A Calendar of Dental Visits to Your Child's Dentist

Here is a checklist for your child’s trips to your child's dentist. From infancy right up to teenage suggestions, this section will give you all the tips you’ll need for planning your dental visits. Plan your visit to see Dr. Markus and the team at the Centre For Dentistry.

Children, like adults need to be checked by the dentist twice a year. Tooth decay is not the only reason for going to see a dentist. The first and most important reason is prevention.

• Don’t discuss your own dental experience with your child. Your child’s dental visit will bear very little resemblance to your childhood visits. Be positive and upbeat.
• Don’t use the phrase, “We’re going to see the doctor” (the place where they get shots).
• If your child is two or older, bring him/her along with you to your next dental check-up.  Often the dentist will allow the child to sit in the chair and get his/her teeth counted. It makes the child feel grown-up and the makes it fun.
• Always brush your child’s teeth while sitting cross-legged on the floor. This puts him/her in a position resembling the position the dentist or hygienist will be examining him in for the first time.
• Stay away from sticky candies, which adhere to the grooves in the teeth, and promote decay.
• Rinse the mouth with water after ingesting soda or candy.

6 Months to 2 Years

At the first visit to your New Jersey dentist, you will be asked to fill out your child’s health history. If anything changes in the future, always let the dental team know.

Your dentist or hygienist will do a visual exam to:

• Evaluate the gums and tissues inside the mouth.
• Inspect for signs of healthy tooth eruption.
• Check the child’s jaw for normal development.
• Never mix baby formula with fluoridated water.  We believe that the best effects of fluoride are when it is applied directly to the tooth.  Drinking fluoridated water, and taking fluoride supplement vitamins is like swallowing sunscreen.  For more information about this, please visit fluorideaction.net  and be sure to read the interview with Dr. Bryson, or watch his video.
• We also want you to be aware that there is a direct link between autism and the use of vaccines that contain thimerosol.   Based on recent information, even though it is just a trace of thimerosol added as a preservative, your infant would need to weigh 275 pounds to have what the FDA considers a safe level of it, given the numbers of innoculations they receive prior to entering kindergarten.  Check out safeminds.org .  Be aware that there is no autism in the Mennonite and Amish populations.  Why?  Their children are not vaccinated.

3 to 6 years

At this age the dentist will monitor the baby teeth and may recommend sealants.  During the exam, the dentist will provide an ongoing assessment of changes in the child’s oral health and will:

• Review the child’s medical and dental state of health.
• Check for dietary changes.
• Examine the need for fluoride or sealants.
• Clean the child’s teeth.
• Take x-rays or digital images if necessary to check for decay between teeth.
• Take a panoramic x-ray to determine if all permanent teeth are present and erupting properly and to check for any deformities, abscesses or cysts.

7 to12 Years

During this visit the dentist will:

• Take the first round of x-rays to check for decay between the teeth.
• Do a visual check for tooth decay.
• Check to see if the teeth fit together properly.
• Determine whether an orthodontic evaluation is necessary.
• Discuss replacing worn sealants.
• Clean and polish the teeth.

Be sure to see the images and the orthodontic evaluation.

13 to 18 years

Any decisions made concerning the permanent teeth will last for the life of the tooth. Once a year, teenagers should receive a periodic dental exam which includes:

• Appropriate x-rays or digital images.
• A bite check to see how the teeth fit together.
• An oral cancer screening.
• A panoramic x-ray to check for the developing wisdom teeth.

Your teen should be scheduled for cleanings at least every six months.

*PARENTS’ NOTE: X-rays or digital images are only taken when they are necessary to diagnose tooth decay or abnormalities or for orthodontic problems. The frequency of x-rays depends on your child’s individual needs. Your New Jersey dentist should discuss your child’s needs with you before any images are taken. High-speed film and proper shielding will make the amount of radiation exposure minimal. Digital imagery is a new technique for taking x-rays and offers 90% less radiation. A panoramic x-ray may be taken as early as age four or five to assess the development of permanent teeth.

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Excerpted with the author's permission from "I Hate Dentists! The Feel-Good Guide to Going to the Dentist" We invite you to stop in with your child, and tour our office. We will be happy to give you a copy of "From Womb to Wisdom", a guide about caring for your children's teeth. We strongly recommend that such an introductory visit occur at around age 12 months. Please call ahead to make sure we are available for your tour.