Many people fail to understand why they should take their child to see a dentist on or before their first birthday.  Yet there are many advantages to beginning dental visits at an early age.  One of he main one reasons is not really about receiving treatment at all.  The first dental visit is more to establish a comfort level for yourself and your child while under the care of a dentist.

It is better to build a relationship with a dentist over time, then to wait until an emergency happens and then have to have real treatment provided under stressful circumstances. The child will be less panicked and, hopefully, more comfortable when more extensive dental issues need to be addressed if he or she is introduced to the dentist early and if able to experience the dentist under less traumatic conditions.

Another reason is to monitor for early dental problems that may arise. One early concern is known as “baby bottle tooth decay” and is usually attributed to babies who are given a bottle to fall asleep with. In reality, babies’ teeth are susceptible to tooth decay as soon as they erupt, and overall gum health prior to the teeth coming in can have a huge effect on the long-term health of baby teeth.   Of particular concern is when an infant’s diet starts to include anything more than breast milk or formula, when more solid foods are introduced which may contain more sugars and ingredients or components that can encourage bacterial growth resulting in cavities.