A child should be taken to see their pediatric dentist for their first check-up at the first sign of a tooth. If you choose not to take your child at that time, just make sure to visit the pediatric dentist within the first year of the child’s life. Taking your child in for their first dental check-up helps to prevent future problems and ensures the teeth are growing in at the right pace.
A pediatric dentist has the same education as a regular dentist, but takes a few additional years of school to learn how to treat children and infants. This type of dentist can see your child from infancy through adolescence and understands how teeth and gums should develop throughout a child’s life.
It’s important to ensure your child’s teeth are forming at an appropriate pace and are healthy, as children need teeth in order to learn to speak and eat solid foods, this is where a pediatric dentist can help. Healthy baby teeth lead the path to healthy permanent teeth, so make sure your child has their first check-up early on. Most children begin to see the first few teeth erupt around six months of age and they continue to break through for the next year. By three, all primary teeth should be grown in. Every child is different, though, so don’t worry if your child’s teeth grow in a little late, your pediatric dentist can assist you with any concerns. Typically the four front teeth are first to erupt and the molars are last, and usually erupt around 18 months. If you notice your child hasn’t shown any signs of teething, and the child is more than one year old, take the child for a check-up to ensure everything is okay. Signs of teething might include drooling, irritation, biting, chewing and sucking on everything, swollen gums and more. Children typically begin to lose their teeth around six years of age when their permanent teeth begin to come through.
