What age were your DC when they first went to the dentist?

[sidneyp]

I have a friend who has a 7mo DD who had her first dentist appointment.

My DS is 9 months and I haven't taken him yet.

Should I have taken him by now or is he still too young?

Don't feel bad. Get you baby a couple of baby tooth brushes and let them play with one and keep one for proper brushing. Let them watch you do it first as well as they like to copy. Boots do a lovely fluoride free baby toothpaste which tastes of either apple or strawberry and if safe if they swallow it. We let our daughter chew it around her mouth and she gets her teeth in the process, then at the end she lets us give them a quick going over.

She's one and has 8 teeth, she's not booked into the dentist until the summer

I attempted to take my eldest to the dentist as he turned 4 and then about 5. It wasnt until 7 he actually opened his mouth though. I think if you go to a private dentist they are happy to have babies, but if you go NHS they cant register them until they are 3 so wont do anything until then.

I took mine with me as I had dental checkups and still do, they were both under 1 and seen via NHS.

Mine just naturally came to my appointments so were seen from babies. Toothbrushing started as soon as they had teeth.

Age 2. And yes...brush the teeth

Get him registered as soon you you can. The reason it's recommended early is that so many practices aren't accepting new patients, or have long waiting lists

Definitely start brushing them now. You can get either normal children toothbrushes or the ones where it fits on your finger - I found this easier to start with until my DD got older and started biting really hard!!

As for the toothpaste be wary of the children's ones. I did that and my HV said there's a minimum level of flouride (according to NHS website it's a minimum of 1,000ppm) and the one i'd bought didn't reach this level. So now we just use a normal adult one. Obviously not the whitening ones.

I haven't taken my 12 month old to the dentist yet although like others was told to take her when I go. I still think she's a bit young myself. I'll probably take her when I next go.

Don't beat yourself up. It's super hard to know what to do with your first. Definite learning curve! x

We're told to take then when they first get teeth, so around 6 months. Most baby toothpaste has the required 1000ppm fluoride. Use a baby toothbrush and a smear of toothpaste to minimise swallowing

My DD has been going every 6 months since she was 6 months so has definitely been registered all that time.

Age 3 seems late to be registering

My son was 2 the first time because he fell and smacked his teeth at nursery. My daughter was 3 which is the standard in Norway, so I wouldn't worry too much! Just take DC in when you get the chance to be safe :)

Yes start brushing! You don't necessarily need to use toothpaste at that age but it's good to get them used to the sensation.

Definitely get brushing, OP! Tooth extraction for caries is the commonest reason for small children needing a general anaesthetic and surgery in hospital.
I still remember (with some anger toward his useless parent) having to anaesthetise an 8 year old with serious congenital heart disease for a full dental clearance - every single tooth was rotten beyond saving.
The crap father stood in the recovery room and actually laughed as he said the boy “will need dentures now”. It took all my professionalism to bite my tongue...

Closer to 3. Honestly, unless you have concerns about their teeth, it’s waste of time and NHS money. Taking a morning off work to drive an hour round trip to the dentist for him to look in their mouths for literally 5 seconds is a bit silly. I think mine were 5 before he ever did more than just look and usher us back out the door in 30 seconds.

2 years but I started brushing from the week the first tooth poked out.

My pre-schooler will be going next week. I’ll have a 9 month old with me too but when I made the appointment they seemed to suggest they had no interest in seeing the baby (I didn’t expect them to).

It’s not a waste of time or nhs resources what a strange attitude! You don’t need to take a morning off work either surely just take them when you go. I took mine along when I went and dentist always had quick look in mouth. It is quick and short but enough for them to check general health of mouth. It really is for getting the child
use to the dentist as wellness/ the waiting room, the chair, the masks, the dentist themselves etc. As they get older the examinations get more like a proper one but still quick. Taking them from babyhood means it’s normal for them. Plus you get advice and reassurance in their teeth and brushing. At home brush twice a day but don’t be too worried if they just chew so long as they are getting use to the routine that’s the main thing.

Mine were 4 when they went the first time. At 8months they didnt even have any teeth yet. They were quite late. I started brushing when the first teeth came through. And i regularly checked their teeth, but since nothing was wrong i just waited.

Definitely take them early! The sooner you go the sooner you can ask advice from the team about brushing and diet and how to protect teeth from decay. Dentists prefer NOT to fill/extract baby teeth!

National campaign www.bspd.co.uk/dental-check-by-one

My dc used to come with me at that age.
My dentist recommended normal adult toothpaste not children’s ones as they don’t have enough fluoride, We use the regular Colgate in the red box.

Most child toothpastes do contain 1000ppm which is what is advised at that age. We have Childsmile is Scotland and they advise going from the first teeth coming through. I'm sure our HV also gave a free toothbrush and toothpaste to us

www.child-smile.org.uk/parents-and-carers/toothbrushing/index.aspx

DS was about four months old.

He basically had a check of his gums and mouth.

Dentists check more than just teeth and it's good to get them used to the process early on.
We used a dry toothbrush on him before he had teeth too.
This was all on the recommendation of a relative who is a research dentist specialising in children.

DD would always come to my appointments with me when small. She didn't start her own appointments until 2 or 3 years old though

It's more of a waste on nhs resources when 2/3 year olds (and older) are coming to hospital to have most of their baby teeth removed under anaesthetic.

Take babies/toddlers with you on appointments so it can be at least familiar. Follow advice on how to look after babies teeth I'm sure there's plenty. sounds like dentists work differently but I'd want them checking regularly after 1. Look at what baby eats/ risks of decay.

Nearly 4. She’s a bit of a screamer with strangers and I was so surprised she jumped straight into the chair after her brother and opened her mouth on our visit last week

About 2 I think . They don’t do much when they are little , just count / look at them.

When they were babies! Took them with me when I went for check ups and the dentist always had a wee look. Started getting them proper check ups when they started getting teeth in. Something I’m really strict with my kids about, good oral hygiene. I didn’t take the best care of my teeth when I was young and have lots of fillings, don’t want the same for them