{"id":116,"date":"2021-08-15T13:43:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-15T13:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/?p=116"},"modified":"2021-11-12T13:49:03","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T13:49:03","slug":"childrens-dentistry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/","title":{"rendered":"When Should I Start Taking My Child to the Dentist?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"188\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AdobeStock_267200742__1629807182_28153-300x188.jpg\" alt=\"Young boy in white shirt smiling\" class=\"wp-image-117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AdobeStock_267200742__1629807182_28153-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AdobeStock_267200742__1629807182_28153-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AdobeStock_267200742__1629807182_28153.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Your child\u2019s first dental visit is an important step toward a lifetime of good oral care, but do you know when you should start taking your child to the dentist? It may be earlier than you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When Should My Child Start Seeing the Dentist?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You should take your child to the dentist for the first time when they have their first tooth or by their first birthday at the latest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is This Visit Important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first visit will help introduce your child to the dentist\u2019s office and the importance of oral care at an early age. It allows the dentist to detect any problems such as decay or issues with your child\u2019s gums, bite, or jaw as early as possible. You\u2019ll also be able to get information about your child\u2019s at-home oral hygiene routine and learn about any habits such as putting your child to bed with a bottle of milk or formula that could cause decay or other dental issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Can I Do to Help Prepare My Child for Their First Dental Visit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your dentist and their staff should help make your child feel comfortable. You can help by trying some of the following tips to help prepare your child for their first visit to the dentist\u2019s office:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practice at Home<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Use your child\u2019s dolls or stuffed animals to demonstrate what the dentist might do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Read a Book<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Buy or check out a children\u2019s book that shows a favorite character visiting the dentist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pick a Favorable Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child naps, make sure your appointment doesn\u2019t interfere with their regular nap time. This could make your child tired and cranky before they ever get to the dentist\u2019s office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Can I Establish Good At-Home Oral Care Habits for My Child?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The following tips will help you take care of your child\u2019s teeth and gums between dental visits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Clean Gums<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before your child has teeth, use a clean, damp cloth to clean their gums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Brush When a Tooth Comes In<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When your child first has a tooth, brush using a small, soft-bristled toothbrush. Once your child is old enough to spit out toothpaste (usually around age 2), start using a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Skip Bedtime Bottles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t put your child down at bedtime or for a nap with milk, formula, juice, or other sweet liquid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Help with Flossing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Start teaching good flossing habits as soon as your child has 2 teeth adjacent to one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Limit Sugary Foods &amp; Drinks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Avoid giving your child sweetened drinks, fruit juice, and hard or sticky candy, all of which promote tooth decay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your child\u2019s dentist will probably recommend that you bring them in every six months for an exam. This will ensure that any problem is detected as early as possible when it\u2019s most easily corrected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re planning your child\u2019s first dental visit or they need follow-up care,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/contactus\">make an appointment<\/a>&nbsp;today with Cedar Mountain Dental in Newington, Connecticut. We\u2019ll provide top-level care for your child and continue doing so for years to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your child\u2019s first dental visit is an important step toward a lifetime of good oral care, but do you know when you should start taking your child to the dentist? It may be earlier than you think.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>When Should My Child See the Dentist? | Cedar Mountain Dental<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Want to keep your child&#039;s smile healthy and happy? Read to learn the best oral healthcare routine you can maintain with your loved one!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"When Should My Child See the Dentist? | Cedar Mountain Dental\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Want to keep your child&#039;s smile healthy and happy? Read to learn the best oral healthcare routine you can maintain with your loved one!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cedar Mountain Dental Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-08-15T13:43:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-11-12T13:49:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AdobeStock_267200742__1629807182_28153-300x188.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Paul Gruensfelder\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Paul Gruensfelder\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/\",\"name\":\"When Should My Child See the Dentist? | Cedar Mountain Dental\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AdobeStock_267200742__1629807182_28153-300x188.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-15T13:43:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-11-12T13:49:03+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ea4832a6a74b39ef1df6eed698e8f87f\"},\"description\":\"Want to keep your child's smile healthy and happy? Read to learn the best oral healthcare routine you can maintain with your loved one!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AdobeStock_267200742__1629807182_28153.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AdobeStock_267200742__1629807182_28153.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Young boy in white shirt smiling\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"When Should I Start Taking My Child to the Dentist?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Cedar Mountain Dental Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ea4832a6a74b39ef1df6eed698e8f87f\",\"name\":\"Paul Gruensfelder\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/638ca90e94ab9b8ebc45c3cb71b0330a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/638ca90e94ab9b8ebc45c3cb71b0330a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Paul Gruensfelder\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/author\/newington\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"When Should My Child See the Dentist? | Cedar Mountain Dental","description":"Want to keep your child's smile healthy and happy? Read to learn the best oral healthcare routine you can maintain with your loved one!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"When Should My Child See the Dentist? | Cedar Mountain Dental","og_description":"Want to keep your child's smile healthy and happy? Read to learn the best oral healthcare routine you can maintain with your loved one!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/","og_site_name":"Cedar Mountain Dental Blog","article_published_time":"2021-08-15T13:43:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-11-12T13:49:03+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AdobeStock_267200742__1629807182_28153-300x188.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Paul Gruensfelder","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Paul Gruensfelder","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/","url":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/","name":"When Should My Child See the Dentist? | Cedar Mountain Dental","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AdobeStock_267200742__1629807182_28153-300x188.jpg","datePublished":"2021-08-15T13:43:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-11-12T13:49:03+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ea4832a6a74b39ef1df6eed698e8f87f"},"description":"Want to keep your child's smile healthy and happy? Read to learn the best oral healthcare routine you can maintain with your loved one!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AdobeStock_267200742__1629807182_28153.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AdobeStock_267200742__1629807182_28153.jpg","width":800,"height":500,"caption":"Young boy in white shirt smiling"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/childrens-dentistry\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"When Should I Start Taking My Child to the Dentist?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/","name":"Cedar Mountain Dental Blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ea4832a6a74b39ef1df6eed698e8f87f","name":"Paul Gruensfelder","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/638ca90e94ab9b8ebc45c3cb71b0330a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/638ca90e94ab9b8ebc45c3cb71b0330a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Paul Gruensfelder"},"url":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/author\/newington\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118,"href":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116\/revisions\/118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newingtonctdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}