babies or very small children. Most of the time, this can be covered by the dentist during the examination appointment. Visits to the dental hygienist are recommended from around age 5 years in the lead up to the appearance of adult teeth (usually around 6 years old).
We generally start an annual x-ray examination from the time the 6-year molars begin to erupt if there are no particular risks identified visually before that.
Consistent dental examinations (check-ups) every six months remain crucial throughout childhood and teenage years. This allows the dentist to:
However, some situations might require more frequent visits. If your child:
The dentist might recommend check-ups every three or four months– a little extra attention can prevent much bigger problems down the road.
From the time the adult teeth begin to appear (Aged 5 or 6 years), we recommend that your child see the hygienist for a 30-minute appointment at least every 6 months. More frequently, if there have been problems with decay or severe crowding, or if your child is very reluctant to clean their teeth. When they brush their teeth, they should always be supervised by a parent or responsible adult until around age 8 years (the neatness of handwriting is a good measure of dexterity and, therefore, ability to clean the teeth independently).
