Children's Dentistry
First Dental Visit
Around the first birthday, or whenever the first tooth arrives — and far more about comfort than about findings.
What it is
The first visit is not really a dental appointment. It is an introduction, and its only serious job is to make the second one easy.
Your child sits with you, meets the chair, watches it go up and down, and has their teeth counted. We show them the mirror and the water squirter and let them press the button. If they want to get down and look at things instead, that is a perfectly acceptable first appointment.
For the parent there is a practical conversation: brushing technique for the age they are at, how much fluoride toothpaste, which drinks do the damage, and what to do if a tooth gets knocked out in the playground. Most of the value of an early visit sits in that conversation.
Included
What this
involves
Everything below is carried out here, by the clinician who planned it. Anything not on this list is either not needed or will be discussed with you before it is booked.
- A ride in the chair, at their pace
- Teeth counted and shown in the mirror
- Brushing coached with a parent
- Diet and bottle or cup advice
- Teething and habit guidance
- What to do in an accident
The aim for a six-year-old is simple: that the dentist is somewhere boring rather than somewhere frightening.
Common questions
Good To Know
- When should my child first see a dentist?
- Around their first birthday, or whenever the first tooth arrives. That early visit is far more about getting them comfortable than about finding anything.
- What if they will not open their mouth?
- Then they do not. We never force a first visit — sitting in the chair and leaving happy is a completely successful appointment, and the next one is usually easy.
- Should I tell them what is going to happen?
- Keep it light and avoid words like hurt, needle or drill even in reassurance — children hear the noun, not the negative. Telling them we are going to count teeth is plenty.
More in this area
Children's Dentistry
Sealants & Fluoride
Sealing the grooves of new adult molars and strengthening enamel as it comes through.
Learn MoreFillings & Cavities
Treating decay in baby and adult teeth, explained to the child before it happens.
Learn MoreSpace Maintainers
Holding the gap when a baby tooth is lost early, so the adult tooth has somewhere to come.
Learn More
Considering first dental visit?
Come in for a consultation. We will examine, explain and give you a written plan with a price against every item — then you decide, in your own time.