What will happen at that early initial visit?
This will not be a dental visit like the ones you are used to. Your one year old will, of course, not be expected to sit in the dental chair and have her/his teeth cleaned and fluoride applied. Instead, the pediatric dentist will ask you a few questions about your child’s development, medical history and her nursing and eating habits. He will have your child lie down on your lap for a brief exam. The pediatric dentist realizes that at age one your child doesn’t yet have very many teeth or very much patience, so the exam will be very short. With information the pediatric dentist has gathered, he is then able to undertake the most important part of this first visit counseling you, the parent (brushing, diet and fluoride needs). Oral habits like thumb and pacifier use will be discussed and their impact on the developing dentition and orthodontic consequences.
