If you have little ones in the house, then you know how important it is to keep their teeth and mouths healthy and clean! From the moment your child gets his or her first tooth, you already have some things to start considering.
Thumb sucking, pacifiers, juice, and a few other things are all factors affecting your child’s dental hygiene.
Because there are so many things fighting against the health of your child’s teeth, it’s essential that you get them into a pediatric dental office soon. When you know you need to schedule an appointment with an Arlington pediatric dentist, there are a few questions to ask first.
Asking all of the right questions before seeing your child’s dentist will help prepare you and your little one for the first visit. Continue reading below for a list of all the important questions worth asking before your appointment!
1. How Can I Make My Child Comfortable?
We want your child to enjoy each and every visit with us. That’s why it’s essential that we work as a team to ensure your child feels comfortable while at the office. We understand that visiting the dentist for the first time for a young child can be a scary experience.
There are a lot of new faces, sounds, and equipment all within the office. To make your child feel more comfortable, consider visiting the office before the first appointment. This will give you and your child time to get familiar with everyone and everything inside the office.
2. How Often Does My Child Need to Be Seen?
All children should visit the dentist on a regular basis to prevent dental issues. Starting at a young age will help your child create healthy dental hygiene habits. Once your child starts visiting the dentist, he or she should come back every 6 months for regular check-up appointments.
These appointments will ensure that your child’s teeth are cavity-free, decay-free, and nice and healthy. The dentist will also be able to give you some tips on how to keep your child’s teeth healthy and will address any issues if they arise.
Every child is different and has different dental needs. Because of this, your child might need to see the dentist more frequently than every 6 months.
3. What Should I Do About a Toothache?
If your child has a toothache but your appointment isn’t scheduled until a later date, then you might want to ask your child’s dentist how to handle a toothache at home until your child can be seen. At the first sign of a child’s toothache, rinse the mouth with warm saltwater.
You can then take a cold compress and place it on your child’s face. This will reduce swelling if any and will help ease some of the pain. If the pain is severe, then you can give your little one child acetaminophen.
Call the Arlington kids’ dentist as soon as possible and let them know what’s going on. In case of a tooth emergency, your child will be scheduled in as soon as possible.
4. What Age Should I Start Bringing My Child at?
Lots of parents wonder what age is the right age to start bringing their children to the dentist. A pediatric dentist in Arlington is trained to work with even the littlest of teeth. As soon as your child grows in his or her first tooth, schedule an appointment for him or her to be seen.
The sooner that you can get your child into the dentist, the better. This will help make your child feel more comfortable as he or she gets older. It’ll also help prevent tooth decay from the very start.
5. What Can I Expect From the First Visit?
All children react to the dentist in their own ways. You won’t know how your child reacts to visiting the dentist until he or she arrives. You don’t want to place your child in a situation to become afraid of the dentist.
That’s why it’s important to take things slow and one step at a time while your child is still getting familiar with the process. If everything goes well, your child will have his or her first dental exam and a fluoride treatment will be done as well.
6. How Does a Pediatric Dentist Differ From a Family Dentist?
A pediatric dentist is trained to work with children from infancy throughout their adolescent years. A pediatric dentist’s office in Arlington knows how to make young children feel comfortable and have an enjoyable experience. All staff is also trained and have experience working with little ones.
Anxiety in young children is normal when they visit the dentist, and our staff knows how to handle their anxiety and make the visit as pleasant as possible.
7. What’s the Proper Way to Clean My Child’s Teeth?
Before scheduling your appointment, or while on the phone to schedule the appointment, you can ask your Arlington pediatric dentist what the proper way to clean your child’s teeth is. This is good information to know and to start implementing as soon as you can.
For infants, you can use a soft cloth or a soft-bristled infant toothbrush to gently clean the teeth once a day. Before bedtime is always a good time because it’ll remove plaque before they sleep. For older children, have them brush twice a day and floss once a day.
Schedule a Visit With Your Arlington Pediatric Dentist Today!
Does your little one have a new tooth growing in? If so, be sure to call us today to schedule your child’s first appointment with an Arlington pediatric dentist!
Click here to request an appointment today. We look forward to hearing from you and meeting you and your family!