What is the Youngest Age to Go to the Dentist?

The earlier a child starts visiting the dentist, the more comfortable and familiar they will be with this practice. And a pediatric dental office like Dr. Mitchell Miller’s pediatric dental office in the Boynton Beach and Coral Springs area of Florida has an office that caters to children with bright appealing graphics and specially trained dentists and staff whose goal is to ensure your child enjoys their visit and begins a lifetime of healthy oral care.

Keep an eye on your child’s mouth, as the youngest age to go to the dentist is recommended as within six months of the first tooth appearing. If this doesn’t happen within 12 months, a visit should be scheduled anyway.

This first visit will be brief and will usually include a full exam of any teeth that have erupted, jaws, bite, gums and mouth tissues to check growth and development. This will include any thumb-sucking or other habits that are potentially interfering with healthy teeth development.

Prior to determining the young age at which your child should visit the dentist, there are several things you can do on a regular basis to help ensure your child’s teeth stay healthy and trips to the dentist are for preventative care, and not always for cavities.

Even at a tender age before teeth come in, wipe gums regularly with a clean, damp cloth.

Don’t give your young child a bottle of milk, juice or sweetened liquid at bedtime or for naps. This will help prevent bottle tooth decay.

Keep an eye on how long your child takes to empty their bottle – it should be five or six minutes or less. Anything more can start to be harmful. 

It’s never too early for good dental habits. As soon as the first tooth appears in your young child, start brushing with a small, soft-bristled toothbrush and a very small amount of toothpaste. Don’t use fluoridated toothpaste at this young age – wait until three or when your child is old enough to spit out the toothpaste after brushing.

Watch for foods and treats that can lead to tooth decay. This includes candy that is hard or sticky, those “leather” fruit snacks and sweet drinks and juice. Offer fruit itself rather than juice as the fiber in fruit tends to scrape teeth clean and juice exposes the teeth to sugar.