Disclosure: collaborative post
Taking your little one to the dentist for the first time can be a stressful time for both parent and child. Your child doesn’t know what to expect so can be very nervous and scared of the dentist. A lot of dentists recommend you take your little one by the time they reach one, but every child is different. Here are some tips for taking your little one to the dentist for the first time.
Prepare your child for the visit
Although they may be too little to understand, you should try and prepare your child for the visit. Start using the toothbrush at home and let them watch you brush your teeth. You should take them along to your appointments, so they see what the dentist is doing and get used to being in the environment. Introduce them to the dentist so that they won’t feel like they are a stranger when they see them for the appointment. And as this article reveals, you should try and talk to your child about what will happen at the dentist and build excitement about going there. Be sure to also research on good dentists to bring your child for his checkups, like this childrens dentist in Vienna for instance.
Find a good dentist you trust
If you are taking your little one to the dentist for the first time, you need to find a good dentist for them to go to, such as this dentist in London. You need to be able to trust them to check your child’s teeth while keeping them calm. You may want to go to a paediatric dentist who has additional training to deal with children. The whole dentist is likely to be more child-friendly with a play area for your little one to go while you are waiting. Therefore, you should look for your local paediatric dentist to send your little one to.
Take a toy for them to play with
Another tip for taking your little one to the dentist in London for the first time is to take a toy with them to play with when they get to the dentist. That way, if you have a long wait, they won’t get bored and stressed out in the waiting room. It will distract them when you are being seen by the dentist as well. You can talk to the dentist about any issues while your child plays with their toy.
Make a list of any questions you need to ask
You should also prepare a list of questions you need to ask the Dentist about your little one’s teeth. As this article reveals, if you are finding your little one has an issue, you may need to ask them about teething or thumb sucking. You could also ask the dentist for advice about tooth-friendly foods they could be eating.
Reward your child after
Another tip for taking your little one to the dentist for the first time is to make sure you reward them afterwards. Buy them a new toy or take them to a play area so that they know they have been good by going to the dentist.
Remember to book in another appointment and put it on the calendar so you stay organised!
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63 Comments
I’m still a little ways away from having to take my little one to the dentist, but I’m dreading the experience already. I think it’s wise to bring your child to your dentist appointments so that they can get used to the environment, like you said. I’ll try bringing a toy for them and rewarding them afterward. Thanks for the tips!
August 16, 2016 at 5:40 pmThanks for publishing these wonderful tips. I always try to make my patients feel comfortable and at ease, whatever their age but sometimes it’s good to look at it from patients’ perspectives and seek to understand what works best for you. So thank you for sharing this brilliant information, have a good day!
September 1, 2016 at 1:04 pmYou’re welcome, thanks for stopping by.
September 1, 2016 at 3:55 pmReally helpful stuff. I appreciate you and your work!
November 15, 2016 at 1:14 pmGood oral health habits should start early, so as visiting a dentist. Keeping an eye on potential problems as early as possible will save you and your child for future dental problems. These tips are indeed very useful for parents and their child prepare for a visit in a dentist for the first time. Thank you!
November 16, 2016 at 5:04 amSomething that might also help is take your child to meet the dentist ahead of time. I think you’re right that you can trust the dentist. However, it’s probably a whole lot easier if the child is on board too. I also assume they’ll be less scared since it won’t be a completely new enviroment.
November 17, 2016 at 1:02 amYou’ll be able to save time and money by having the same dentist treat the whole family. Instead of taking time off from work and driving to your dentist, then repeating the process a different day for your kids, you only have to leave work once and take everyone to the same place. Think about the gas you’ll save by only having one office to drive to!
December 21, 2016 at 9:10 amI am amazed that some kids really have straight teeth. No braces needed. The few lucky ones. It might cost something but it adds confidence when they get older too. Imagine smiling and having not to worry.
February 2, 2017 at 9:25 amwonderful post, I think its very important to get children familiar with brushing and cleaning their teeth before going to the dentist for the first time. They might still be a little scared but at least they will be somewhat familiar with brushing and cleaning their teeth which could make a big difference with their first time. Thanks for sharing!
February 2, 2017 at 3:34 pmThese are great tips for taking your little ones to their first dental visit! Its always important to research good pediatric dental office that is very child friendly and the dentist has shown that they have had additional training for kids cleaning. Thanks for sharing this.
February 8, 2017 at 5:14 pmGreat Share!
March 1, 2017 at 11:49 amThank you so much for sharing this informative post about tips for the first trip of little once to the dentist.The first thing that you can do to make a trip to the dentist a more pleasant experience for you and your children is to simply talk to them about the dentist. Explain that it’s not a scary place and that what they are doing is really good for them. Let them know that it won’t be painful, but rather that if anything a trip to the dentist can be a bit on the sedating side.Once again thank you so much for this post. Keep Sharing!
The points shared here are quite informative for parents, Sometimes it becomes much difficult for parents to take their child to the dentist but after reading your post I am sure that kids will become ready to go to dentist. Keep sharing articles likely !
March 16, 2017 at 10:24 amI like the way you convey the tips. it’s always difficult to get our kids to a dentist. keep up the good work
March 22, 2017 at 9:23 pmAwesome post! Definitely some very helpful tips and advice, preparing your child for the visit can be very important and bringing a toy with them will certainly help. Thanks for sharing!
April 21, 2017 at 9:46 pmGreat post. This would be really helpful for mums and dads with children who are reluctant to get in the dental chair. Thanks for sharing
April 25, 2017 at 3:44 pmGreat tips! Every child is nervous before their first dentist visit, but your advice could make it an event they look forward to. I think the reward system is especially effective for this.
May 10, 2017 at 3:55 pmI like the way you convey the tips. Keep Up the good work always
May 29, 2017 at 8:32 pmGreat tips, Taking our little one to the dental office for the first time is a not an easy task some unknown fear comes to your mind. This tips are helpful to the peoples out there like me.
June 27, 2017 at 5:37 pmit’s very informative article! I feel happy to read and useful fo me. Thanks for sharing.
June 27, 2017 at 6:24 pmI’m looking for a dentistry that I can take my whole family to, but I am not sure what to look for. I’m glad that you mentioned finding an office that has activities or a play place for kids to be in. Hopefully there will be a dentist near us that can accommodate my husband and our kids. Thanks for the tips!
June 30, 2017 at 8:39 pmNice information you have shared. Thanks for your helpful tips post. Thank you and good luck with your blog!
July 6, 2017 at 5:31 pmWow, these are definitely some very helpful tips and advice. Taking your child to the dentist for the first time can be slightly stressful. Thanks for sharing!
August 1, 2017 at 8:52 pmAt Alexandria Art of Dentistry, we understand that selecting the right general or cosmetic dentist can be a daunting task.For Details Visit: http://www.oldtowndentist.com/
August 3, 2017 at 2:23 pmWonderful tips! Thanks for Sharing. Your tips helps to parents who will think to meet dentist with their Child.
August 20, 2017 at 7:33 pmI like your point about taking your child to your own dentist visits so they can see what the dentist is doing and get the used to that environment. My nephew is starting to get his first set of teeth. My sister is wanting to find a good pediatric dentist to take him to. I’ll have to let her know about the benefit of taking her child with her to the dentist.
August 30, 2017 at 1:36 amI like this article its something that each and every parent should know. Thanks for the Post.
September 27, 2017 at 11:19 pmI found this post useful more helpful one as a parent. Thanks for the article and keep up the good work
October 30, 2017 at 6:21 pmOur dental office has only been open for a few months and I have been tasked to find ways for our little patients and parents to be more comfortable. These are great tips and we will be implementing some of them such as the play area. Thank your the information and good luck on your blog!
December 7, 2017 at 12:56 amthis is an wonderful tips to make sure our teeth became white and strong.thank you to share
December 21, 2017 at 4:22 pmThanks for this useful tips for us parents. It’s my biggest issue about my toddlers when I tell them we are going to the Dentist.
Great Blog!
January 3, 2018 at 5:32 amWe had this conversation with our dentist at Southern Charm Dental before our sons first important and the whole thing went great! They even had TVs and iPads to keep him partially distracted during the visit.
February 1, 2018 at 3:18 amI think the play area is a great idea for kids to bring their stress levels down. Thanks for sharing!
February 22, 2018 at 2:05 amwow! this is great idea whether the kid will play they will forget the pain. thank you to share.
March 28, 2018 at 5:54 pmthank you to share we can get the result immediately, your ideas are so different.
March 28, 2018 at 6:02 pmWhen it came to my children and their first dental appointments, I tried to get them as excited as possible! We watched YouTube videos with their favorite characters that talked about dentistry, we read books about dental care every single night and we even practiced our at home dental care as a family. Each one of them was very excited when we arrived at the Richmond, VT dental office and had a wonderful experience. Now we’re having arguments over who gets to have braces first and what colors they want for brackets! Just put time into it and everything goes well.
May 16, 2018 at 9:21 pmThanks for sharing such a helpful information, keep posting this type of info in future also….
May 30, 2018 at 11:56 amI’ve had some mixed reactions to the dentist with my three children, my daughter absolutely hated it (we didn’t take her until she was 2), our two sons however we took around 7 months when their first tooth erupted and everything has been a breeze. I think starting as young as possible makes a big difference, all three of our children now love visiting their Pearland pediatric dentist, even our daughter! I think it is also important to pick a nice, friendly children’s dentist, ours has been fantastic.
June 20, 2018 at 5:04 pmThis is some really good information about taking a young kid to the dentist. My sister is worried about her son being scared to go to the dentist. I liked your suggestion about trying to get him excited to go visit the dentist.
August 14, 2018 at 5:10 amTaking our little ones to dental office is not an easy job. thanks for your useful and helpful tips. keep up the good work as always.
August 14, 2018 at 8:03 pmDr. Nguyen at Town Square Dental in Pasadena, TX did a great job caring for my little one during her first visit to my local dentist near me. Now, we make regular visits and she is always as excited as ever!
August 28, 2018 at 11:44 pmI may have been nervous when taking my child to the dentist for the first time, but my dentist near me at Katy Dental Experts soon put me at ease! His care and experience is simply unmatched in the Katy, TX area.
August 29, 2018 at 12:08 amHi Jenny, Great tips. To add to the list, one also needs to make note of the suggestions and advice given by the dentist. Going for a dental care visit is never fun either for adults or for children. Thus, it is also important to choose the right dentist, one that offers a comfortable and relaxing environment.
August 29, 2018 at 12:46 pmThese are great tips, although I did not need them the first time I took my little one to Ocean Dental Center. Dr. Hudani, my local dentist in Huntington Beach, CA, was great in making my whole family feel at ease at my dental office near me!
August 31, 2018 at 7:26 pmReally great information as always! I’m taking my little one this month to Mirabella Smiles in Cypress, TX.
September 4, 2018 at 12:41 pmI like to make a list of questions before going to our dentist at Wyndam Manor Dental Care – Dentist in Ajax ON L1T 0K3, Canada. They’re always very helpful.
September 12, 2018 at 8:07 pmTake a comfort toy! That is key for us here. Our dentist at Hirsch Pediatric Dentistry in Royal Palm Beach, FL 3341 made sure to have plenty of stuffed toys available for us as well.
September 13, 2018 at 6:08 pmSo I became a father several months ago, and our pediatrician said it was about time to introduce him to a dentist. With this in mind, I called my dentist in New York, New York, Dr. Pyon, to see if this is something available. She reassured me that this is something she can handle and is great with kids and babies. So it is time for me to make sure the baby bag as all the needs stuff to make this an easy trip for us.
September 20, 2018 at 9:17 amSo I am an excited father-to-be, in several more weeks my wife will bring us our first baby boy. As soon as we found out we were expecting, we started preparing to be good parents, so we researched and asked around. One of these things we asked was how to get him good, healthy teeth. Dr. Anna Kreymer, in Los Angeles, CA 90025, gave us some tips. Since newborns learn best from observing, she said that to make sure that he is there watching us brush our teeth everyday.
September 20, 2018 at 12:03 pmThese are great tip for the first time I will take my little one to Distinctive Dental Care in Oswego, IL.
October 1, 2018 at 6:30 amMaking a list of questions to ask was definitely important! I took one when I visited Villagio Family Dental in Katy, TX. My child was a handful, so having a list made it easier not to forget questions!
October 8, 2018 at 10:36 amYour points are bang-on! The most important one out of the lot is finding the best or the right dentist and we’ve had a lot of suggestions pouring in from friends but we decided to go with Burnaby Dental in BC and we’ve had a superb experience with the doctors. We’re thankful that we chose the right dentist for our family.
October 12, 2018 at 6:48 amMy child was so afraid of going to the dentist at Central Park Dental Care in Auburn, AL. But this article really helped prepare him.
October 29, 2018 at 5:30 amThanks for sharing some great tips. Choosing the right dentist for your child is a very important step that requires thorough consideration. AURA DENTAL seems to provide one of the best emergency dentists in 77095, 77065, and 77429 area codes, Texas. You can contact them at 1 832 674 8043 to schedule an appointment.
November 12, 2018 at 10:00 amFinding the right trustworthy dentist is the key I think. I searched for the perfect one on Google – had good recommendations, ratings, found the dentist very friendly and caring and decided on that. It was the Bloomfield Pediatric Dentistry in Bloomfield, CT. I’d highly recommend them if you wish to take your child there.
December 24, 2018 at 6:07 pmI remember taking my 1 year old to the dentist at Hillcrest Dental Arts in San Diego, CA just a few weeks after his 1st birthday. The dentist examined his gums and fortunately, everything seems to be good. I recommend all my friends to make a dental visit for their children by the age of 1 – it is indeed very much necessary.
January 16, 2019 at 10:44 amHello Jenny, Excellent tips in this article. Thanks for sharing the valuable information with us and I really loved your post. Enjoyed the read and noted some important points.
July 4, 2019 at 7:16 amExplain the children, it’s not a scary place and that what they are doing is really good for them. Let them know that it won’t be painful, but rather that if anything a trip to the dentist can be a bit on the sedate side.
July 16, 2019 at 10:42 amEvery first-time parent wants to do the best for their child. However, it can be hard to know when it is time to take your child to the family dentist. Many people do not understand that a child should have their first dental visit before they even grow any teeth. This will permit the child to convert easy with the environment and build a relationship with the staff in the dental office.
August 8, 2019 at 11:39 amDentist SW Calgary recently posted…The 6 Best Things About Night Guards
There is so much good in being a mother but there is also something that is more like a trouble – convincing and taking your child to a dentist. And, I know this is the case with all of you mothers out there; therefore, on some days I cannot help but wonder if that movie about kids planning things against their parents was also true. Yes, you have to believe me the last time I tried taking my 4 year old daughter to the dentist she cried and convinced people that I was trying to pull out here teeth – literally. I wasn’t doing that, I swear.
But, thankfully someone on the internet understood what real mom woes are and write this article with some really worthwhile information on dental health and on being able to take your child to the dentist. And, if anyone of these works I’d be the happiest because I do not want to be the devil mom who pulls out the children’s teeth. (I hate it).
But, yes, Thankyou!
September 13, 2019 at 7:59 amMy son has been complaining about a toothache; that’s why I’m currently looking for a family dentist, who will be able to cater to my son’s dental needs. I’m glad you shared this because he’s quite nervous about his first visit; I’ll make sure to show him how I brush my teeth so he’d have an idea. I’ll also keep in mind to bring his favorite toy, so he’ll have soemthing to play with, especially when he starts feeling nervous.
June 9, 2020 at 9:05 amThanks for reminding me that I need to find a good dentist that I can trust with my child. My daughter is having a hard time practicing proper dental care at home and I think we need to find a professional for help. I think we’d have to find a child-friendly dentist where our entire family can go so my daughter can feel comfortable.
May 14, 2021 at 1:41 pmNice post! If you’re looking for full-service family dentistry in Plano, then Chase Oaks Dentistry is the right choice for you! They are a team of experienced dental practitioners who’re committed to delivering premium quality dental care services. Highly recommended!
January 25, 2022 at 6:02 amEvery first-time parent wants to do the best for their child. However, it can be hard to know when it is time to take your child to the family dentist. Many people do not understand that a child should have their first dental visit before they even grow any teeth.
March 31, 2022 at 12:01 pm