First birthday present should be a visit to the dentist
11 August 2003
A visit to the dentist is the best present you can give your child for their first birthday, according to the Australian Dental Association (ADA).
Parents are being advised to take their children to the dentist at an early age to help prevent any problems which may occur as they grow and develop.
The advice comes as part of Dental Awareness Month, August 2003, a major oral health initiative of the ADA.
Chairman of the ADA’s oral health education committee, Dr Don Wilson said, ‘A child's first visit to the dentist should be within 6 months of the eruption of the first tooth or no later than 12 months of age’.
Children who visit the dentist regularly from their first birthday onwards are much less likely to experience problems with their teeth during their childhood. Also, by getting a child accustomed to visits at an early age, it becomes less likely they will suffer from a fear of dentists, the ADA advises.
Apart from the dentist examining the mouth, teeth and gums and checking for decay, they will also advise the parent on cleaning their child’s teeth, fluoride intake and adverse habits like such as thumb or finger sucking.
The ADA offers the following tips to parents as a way of helping their child feel comfortable about visiting the dentist.
- Make sure your child doesn’t hear scary stories about dental visits.
- Don't let your child know of your own anxiety about going to the dentist, which is especially important for children having their first check up at age 2 or beyond.
- For these older children, get them used to the sights, sounds and smells of a dental practice before their first visit, for example, by letting the child watch your own dental visit to acclimatise them to environment of a dental surgery.
- Another option is to read a story to a child about a visit to the dentist. Several books with this storyline are available.
Last Reviewed: 11 August 2003
