Your Child’s First Dental Cleaning: What to Expect

Beginning with the emergence of your child's first tooth, you should start bringing them in to see your dentist twice each year. Here, our Saskatoon dentists explain what you can expect from your child's first dental cleaning.

In spite of the fact that your child will begin to visit the dentist on a regular basis around the age of one, the first dental cleaning will most likely take place a little later, once the bulk of the baby teeth has emerged.

Because of this, the initial cleaning will be performed during the toddler years, when you child is between 12 and 36 months. At this time, your child's dentist will be able to detect and remove plaque and tartar before they become a serious issue. 

Preparing Your Child for Their First Dental Cleaning

It's important that you spend some time speaking with your child about what will happen before you bring them in for their first cleaning appointment. Talk to children about the significance of keeping their teeth healthy, and describe what the dentist will do in language that is suitable for their age and stage of development.

You might want to try and keep it basic. Providing too many details may cause your youngster to get concerned. Most of the time, we recommend that parents say something along the lines of this:

"The dentist is going to look at your teeth, count them, and make sure they are healthy and strong. The dentist’s name is Dr. Doctor. They are really nice!"

If your child is already a bit worried about going to the dentist, try to avoid using unpleasant words and phrases around them. If you use softer language to describe dental discomfort, make sure you don't use words like shot, pinch or needle in your descriptions. These words, while accurate, may stick out in your kid's mind and make them worried despite your softer approach.

If dentist appointments are a source of worry for you, try not to express your feelings to your kid during the session. When it comes to responding to new experiences, they look to you for direction. If you appear to be concerned, they will be as well.

During the Appointment

We encourage you to talk to us ahead of time and tell us a little about your child and their personality. Do they have a tendency to be afraid or rebellious when confronted with uncertainty or a new situation? Does your child have any attachment or developmental concerns that we should know about before the appointment?

The more information we have, the more we will be able to cater to your child's individual requirements and ensure that they receive the care that they require.

At the beginning of the session, we will inspect your child's teeth, jaws, gums, and bite to ensure that they are in good health.

In addition, we will use specialized devices to remove plaque and tartar from the teeth, exactly like we do with adult patients.

We will present some recommendations for proper brushing and flossing techniques. Whether your child flosses and brushes their own teeth or you do it for them, it doesn't hurt to get a refresher on the subject. 

Feel free to ask any questions you may have about your kid's oral health or any upcoming dental treatments during your visit with us.

Following the completion of the exam and cleaning, we will schedule any required follow-up visits. Also, if you like, we may schedule the next cleaning and checkup session sooner if necessary.

Is it time for your child's first dental cleaning? Contact our Saskatoon dentists for an appointment today!