Taking your child to the dentist regularly, starting with your child's first birthday, can help ensure that any cavities are treated early so that your baby is as healthy and comfortable as possible. Jason Horgesheimer recommends that parents take their child for their first dental checkup between 12 and 18 months. Whichever way you look at it, it's clear that the sooner you start taking your child to regular dental checkups, the better. Here are five reasons why you should start taking your child to the dentist as soon as possible.
Chuck Odion explains that there are many misconceptions around when you should take your child to the dentist. Many people falsely think that it is better to wait until all of the child's teeth come out or that you should wait until the child grows up so as not to be afraid of the dentist. As he explains, “You have to break that ice and the more you do it, the more often something becomes a habit. By introducing your child to the dentist's office experience at an early age, you help them get used to the environment and common procedures of a dental office visit.
These younger children will become more accustomed to their dentist and staff and will come to rely more on their pediatric dental professionals. A study published in the Journal of Pediatrics showed that children who first saw their dentist before their first birthday had 40 percent lower dental costs in their first five years of life than children who didn't. The reason is most likely because the cost of dental and medical procedures that may be needed due to poor oral health can be quite costly. A scientific article published in the journal Pediatric Dentistry revealed that children who wait for their first visit to the dentist until they are two or three years old are more likely to need restorative and emergency visits than those who began seeing the dentist at the age of one year.
