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A Child's First Dental Visit Fact Sheet

When should your child first see a dentist? You can take your child at a younger age, but experts recommend taking him or her within 6 months of the first tooth coming in (erupting), or by about 12 months at the latest.

At this time, the dentist can give you information on:

Baby bottle tooth decay

Infant feeding practices

Mouth cleaning

Pacifier habits

Finger-sucking habits

Prepare your child

If possible, schedule morning appointments so young children are alert and fresh.

Prepare a preschooler or older child for the visit by giving him or her a general idea of what to expect. Explain why it is important to go to the dentist. Build excitement and understanding.

Prepare yourself

Discuss your questions and concerns with the dentist. Remember that your feeling toward dental visits can be quite different from your child's. Be honest with your view of the dentist. If you have dental anxieties, be careful not to relate those fears or dislikes to your child. Parents need to give moral support by staying calm while in the dental exam room. Children can pick up parents' anxieties and become anxious themselves.

Prepare the dentist

At the first visit, give the dentist your child's complete health history. For a restoration visit, such as getting a cavity filled, tell the dentist if your child tends to be stubborn, defiant, anxious, or fearful in other situations.

Watch how your child reacts. Many parents are able to guess how their child will respond and should tell the dentist. Certain behaviors may be linked to your child's age:

10 to 24 months. Some securely attached children may get upset when taken from their parents for an exam.

2 to 3 years. A securely attached child may be able to cope with a brief separation from parents. In a 2-year-old, "no" may be a common response.

3 years. Three-year-olds may not be OK being apart from a parent when having a dental procedure such as getting a cavity filled. This is because most 3-year-olds are not socially mature enough to separate from parents.

4 years. Most children should be able to sit in another room from parents for exams and treatment procedures.

The first visit

Your child's first dental visit is to help your child feel comfortable with the dentist. The first dental visit is recommended by 12 months of age, or within 6 months of the first tooth coming in. The first visit often lasts 30 to 45 minutes. Depending on your child's age, the visit may include a full exam of the teeth, jaws, bite, gums, and oral tissues to check growth and development. If needed, your child may also have a gentle cleaning. This includes polishing teeth and removing any plaque, tartar, and stains. The dentist may show you and your child proper home cleaning such as flossing, and advise you on the need for fluoride. Baby teeth fall out, so X-rays aren’t often done. But your child's dentist may recommend X-rays to diagnose decay, depending on your child's age. X-rays are also used to see if the root of a jammed baby tooth may be affecting an adult tooth. In general, it is best that young children not have dental X-rays unless absolutely needed.

The second visit

Just like adults, children should see the dentist every 6 months. Some dentists may schedule visits more often, such as every 3 months. This can build comfort and confidence in the child. More frequent visits can also help keep an eye on a development problem.

Protect your children's teeth at home

 Here are some tips to protect your children's teeth:

Before teeth come in, clean gums with a clean, damp cloth.

Start brushing with a small, soft-bristled toothbrush and a very small amount of toothpaste (the size of a grain of rice) when your child's first tooth appears. Use a pea-sized dab of fluoridated toothpaste after 3 years of age. This is when the child is old enough to spit out the toothpaste after brushing.

Prevent baby bottle tooth decay. Don't give children a bottle of milk, juice, or sweetened liquid at bedtime or when put down to nap.

Limit the time your child has a bottle. Your child should empty a bottle in 5 to 6 minutes or less.

Help your child brush his or her own teeth until age 7 or 8. Have the child watch you brush, and follow the same brushing pattern to reduce missed spots.

Limit foods and treats that increase tooth decay. This includes hard or sticky candies, fruit leather, and sweetened drinks and juice. Offer fruit rather than juice. The fiber in fruit tends to scrape the teeth clean. Juice just exposes the teeth to sugar.

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When Should Baby Visit the Dentist for the First Time?

Medical review policy, latest update:, when to schedule baby's first dental visit, how to choose a dentist for your child, read this next, what happens at baby's first dentist visit, tips to make your child’s dentist visit easier, how often to visit the dentist.

Based on how your toddler’s teeth look, your dentist will let you know when to make the next visit. Most experts recommend that toddlers see the dentist about every six months — as long as there are no major problems. So don’t forget to schedule your child’s second appointment on your way out the door!

What to Expect the First Year , 3rd Edition, Heidi Murkoff. What to Expect the Second Year , Heidi Murkoff. WhatToExpect.com, Toddler Dental Care , March 2019. WhatToExpect.com, Is Your Toddler Teething? , April 2020. WhatToExpect.com, Preventing Cavities and Keeping Baby's Teeth Healthy , April 2020. WhatToExpect.com, Brushing Baby's Teeth , July 2020. American Academy of Pediatrics, Baby's First Tooth: 7 Facts Parents Should Know , November 2020. American Academy of Pediatrics, Good Oral Health Starts Early , November 2020 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Frequently Asked Questions , 2021. American Dental Association, Taking Care of Your Child’s Smile , May 2014.

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Your Baby's First Dental Visit

Your baby is hitting new milestones every day, and his or her first dental visit is another one to include in the baby book!

Your child’s first dental visit should take place after that first tooth appears , but no later than the first birthday. Why so early? As soon as your baby has teeth , he or she can get cavities. Being proactive about your child’s dental health today can help keep his or her smile healthy for life. (Need a dentist? Use our Find-A-Dentist tool to find one in your area.)

How to Prepare

Moms and dads can prepare, too. When making the appointment, it can’t hurt to ask for any necessary patient forms ahead of time. It may be quicker and easier for you to fill them out at home instead of at the office on the day of your visit.

Make a list of questions, as well. If your child is teething , sucking his or her thumb  or using a pacifier  too much, your dentist can offer some advice.

What to Expect During the Visit

If your child cries a little or wiggles during the exam, don’t worry. It’s normal, and your dental team understands this is a new experience for your child!

Tips for a Great Visit

• Don’t schedule an appointment during naptime. Instead, pick a time your child is usually well-rested and cooperative.
• Make sure your child has had a light meal and brushes their teeth before their appointment so they won’t be hungry during their visit.
• Save snacks for after the visit so they aren’t on your child’s teeth during the exam.
• Think of the appointment as a happy and fun experience. If your child becomes upset during the visit, work with your dentist to calm your child. You’re on the same team!

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Your Baby’s First Dental Visit

You and your baby managed to survive the first round of teething ! Congratulations! But what do you do now that your precious nugget’s adorable little first chompers have finally emerged? Yes, brush them, but are dental visits really in the cards already? If you’re unsure you’re not alone! Here’s your guide to when to make that first appointment…and what to expect once you get there. 

When do children need to visit the dentist for the first time?

Sooner than you think! Both the   American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommend that your kiddo be examined by a dentist soon after their first tooth erupts…or within six months of their first birthday. Unfortunately, studies show that the average age when children actually first visit the dentist is three years old!

Perhaps this is because some parents are confused as to why a baby would need to see a dentist when their smile is only sporting one or two teeth . Here’s why:

Quells fears. When children visit the dentist early, they learn not to fear the dentist, which makes those future appointments go smoother.

Learn about dental care. Tots can learn early dental care habits that’ll help keep their teeth clean, healthy, and—fingers crossed—cavity-free.

Spot problems early. When dentists catch potential problems early, they can intervene before those issues become more serious.

Do children need to see a pediatric dentist?

Need? No. General dentists who enjoy kids can be a perfect fit. Just know that a pediatric dentist has two to three years specialty training following dental school and they only treat the smallest of patients. General dentists have about five weeks of training in treating kids.

How to prepare for your baby or toddler’s first dental visit:

Here’s the thing: Your tot has no reason to fear the dentist…they ’ ve never visited one before! So, it’s up to you to set the stage for a positive experience. Here are some ways to do just that:

Get the timing right. Choose an appointment time for when your child is at their most alert, happy...and well fed. That means it’s best to avoid the dentist during nap or feeding times, when kiddos will likely be hungry and fussy.

Call ahead. Waiting is hard for little ones. Before you head out the door, make sure your dentist is on schedule.

Give a preview. If your child is old enough, talk about what they can expect, like the cool dental chair that goes up in the air and the fun sunglasses they get to wear. You can also play dentist at home, so your child can get used to someone looking at their pearly whites up close.

Do this ahead of time. To make that first appointment go off without a hitch, see if you can fill out any paperwork before the appointment so you can focus solely on your tot during the visit.

What happens at the first dental appointment?

Your tyke’s first visit to the dentist is primarily a meet-and-greet to get everyone acquainted. You can expect the appointment to last around 30 minutes, and you’ll spend most of your time answering questions about the following:

• Family dentist history
• Pacifier use
• Bottle and breastfeeding schedules and habits
• Oral hygiene
• Sleeping habits

Your child’s dentist will also give a quick, no-stress first exam. Typically, your first-timer can sit on your lap while you lounge in the dental chair. This can work wonders for keeping littles calm, especially if they are nervous about a near-stranger peering into their mouth. During the exam, the dentist will:

Count teeth

Check for cavities and other dental issues

Assess development by looking at jaw, bite, gums, tongue, and the roof of your kiddo’s mouth

Clean teeth with a soft toothbrush if plaque is found to demonstrate brushing technique

Discuss a home dental-hygiene routine

Your child’s dentist might also offer a fluoride varnish treatment, which can help prevent, slow down, or stop tooth decay. (Fluoride is a mineral that works to strengthen tooth enamel.) The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that primary care physicians apply a fluoride varnish to all infants and toddlers starting when their first tooth appears (and through the age of 5), but if your child’s doctor hasn’t mentioned it, ask your pediatric dentist about it.

How often do toddlers need to go to the dentist?

Just like you, children should see a dentist once every six months. For toddlers, especially those who fear the dentist, it may be beneficial to inquire about visiting the dentist once every three months to establish trust and confidence.

Got more teeth questions? Here's help!

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What To Expect At Your Child's First Dentist Visit

The ADA and pediatricians recommend that every child see a dentist by the time their first tooth comes in or when they turn 1 year old (whichever comes first.) Since most dental problems are preventable, these early visits can help your baby or toddler get a jump-start on having healthy teeth for life. Knowing what to plan for with kids’ dental care can help you minimize any anxiety or nervousness so that future checkups are as easy as possible.

Risk Of An Untreated Rotten Baby Tooth

When baby teeth have issues, fixing them isn’t as simple as just pulling the tooth so that the new one can grow in. Your baby or toddler needs that primary tooth to act as a space saver for the adult tooth that’s growing in underneath. Otherwise, it can lead to serious issues like orthodontic complications or even speech impediments.

Untreated tooth decay in rotten baby teeth actually sets your child’s permanent teeth up for unnecessary infection. Since decay and bacteria can spread to the developing teeth underneath, delaying dental care can lead to serious complications.

Kids dental care with a family or pediatric dentist will revolve around preventative strategies and early intervention, to avoid rotten baby teeth and unnecessary side effects. In most cases, the best treatment is to fill the cavity with a small filling as soon as it ruptures through the enamel (because baby teeth can decay at extremely fast rates!)

When Should Your Child First Visit The Dentist?

Don’t wait until there’s a toothache before you schedule your child’s first dental visit. In fact, a baby’s first dental appointment needs to happen before their first birthday or when their first tooth comes in. Your family or pediatric dentist will want to evaluate for things like:

• oral development
• tongue ties

And as teeth start coming in, they’ll also screen for:

• baby bottle tooth decay
• impacted teeth
• overbites and underbites
• thumb and finger sucking
• speech problems

Since most of these conditions are best handled as early as possible, seeing your family or pediatric dentist by the recommended age of 1 will help you ensure that your baby or toddler has the best chances at a future healthy smile. Even though those teeth will eventually fall out and get replaced with permanent adult teeth, some of them will need to last well until when your child is in junior high.

What Happens At My Baby/Child’s Cleaning Appointment?

Once your baby’s 1-year old dental checkup is over, you’ll want to plan on scheduling regular six-month checkups just like the rest of your family members. Since every child is different when it comes to what they’re comfortable with or able to sit through, your family or pediatric dentist will play it by ear when it comes to their first cleaning.

It can help to bring your toddler or young child in to watch your own cleaning (or a sibling’s) as long as you have another adult there to help hold them. This experience can minimize any fear or anxiety related to their first dental cleanings .

For the most part, a toddler’s first dental cleaning will be when they’re around 2 or 3 years old. Again, this depends on the child. The dentist or hygienist will likely ease into the cleaning by “counting” your child’s teeth, using a special polishing tool (“electric toothbrush”), scaling off plaque (“using a toothpick”) and then applying fluoride (“vitamins”) to ward off cavities.

Depending on how cooperative your toddler or child is, your dentist will eventually start taking yearly checkup X-rays to screen for cavities and impacted teeth. This could be as early as 2-3 years old or as late as age 5.

Overview Of Your Childs First Dental Appointment 

It’s super important for you to bring your baby or toddler to the dentist every six months for checkups. Preventative visits help you avoid common dental problems and eliminate the risk of associating the dentist’s office with pain (which can happen if you wait until your child as a toothache or other dental problem.)

Baby’s first dental visit needs to be scheduled by the time their first tooth pops through or by their first birthday (whichever one happens first). Ask your family dentist if they see children or if it’s ok for your toddler to watch during your next checkup. The more familiar they are with the checkup and teeth cleaning experience, the better chances there are that your child won’t be as nervous when it’s time for their own visit.

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From the First Tooth

Resources for parents & caregivers.

Your Baby’s First Dental Visit

What will happen at the first dental visit.

• Your child will sit in your lap
• The parent will sit facing the dentist or dental hygienist.
• The child will lie facing you with his or her head in the dentist or dental hygienist’s lap.
• You will be able to hold hands with and talk to your child.
• Your child may fuss or cry, but that is ok. It makes it easier to see inside the baby’s mouth. The exam will be over in just a few minutes.
• Click here to read more about the Age 1 dental visit.

If your child is older, he or she may sit in the dental chair for a gentle exam

During your visit, the dentist or hygienist may:.

• Clean your child’s teeth
• Provide a fluoride treatment
• Perform an x-ray
• Make suggestions on how to best care for your child’s mouth
• Schedule you for your child’s next appointment

Getting and Losing Teeth

When teeth start to appear.

• Baby teeth usually start to appear between 4-7 months of age. The lower teeth usually come in first. Once your baby’s teeth appear, it is time to start brushing them with a smear of fluoride toothpaste on an infant sized toothbrush. A smear of toothpaste is the size of a grain of rice.
• At 4 years old, your child’s jaw and facial bones will likely grow to make space between the baby teeth so that adult teeth have room to come in.

Losing Teeth

• Between the ages of 6 and 12 years, your child will start losing baby teeth. During these years, your child’s smile will have both adult and baby teeth. When teeth fall out, they can fall out in any order.
• Tooth Eruption Chart

Adult Teeth

• Usually the middle teeth (central incisors) are the first to come out around age 6 to 7 years.
• The ones on the sides of the middle teeth (lateral incisors) come out around age 7 or 8.
• Molars and canines can be lost at any time after age 8, and will be gone by age 9 to 12.
• Around age 12 years, your child will have a set of 28 permanent, adult teeth.
• Be sure to inspect your child’s teeth for signs of decay. If you see something that concerns you, call a dentist right away.

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• A Child's First Dental Visit Fact Sheet

When should your child first see a dentist? You can take your child at a younger age, but experts recommend taking your child within 6 months of the first tooth coming in (erupting), or by about 12 months at the latest.

At this time, the dentist can give you information on:

Baby bottle tooth decay

Infant feeding practices

Mouth cleaning

Pacifier habits

Finger-sucking habits

Prepare your child

If possible, schedule morning appointments so young children are alert and fresh.

Prepare a preschooler or older child for the visit by giving them a general idea of what to expect. You can tell them about the exam room, the instruments they might see, the face masks the dentist and hygienist may wear, and the bright exam light. Explain why it is important to go to the dentist. Build excitement and understanding.

Prepare yourself

Discuss your questions and concerns with the dentist. Remember that your feeling toward dental visits can be quite different from your child's. Be honest with your view of the dentist. If you have dental anxieties, be careful not to relate those fears or dislikes to your child. Parents need to give moral support by staying calm while in the dental exam room. Children can pick up parents' anxieties and become anxious themselves.

Prepare the dentist

If you don't know the dentist, interview the person first to see if they sound right for your child's needs and personality. At the first visit, give the dentist your child's complete health history. For a restoration visit, such as getting a cavity filled, tell the dentist if your child tends to be stubborn, defiant, anxious, or fearful in other situations. Ask the dentist how they handle such behavior. If you aren't comfortable with the answer, find another dentist.

Watch how your child reacts. Many parents are able to guess how their child will respond and should tell the dentist. Certain behaviors may be linked to your child's age:

10 to 24 months. Some securely attached children may get upset when taken from their parents for an exam.

2 to 3 years. A securely attached child may be able to cope with a brief separation from parents. In a 2-year-old, "no" may be a common response.

3 years. Three-year-olds may not be OK being apart from a parent when having a dental procedure, such as getting a cavity filled. This is because most 3-year-olds are not socially mature enough to separate from parents.

4 years. Most children should be able to sit in another room from parents for exams and treatment procedures.

The first visit

Your child's first dental visit is to help your child feel comfortable with the dentist. The first dental visit is recommended by 12 months of age, or within 6 months of the first tooth coming in. The first visit often lasts 30 to 45 minutes. Depending on your child's age, the visit may include a full exam of the teeth, jaws, bite, gums, and oral tissues to check growth and development. If needed, your child may also have a gentle cleaning. This includes polishing teeth and removing any plaque, tartar, and stains. The dentist may show you and your child correct home cleaning, such as flossing, and advise you on the need for fluoride. Baby teeth fall out, so X-rays aren’t often done. But your child's dentist may recommend X-rays to diagnose decay, depending on your child's age. X-rays are also used to see if the root of a jammed baby tooth may be affecting an adult tooth. In general, it is best that young children not have dental X-rays unless absolutely needed.

The second visit

Just like adults, children should see the dentist every 6 months. Some dentists may schedule visits more often, such as every 3 months. This can build comfort and confidence in the child. More frequent visits can also help keep an eye on a developmental problem. Talk to your dentist about payment options if the cost of dental care is a problem for you.

Protect your children's teeth at home

 Here are some tips to protect your children's teeth:

Before teeth come in, clean gums with a clean, damp cloth.

Start brushing with a small, soft-bristled toothbrush and a very small amount of fluoride toothpaste (the size of a grain of rice) when your child's first tooth appears. Use a pea-sized dab of fluoridated toothpaste after 3 years of age. Children should spit after brushing. Encourage them not to swallow extra toothpaste.

Prevent baby bottle tooth decay. Only put breastmilk or formula in bottles. Don't give children a bottle of juice, soft drinks, or sweetened liquid.

Limit the time your child has a bottle. Children should finish bottles before going to sleep.

Encourage your child to use a cup around their first birthday.

Help your child brush their teeth until age 7 or 8. Have the child watch you brush and follow the same brushing pattern to reduce missed spots.

Limit foods and treats that increase tooth decay. This includes hard or sticky candies, fruit leather, and sweetened drinks and juice. Offer fruit rather than juice. The fiber in fruit tends to scrape the teeth clean. Juice just exposes the teeth to sugar.

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Baby is age 1? The dentist will see you now

A lot happens at the age-1 dental visit — and much of it involves no tools in the mouth.

Because baby teeth are at risk of decay as soon as they emerge, the infancy dental visit is a critical opportunity for dentists to identify disease early and manage caries using conservative, nonsurgical techniques, such as silver diamine fluoride and fluoride varnish. Early caries management reduces both the likelihood that infants with caries in their primary teeth will develop caries in their permanent teeth and the likelihood that untreated dental disease will eventually require surgical intervention.

Dental caries remains the most common chronic disease of childhood according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the evidence to support the need for early intervention and education is strong.

Whether any treatment is needed, the age-1 dental visit is an equally critical and first opportunity for dentists to educate and inform the parent or caregiver about children’s oral health. This includes providing guidance on preventing dental injury and establishing and maintaining good oral health habits.

Dentists who lack experience or are new to seeing infant patients have support from CDA. The online C.E. program “TYKE: Treating Young Kids Everyday” is designed specifically to increase dentists’ confidence to see babies and young children and is free for CDA members.

Dentists who still prefer not to see children for the age-1 dental visit should always refer the parent or caregiver to a pediatric or other dentist who sees young children.

After the first oral health visit by age 1, regular visits should continue for the young patient to establish a “dental home” for the patient. In fact, California law requires that every public school child in the state receive an oral health assessment by a dentist or dental professional by their first year of school.

Odds of having caries significantly increases each year care is delayed

Evidence increasingly suggests that to successfully prevent dental disease, the preventive interventions must begin within the first years of a child’s life. With every year that dental visits are delayed after age 1, for example, dental disease is more likely to require surgical intervention rather than being prevented or arrested.

“If appropriate measures are applied sufficiently early — in infancy — it may be possible to raise a cavity-free child,” the authors write in “The Importance of the Age One Dental Visit,” published in 2019 by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s Pediatric Oral Health Research and Policy Center.

The authors cite a 2018 multicenter study of over 2,000 children, which found that children who have a first dental visit at age 5 have “nearly 20 times the odds of having caries at their first dental visit compared to a child whose first dental visit was at age one.”

Huong Le, DDS, MA, chief dental officer of Asian Health Services in Oakland, says pediatricians at the health center are encouraged to apply fluoride varnish on their infants’ teeth and refer the patients to a dentist at the center no later than their first birthday.

“This policy is written in our clinical protocol and business plan so that all of us are reminded to make referrals as recommended,” Dr. Le says. “Our slogan is ‘All babies should receive their first dental exam by the age of 1, because two is too late!’”

Opportunity to conduct a caries risk assessment, build trust, prevent surgery

Children’s primary teeth typically start coming in between ages 6-12 months, but teething can begin sooner and continue past the first year. Many caregivers may be surprised to learn that baby teeth are susceptible to decay as soon as they appear. Here is where the dentists’ role in explaining the connection between oral health and overall health is vital and offering techniques for proper self-care is essential.

The dentist has an opportunity to not only communicate with caregivers about infants’ oral health needs but to demonstrate techniques for effective gum-cleaning and teeth brushing, for example.

By seeing patients at age 1, dentists can:

• Counsel caregivers in infant oral hygiene, healthful dietary practices and fluoride therapies for application at home and in the dental office.
• Introduce children and their families to prevention to head off the development of dental problems.
• Conduct a caries risk assessment.
• Apply, if needed, conservative therapies as needed to delay or prevent the need for surgical intervention.
• Reduce, through early intervention, a caregiver’s costs and patient’s discomfort related to restorative care and emergency treatment secondary to infection.
• Establish a dental home early in the child’s life to build foundational trust in the patient-provider-caregiver relationship and increase utilization of care.

As noted above, early-age dental visits can save families significant expense because untreated dental disease necessitates more extensive and costly restorative or emergency-room treatment as the disease increases in severity.

A study published in the journal Pediatrics found that children who had their first preventive dental visit by age 1 were more likely to have subsequent preventive visits but were not more likely to have subsequent restorative or emergency visits. And a study published in 2019 in the Journal of the American Dental Association found that use of emergency department services was increasing nationally, with an “estimated 2.4 million dentally related ED visits occurring in 2014 at an average cost of $971 per visit for children younger than age 18.”

C.E. course increases dentists’ confidence to see babies and young children

Dental offices should be prepared to respond appropriately to parents and caregivers who call to schedule an examination for their infant. Dentists who are educating their pregnant patients about good pediatric oral health habits have already counseled the patient about the importance of baby’s first dental exam and can anticipate scheduling these appointments.

Dentists who would like to build their confidence in seeing babies and young children can do so through a CDA-developed program that more than 9,200 dentists to date have completed.

The course, “TYKE: Treating Young Kids Everyday,” provides education and training to support dental teams in using caries risk assessment, disease prevention and early interventions to reduce tooth decay among children ages birth to 6 years.

Dentists who complete the course will earn 2 units of continuing education and learn how to:

• Recognize how early childhood caries affects children’s oral health.
• Perform caries risk assessments to individualize interventions and recall.
• Implement the 6-Step Infant Oral Care Visit process in their practice.
• Promote early prevention and intervention techniques.
• Implement motivational interviewing and goal setting.
• Promote healthy daily family behaviors.
• Complete appropriate documentation and effective follow-up.

The course is free for CDA members and dentists enrolled as Medi-Cal providers.

Here are some resources dentists can start using immediately:

• CDA’s 6-Step Infant Oral Care Visit Overview
• CDA’s Self-Management Goals for the Parent or Caregiver
• ADA’s Tiny Smiles Dental Professional’s Packet with an introduction, poster for display in the office and activity sheets (also available in Spanish)
• CDA’s in-office flyer on care of baby teeth

Dentists’ role in the Kindergarten Oral Health Care Requirement

Many children, especially those in California’s more vulnerable populations, will not have an age-1 dental visit, and many won’t be seen prior to starting school. The need to establish a dental home for these children is vital, as is the dentist’s continuing role in early prevention.

In California, children entering public school are instructed to have their oral health assessed by a dental professional by May 31 of their first school year — either kindergarten or first grade — as part of the state’s Kindergarten Oral Health Care Requirement that took effect in 2007.

The California Society of Pediatric Dentistry explains more about the law’s requirements, including how dentists should respond to caregivers’ requests for the assessment, and a CDA article published in February discusses the recently streamlined oral health assessment form.

As trusted health care providers, dentists are on the frontline for preventing or arresting dental disease early and inspiring patients and caregivers to begin a lifelong commitment to oral health care. For the child’s best oral health outcomes, the dentist’s education, evaluation and any necessary conservative treatment should begin soon after baby’s teeth have emerged — at or shortly before age 1.

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Your Child's First Visit

The Canadian Dental Association recommends the assessment of infants, by a dentist, within 6 months of the eruption of the first tooth or by one year of age. The goal is to have your child visit the dentist before there is a problem with his or her teeth. In most cases, a dental exam every six months will let your child's dentist catch small problems early.

Here are 3 reasons to take your child for dental exams:

• You can find out if the cleaning you do at home is working.
• Your dentist can find problems right away and fix them.
• Your child can learn that going to the dentist helps prevent problems.

Your dentist may want to take X-rays. X-rays show decay between the teeth. They will also show if teeth are coming in the way they should. Your child's dentist may also talk to you about fluoride.

Once your child has permanent molars, your dentist may suggest sealing them to protect them from cavities. A sealant is a kind of plastic that is put on the chewing surface of the molars. The plastic seals the tooth and makes it less likely to trap food and germs.

When your child goes for a dental exam, your dentist can tell you if crooked or crowded teeth may cause problems. In many cases, crooked teeth straighten out as the child's jaw grows and the rest of the teeth come in.

If they do not straighten out, your child may have a bite problem (also known as malocclusion). This can cause problems with eating and with teeth cleaning. It can also affect your child's looks and make him or her feel out of place.

Your dentist can suggest ways to treat this, or refer your child to an orthodontist. An orthodontist is a dental specialist with 2 to 3 years of extra university training in this area.

The dentist says my child needs a filling in a baby tooth. Since the tooth is going to fall out, why bother?

Some primary (or baby) teeth will be in your child's mouth until age 12. The tooth that needs to be fixed may be one of those.

Broken teeth or teeth that are infected can hurt your child's health and the way your child feels about him or herself.

To do a filling, the dentist removes the decay and "fills" the hole with metal, plastic or other material. A filling can be a cheap and easy way to fix a problem that could be painful and cost more later because it stops decay from spreading deeper into the tooth.

If a filling is not done and decay spreads, the tooth may need to be pulled out. If this happens, your child may need a space maintainer to hold space for the permanent tooth.

When a baby (or primary) tooth is missing, the teeth on each side may move into the space. They can block the permanent tooth from coming in. To hold the space, your dentist may put a plastic or metal space maintainer on the teeth on each side of the space, to keep the teeth from moving in.

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 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 3 172IAP For the Party of Bolsheviks with Nikolai Sheyenko May 1942 01

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3

National origin:- Soviet Union Role:- Fighter Interceptor Manufacturer:- Mikoyan-Gurevich Designer:- First flight:- 29th October 1940 Introduction:- 1941 Status:- Retired 1945 Produced:- 1940-1941 Number built:- 3,422 Primary users:- Soviet Air Forces (VVS); Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO); Soviet Naval Aviation Developed from:- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 Variants:- Mikoyan-Gurevich I-211 Operational history MiG-3s were delivered to frontline fighter regiments beginning in the spring of 1941 and were a handful for pilots accustomed to the lower-performance and docile Polikarpov I-152 and I-153 biplanes and the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane. It remained tricky and demanding to fly even after the extensive improvements made over the MiG-1. Many fighter regiments had not kept pace in training pilots to handle the MiG and the rapid pace of deliveries resulted in many units having more MiGs than trained pilots during the German invasion. By 1 June 1941, 1,029 MIG-3s were on strength, but there were only 494 trained pilots. In contrast to the untrained pilots of the 31st Fighter Regiment, those of the 4th Fighter Regiment were able to claim three German high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft shot down before war broke out in June 1941. However high-altitude combat of this sort was to prove to be uncommon on the Eastern Front where most air-to-air engagements were at altitudes well below 5,000 metres (16,000 ft). At these altitudes the MiG-3 was outclassed by the Bf 109 in all respects, and even by other new Soviet fighters such as the Yakovlev Yak-1. Furthermore, the shortage of ground-attack aircraft in 1941 forced it into that role as well, for which it was totally unsuited. Pilot Alexander E. Shvarev recalled: "The Mig was perfect at altitudes of 4,000 m and above. But at lower altitudes it was, as they say, 'a cow'. That was the first weakness. The second was its armament: weapons failure dogged this aircraft. The third weakness was its gunsights, which were inaccurate: that's why we closed in as much as we could and fired point blank." On 22 June 1941, most MiG-3s and MiG-1s were in the border military districts of the Soviet Union. The Leningrad Military District had 164, 135 were in the Baltic Military District, 233 in the Western Special Military District, 190 in the Kiev Military District and 195 in the Odessa Military District for a total of 917 on hand, of which only 81 were non-operational. An additional 64 MiGs were assigned to Naval Aviation, 38 in the Air Force of the Baltic Fleet and 26 in the Air Force of the Black Sea Fleet. The 4th and 55th Fighter Regiments had most of the MiG-3s assigned to the Odessa Military District and their experiences on the first day of the war may be taken as typical. The 4th, an experienced unit, shot down a Romanian Bristol Blenheim reconnaissance bomber, confirmed by postwar research, and lost one aircraft which crashed into an obstacle on takeoff. The 55th was much less experienced with the MiG-3 and claimed three aircraft shot down, although recent research confirms only one German Henschel Hs 126 was 40% damaged, and suffered three pilots killed and nine aircraft lost. The most unusual case was the pair of MiG-3s dispatched from the 55th on a reconnaissance mission to PloieÅŸti that failed to properly calculate their fuel consumption and both were forced to land when they ran out of fuel. Most of the MiG-3s assigned to the interior military districts were transferred to the PVO where their lack of performance at low altitudes was not so important. On 10 July 299 were assigned to the PVO, the bulk of them belonging to the 6th PVO Corps at Moscow, while only 293 remained with the VVS, and 60 with the Naval Air Forces, a total of only 652 despite deliveries of several hundred aircraft. By 1 October, on the eve of the German offensive towards Moscow codenamed Operation Typhoon, only 257 were assigned to VVS units, 209 to the PVO, and 46 to the Navy, a total of only 512, a decrease of 140 fighters since 10 July, despite deliveries of over a thousand aircraft in the intervening period. By 5 December, the start of the Soviet counter-offensive that drove the Germans back from the gates of Moscow, the Navy had 33 MiGs on hand, the VVS 210, and the PVO 309. This was a total of 552, an increase of only 40 aircraft from 1 October. Over the winter of 1941-42 the Soviets transferred all of the remaining MiG-3s to the Navy and PVO so that on 1 May 1942 none were left on strength with the VVS. By 1 May 1942, Naval Aviation had 37 MiGs on strength, while the PVO had 323 on hand on 10 May. By 1 June 1944, the Navy had transferred all its aircraft to the PVO, which reported only 17 on its own strength, and all of those were gone by 1 January 1945. Undoubtedly more remained in training units and the like, but none were assigned to combat units by then.

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