Age One Dental Visit – Naperville, IL

Why Schedule an Age One Dental Visit?

Organizations like the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry all agree that getting dental care as early as possible is extremely important for children. This is because cavities are extremely common among children despite how preventable they are. In fact, nearly half of children who still have their baby teeth are suffering from tooth decay to some degree. No matter how new teeth are, they can still be damaged by bacteria and acids that can eventually eat through the enamel and expose the inner pulp to infection. Waiting for too long can dramatically increase your child’s risk for tooth decay. Scheduling an appointment within six months of their first tooth eruption will give us a better chance of stopping oral health issues before they even develop.

What Happens During an Age One Visit?

A major aspect of the first appointment is helping your child feel comfortable in a dental environment so that they aren’t afraid of getting the care they might need in the future. The first visit usually includes an examination of the teeth, jaws, gums, and various oral tissues. We’ll check for existing health problems and potential development issues. Depending on what we find, we may also perform a cleaning.

Throughout the visit, we can give you advice for protecting and maintaining your child’s smile at home. We can go over the techniques you use to brush and floss their teeth, discuss their diet and any changes you might need to make, and developmental pitfalls (such as a thumb-sucking habit that doesn’t go away on its own) that you need to be aware of.

Benefits of Early Dental Care

Children who begin their regular dental appointments earlier in life are less likely to experiences cavities and toothaches later on. By extension, they are also less likely to need emergency care, which means you won’t need to worry about pulling them out of school more often than absolutely necessary. Furthermore, research shows that the overall cost of care tends to be lower when oral health issues are treated early on.