When to do the first dental visit?

[Marlena]

Ok. Dd is 28 months old. Her baby teeth are in, and everything seems fine.

I've heard all over that "one should take one's child to the dentist when s/he turns 2."

My question: Why?

Is there any good reason to take one's child to the dentist when s/he is 2 and when there appear to be no problems? Is this simply a matter of inculcating them in dealing with dentist hell (as if it would help)? Or are there real and common problems that I should stay on top of (yes, I know, dental caries, but is there anything else?), and that I'll need the assistance of a dentist to diagnose?

I'm a complete ignoramus with respect to this subject. Any and all productive comments are appreciated. Thanks!

[sozobe]

The two main reasons I see are:

1.) It doesn't have to be dentist hell. My dd had fillings and has had about 6 visits to the dentist's so far for follow-ups, cleaning, that kind of thing, and she LOVES going to the dentist. Seriously. Not, like, tolerates it, but really enjoys it. I wish that could have started without the cavities situation, but I'm really glad we're at where we are now. If she hadn't had any cavities, I would want to take her in to get used to it and become comfortable with it.

2.) There can "appear" to be no problems when there are, in fact, problems, and catching them early is always better. A tiny filling is much, much less of a big deal than a pulpotomy or crown if you wait until the problems are more apparent. Not saying there are problems, of course, but IF there are, they are often difficult-to-impossible to see with the naked eye. I was compulsively checking my dd's teeth after I started worrying about a spot on one of them, and was shocked to find out that she had 6 more besides. Those were pretty much entirely invisible to me, and I LOOKED.

All of that said, if you have no particular urgency, take your time, call around, and make sure you find a good dentist. There are great ones, and not-great ones. I think there are some threads on what to ask, and how to find a good one.

Good luck!

[malamamama]

I second Sozobe's thoughts/advice. In addition, depending on how your dental search goes, it doesn't necessarily need to be a pediatric dentist. General dentists who are good with children are sometimes the preferred choice. Dentists, just like doctors, vary.