The Official Recommendation
The American Dental Association recommended 10 years ago, I think about 10 years ago, that a child should be seen by the time they have their first tooth. Now, I can tell you most children’s first teeth come in when they’re six months old. So that really shocked a lot of parents. “I have to take them to the dentist when they’re six months old?”
This recommendation is current and endorsed by multiple dental organizations. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association recommend that the child’s first visit should take place within 6 months of eruption of the first primary tooth and no later than at the age of 12 months (First Dental Visit: Age Reasons Oral Health Status and Dental Treatment Needs among Children Aged 1 Month to 14 Years – PMC).
But I was amazed and open armed about this declaration by the ADA that we should have kids and parents in by the age of six months. One, because I enjoy kids, but two, because I couldn’t believe how well I was getting the parents to care for the kids at a very young age.
The Power of Early Education
I was starting a pattern of education and care that I’ve seen now after being a dentist for 25 years follow through with this patient and they have no decay and here they are, you know, 19 years old. One of mine just left, 19 years old. They start coming when they’re five. I’m changing their education from when they’re six months to when they’re five or when you thought you should bring a kid in. It used to be, oh, three or four years old.
If we start early, we can really combat a lot of things that cause damage to teeth. One in particular, because I’m a holistic dentist, is breastfeeding. A lot of my patients love to breastfeed for longer periods of time, like until a child is three or four or five. And we can’t have milk sitting on the teeth and use that as a soothing mechanism with milk on the teeth. We have to give more of an education on how to care for teeth when they’re around milk.
Understanding the Breastfeeding Connection
And because milk has a sugar in it that can cause decay and that’s okay. We can still breastfeed. There’s nothing wrong with that. I love their choice. But I want to teach them how to care for those teeth. And so when you start having teeth, you got to start brushing your teeth. And if you’re six months old, guess who’s going to help you brush? Your mom and dad.
The research on breastfeeding and tooth decay is nuanced. While breastfeeding up to 12 months may actually protect against dental caries, children breastfed beyond 12 months showed an increased risk, particularly with nocturnal or frequent feeding (Breastfeeding and the risk of dental caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis – PubMed). Proper oral hygiene becomes essential when extended breastfeeding continues.
Not only is it an amazing way to help a patient from a very early age get the right habits, but it also gives great education to the two adults that are caring for a child.
What to Expect at That First Visit
It’s tough because when you’re treating a kid that’s six months to a year, that’s usually when they’re first coming in. They are still nonverbal. They can say yes and no and mama and dada maybe, but that’s about it. So when they see me and I’m coming at them and trying to clean their teeth, they’re going to scream.
But it’s hilarious how they scream bloody murder and then the second I take my hands off of them, they’re happy as a lark again. So the one scary thing for parents is the only way this child can communicate to me is by telling me “get off of me” by screaming. But they don’t mean that I’m hurting them. They just mean it like “hey stop messing with my teeth. I think this is weird.”
Building Trust Over Time
And then you won’t believe it. I have a kid that’s been coming at six months, then a year, and then now it’s one and a half. They kind of open their mouth when they see me like this and get ready. They’re ready for me to treat their teeth. They realize who I am.
It’s starting off at a very young age to get them used to the provider, but also to realize that once they start talking, they’re like, “Hey, Dr. Katie,” they’re jumping out of their car and running in here by the time they’re five.
The Real Benefit for Parents
So, parents just know they can scream, but it’s not a bad scream. It’s communication. And what you’re doing by bringing them in so early is setting up a lifetime of positive dental experiences and good oral health habits. You’re also getting the education you need as a parent to protect those tiny teeth as they come in. That early investment of time—even if it involves a little crying—pays dividends for decades to come in the form of a child who has healthy teeth, no fear of the dentist, and understands how to take care of their smile.
