Your First Visit

At our Manhattan pediatric dental office, we know that childhood dental care will promote a lifetime of healthy smiles for your child. To that end, here is some information and tips for your child’s first dental visit with his or her Tribeca pediatric dentist.

If your child is very young, i.e., between the ages of 6 months and 3 years of age, the first dental visit is very short and no specific treatment is offered. The goal of this visit is simply to acquaint your little one with the sights, smells and people at the pediatric dental office. Depending on your child’s age, you might sit in the dentist’s chair with your child on your lap or your child can do this independently if she/he is old enough to sit unaided.

• Check the child’s teeth for decay
• Evaluate the child’s bite
• Check for any problems with gums, oral tissues and/or jaw
• Clean your child’s teeth
• Apply dental sealants
• Take x-rays of the child’s teeth (usually begins around age 5)
• Show you and your child the best tooth brushing technique
• Schedule the next dental checkup.

• Oral habits such as thumb or finger sucking, tongue thrusting, lip sucking, etc.
• Family dental history
• Your child’s medical and social history to date