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At what age should you first introduce your child to the dentist’s chair?
“As soon as their first teeth start to come in,” says Dr. Myrna Pearce of On Track Dental in Port Coquitlam. “Not only will an early visit help the child feel comfortable at an early age with the experience, dentists can obtain plenty of information about long term oral health simply by watching a child’s first teeth come in.”
The team at On Track Dental has spent years providing young children with gentle introductions to the experience of going to the dentist. This involves helping young children get used to the dentist’s chair, the electric toothbrush and other tools to ensure they feel confident and in control.
This type of introduction goes a long way towards ensuring that the child grows up without a fear of the dentist office, says Dr. Pearce—a fear that can be hard to shake later in life.
Some kids may not have their first visit to the dentist until something has gone wrong. A lost, broken or chipped tooth is traumatic enough for a young child, however, without adding to it the stress of a new, unfamiliar environment.
If that’s the start of the child’s relationship with the dentist, it can be difficult to make them comfortable in the dentist’s chair afterward.
Early-childhood proactive dental visits allow dentists to identify long-term issues before they worsen—and to offer preventative care. Dentists view baby teeth as a road map for permanent teeth and can sometimes even prevent major orthodontic treatments if they are able to detect potential trouble soon enough.
At On Track Dental, the team also uses these early visits as an opportunity to educate parents on how to care for their baby’s teeth and mouth.
“Even if your baby has only two teeth,” says Dr. Pearce, “it’s important to keep them clean and healthy.”
To set up an appointment or to ask questions about when your baby should meet the dentist for the first time, get in touch with On Track Dental at #2203 – 2850 Shaughnessy Street in Port Coquitlam. You can also check out their website, call 604-552-9700 or send them an email.