When do we take toddler to dentist?

[RomanGoddess]

Is there an age at which we are supposed to start taking our children to the dentist for regular check-ups? DD is almost 3 but has not been yet? Is it necessary to take her anytime soon?

Thanks for any thoughts on this.

[sunnysideup]

My dentist says 3yo for the first visit, earlier if you see something that needs attention.

[SuperMoM2GTO]

I heard when they first get teeth (???) DS saw the dentist for the first time last March. He was 16 mos. They told me to bring him in again in 6 mos unless there is a problem before hand.

[dbsam]

I've heard conflicting things...
My dentist said no need to take kids to the dentist until they are five! My pediatrician disagreed and said they s/h gone as soon as they had teeth. I took them to a pediatric dentist for the first time when they were two. (My dentist once again said I was wasting my money.) There wasn't much to the exam. She just looked in the mouth - no scraping, etc. We missed our six month follow-up due to illness but will be going to another pediatric dentist next week for an exam. The pediatric dentist said she's seen so many cases of rotten teeth in children under three. I figured I'd just have their teeth checked to be careful - plus our insurance covers most of it.

[Momalea]

My dd's pediatric dentist likes to start at age one. Unfortunatley we didn't start working with her until my dd was 5 after many bad experiences with other dentists.

My dd already had 2 cavities that were obvious and treated by age 4. The dentist we were using then was waaaay to lax and very long story short, dd ended up under general anesthesia with major work done at age 5. I wish we had taken her in earlier and had her examined more thoroughly.

I've had one cavity in my life at age 21 and I never, ever would have imagined we'd be dealing with these issues with my dd.

[SAHMinHawaii]

We have been taking our kids since they were 2. It was mostly at the time to get them used to being there. All the ped. dentist would do was count their teeth and give them a new toothbrush and stickers. But when it came time for their first cleaning at age 3, there were no tears or fear at all. I was glad we went. Some people think its pointless but i don't. At age 4 my dd had a tiny cavity that we caught early. I think it was from my MIL giving her chocolate chips in bed when she would stay over! We found out and put a stop to that. She hasn't a cavity since. My second dd just got her first cleaning last week and did great. We go every 6 months for a checkup. When my 5 year old got her first cleaning at age 3, the dentist first cleaned my teeth and she sat on my lap and watched..then it was her turn.

[dis]

My dentist likes to see kids for the first time when they have all their teeth in, or around age 2, whichever comes first. She just takes a look in the mouth to make sure everything looks OK at the first few appointments; mostly it's about letting the kids get comfortable at the office. She'll start doing cleanings whenever the child seems comfortable with it, generally around age 4 or so.

I also think it's a good idea to establish a relationship with a dentist so if you have a dental emergency you have someone to call! My DD chipped a tooth last week, and it was nice to be able to call the office and get her in right away to see her dentist. I'd hate to have my kid knock out a tooth or something and have to scamble around to find a dentist who will take a brand new patient.

[molarmama]

We recommend a well visit between 6 months and a year. Its important to see children BEFORE they have problems. If cavities arise, they can usually be filled quickly and without anesthetic if they are seen every 6 months. This is actually a recommendation by the American Dental Association.