How Often Should Kids Visit a Pediatric Dentist?

Regular dental visits twice a year or more are essential for keeping good oral and developmental health in children. It is recommended that all kids should visit a pediatric dentist regularly, starting when the first baby tooth appears and continuing until an adult's last tooth appears. These dental professionals can help detect issues early on, which leads to more treatment options and a better overall result. They can also provide information on lifestyle changes and home cleaning techniques to improve your child's oral health. Between the ages of 4 and 6, we start to include x-rays in your child's office to detect cavities and other problems that he may recognize in adult dentistry.

You should take your child to the dentist twice a year while monitoring their oral health. Pediatric dentists also work to discover and correct many oral problems early in their development to prevent those problems from continuing into adulthood. Always discuss your options with your pediatric dentist and establish a schedule appropriate to your child's personal needs. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children start seeing the dentist every six months, before their first birthday or after their first tooth comes out. Pediatric dentists are specially trained to inspect and manipulate children's mouths, dental problems, and the specific problems that children sometimes develop.

Like the pediatrician who cares for your child during routine exams, pediatric dentists are specifically trained to work with kids. All pediatric dentists undergo 2 or 3 years of specialized training after dental school and limit their practice to children. Pediatric dentists are aware of this additional importance in relation to dental care for children, so they work with you and your child to help develop good speaking and eating skills while maintaining consistent and accurate oral health care habits for your child. Because going to the dentist can be an anxiety-provoking experience, parents often choose a children's dentist who specializes in the dental needs of infants, toddlers, elementary age children, and teens. You may think that babies and younger people don't need to go to the dentist as often as adults, but that is not true - children should go to the dentist more often.

Pediatric dentists have the education and experience needed to detect these oral problems and address them before they cause permanent harm.

Sammy Bownds
Sammy Bownds

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