Your child's first dental visit: when to go and what happens

Book your child's first dental visit by their first birthday, or within six months of their first tooth coming through. That is the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics. A first visit with nothing to fix lets your child meet the chair, the light and the people before anything hurts.

At Durban Dental Care, a first visit is a check and a chat, and you go home with practical advice on brushing and toothpaste.

When to book

If your child is older and has never been, book a first visit now. We're open on Saturday mornings too, so school needn't get in the way.

We take medical aid, card and cash, and we're on Discovery's FlexiCare dental network.

Preparing your child

A little preparation at home helps your child know what to expect:

• Talk about the visit simply: someone will count your teeth and check that they are healthy.
• Book a time when your child is usually rested, not at nap time.
• Bring a comfort toy.
• Stay calm and positive yourself; children notice how you feel about the visit.
• Tell us if your child has been anxious at a dental visit before, and about any medical conditions, medicines or allergies.
• If your child is nervous, ask us whether anything on our comfort menu, such as headphones or softer lighting, would help.

How much toothpaste, at each age

Use a fluoride toothpaste from the first tooth. The amount changes with age:

Brush for your child, or watch while they brush, and teach them to spit out the extra rather than rinse, so the fluoride stays on the teeth. Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust in the UK advises supervising brushing until at least age 7, and using a toothpaste with no less than 1,000 ppm (parts per million) of fluoride; it recommends 1,450 ppm. The strength is printed on the tube.

Why baby teeth matter

Baby teeth hold space for the adult teeth that come through later, and children use them to chew and to speak. Decay in baby teeth can still cause pain and infection, even though the teeth will fall out.

In South Africa's 2002 national children's oral health survey, about six in ten 6-year-olds had tooth decay, and most of it had not been treated. An early check-up can find decay while it is still small.

After the first visit

Bring your child back at the interval we set: UK national guidance from NICE says children should have no more than 12 months between check-ups. Keep up brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, using the amounts above. When the first adult back teeth come through, at about age 6, ask about fissure sealants, a thin coating that protects the grooves of those teeth. The second molars follow at about age 12. As your child grows, check-ups can include a teeth cleaning when they need one.

If a baby tooth is knocked out, never put it back in; call us on 031 563 2473 so the gum and the teeth around it can be checked (see toothache and broken teeth). If your child grinds their teeth at night, read about teeth grinding; it is common in children and often stops by the teens. Everything we do for children is on our children's dental care page.

Your questions about a child's first visit