2.5 Y/o and Dentist

My son is 3.5 and I just took him for his first dental appt. They just polished his teeth and counted how many teeth he had. They said xrays were not needed yet to see how his next set of teeth were doing up in his gums. I was told that he will need to be seen every six months now for a cleaning. I thought that 3.5 was kind of young to be seen by a dentist but it seems to be the norm according to everyone I've talk with.

I have heard that generally "3" is the age. However, I got really bad advice from my ped. who told me not to worry about brushing her teeth until she was 2. By 2.5 she had 4 cavities! Apparently she does have really soft enamel which is just how her teeth are. I first took her to a dentist when she was about 2.25 years old because I noticed a dark hole on one of her teeth. Find a great pediatric dentist though.

I used to work as a dental assistant and we would usually see kids around the age of 3 and the first appointment was really just to get them used to the denist looking in their mouth. And I know at the office I worked for we didn't take xrays til they were 8 or 9. Hope that helped!

My sons pediatrician always told me 3 years old. Thats when we started going; different pediatric dentists I have heard do things differently. My sons dentist doesn't allow any parents in the back room with them, the office says it makes the kids behave completely differently and its much easier on the staff, the kids and mom and dad to keep the kids away from the parents.

And after hearing about how some kids freak out with their parents around, I agree. My son doesn't mind at all and he likes going to the dentist.

My reg dentist says 3 as well, but I took my son the first time at 1 1/2 cause I was concerned about some white spots on his teeth combined with the fact that we nursed right before bed. The ped dentist recommends an earlier age. Like 12 months...I think. It is just a simple check to make sure things are ok at that age and I think it's a good idea because some kids do have trouble before the age of 3 and if you let it go that long it just gets worse.

My pediatrician told me that they should see a dentist when they turn three. My daughter has her first dental appointment in two weeks ~ she turned three about three weeks ago.

Both of my children went to the dentist fairly early. My daughter does not have enamel on her molars which created the need to go sooner than "normal". Then with my son, I was worried and he saw her go so he did also.

I take them to a great dentist in Orland Park, it is called Orland Park Dentistry for Children. I researched others and this one was the best.

They are now 6 and 3 1/2 and they go every 6 months as required.

:) Good Luck to you.

I brought my son when he was 2.5. The dentist was great... let him play with the chair and the sink and even checked his bear's "teeth". I wanted him to be comfortable with the dentist and know this is another way we keep our bodies healthy.

3 years old is a good time to start.

My ped told me he recommends each child differently based on what he thinks they'll be able to handle. (my daughter started at 2yrs) If your child does okay at the ped's office, then I'd say make an appointment at the dentist.

We go to a special pediatric dentist downtown who takes A LOT of time with the kids. They let them touch all the equipment, and demonstrate how to brush on big stuffed animals with gigantic dentures. I stayed with my daughter the whole time, and if she got scared, she could sit on my lap. We go every 6 months.

We started at two w/ an exam and 3 with a cleaning. Hope that helps...

My dentist and a friend who is a dentist both said that unless there is a problem, then waiting until the age of 3 or 4 yo was fine.

you are suppost to start at the age of three. If you or your husband go to the dentist soon bringing your child along to meet and see what they do will help. My dentist plays with my daughter everytime I go. So she will not be scared when she starts. He has put her in the seat with me and listened to her heart and have her open her mouth. See if your dentist can do that. IT seems to work
M.

I started bringing my kids to the dentist when they were two (my daughter had some calcium build up on her teeth and I wanted to get it looked at). They have continued to see the dentist every 6 months since then.