General Information
Dental Health is a right of each and every child! The parents and the dentist/pediatric dentist have to share the responsibility of delivering good preventive and therapeutic care to children.
The dental care is a continuous process, which starts in womb (in expectant mothers) and continues lifelong! The dental management of children starts with the education, counseling and preparation of parents prior to the actual dental treatment. Good communication with the parents is a key to successful management of children. This article throws light on the timing, manner and importance of first dental visit of a child.
- When should a child’s first dental visit be scheduled?
The first dental visit of a child is recommended within six months of the eruption of the first tooth and no later than the child’s first birthday. This has many goals.
- To check for decay and other problems.
- To educate parents regarding feeding and oral care.
- To identify the child’s fluoride needs.
Unfortunately, many a time we come across much advanced stages of dental problems! This is primarily due to either lack of information to parents on preventive dental care or absence of a painful condition. Also, at times, we, the dental professionals are a little reluctant to examine a precooperative child. However, interactions with parents at this stage can certainly benefit children mainly in terms of preventing early childhood caries.
However, rarely is the first dental visit of a child so well planned! More often than no we come across a child with an acute condition or multiple dental problems. This article also discusses the issues pertinent to such first dental visits. - Preparation of parents prior to the dental treatment:
Children are not just small adults! They behave, expect and relate to the surroundings much differently. While understanding and practicing dentistry for children a pediatric dentist or a dental surgeon also has to play roles of behaviour therapist and a counselor!
Parental counseling is important before starting the treatment in order to avoid future complications and misunderstandings. In doing so we have to render them the knowledge about the dental treatment modalities and child management techniques. The well informed parents can themselves prepare the children well at home for receiving treatment in a better manner.
Pleasant visits to the dental office promote the establishment of trust and confidence in a child that will last a lifetime. Parents must make the child familiarize with the dental clinic by having casual meetings with the doctor and the staff. The aims of such visits are exchange of information between parents and the doctor and establishing a good communication between the doctor and the child.
