dentist

I was brushing my daughter's teeth tonight and I think I saw cavities! I'm freaking out;( What age did you take your little ones to the dentist? Did you take them together or sep? What did the dentist do? How did you find one? How did the kids react? Posting here as they'll be two next Friday!

 

We were told by the pedi to take them at 3. If you have concerns, certainly give them a call. Maybe your dentist can recommend their favorite pedi dentist?

We go to a pediatric dentist office recommended by several twin friends in the area. The first visit the dentist counted their teeth, looked them over, and then brushed them.

 

My husband is a dentist, so he examined our kids at home then I took them in at 3 for their first official visit. I took them together. Maybe it was because they were seeing Daddy, but they did really good going together and it saved me from having to make 2 trips. The ADA recommends bringing them by the time they are 1, but my husband (and a lot of other dentists) say 2-3 is fine. Before that a lot of kids won't open for the dentist or keep their mouths open for the exam and the bite wings for the x-rays won't fit in their mouths. If you think you can actually see a cavity you should go a head and bring her in. They have to be fairly large to be seen just by glancing in her mouth, esp. if you aren't used to doing exams. It could just be discoloration but you still should get it checked in case it is a cavity as it will start to hurt if it is large and progresses further. And since you are taking her, I would take her twin as well, just to keep them on the same schedule and make it easier for you to keep up with their appts and avoid having to make so many trips. The dentist that you see should be able to see them. You don't really need to go to Ped. dentist unless they are really difficult to treat or have a specific problem (like needing a root canal at a very young age).

 

[quote name='Haley'sHope' date='10 February 2010 - 08:19 PM' timestamp='1265854786' post='1577928']
My husband is a dentist, so he examined our kids at home then I took them in at 3 for their first official visit. I took them together. Maybe it was because they were seeing Daddy, but they did really good going together and it saved me from having to make 2 trips. The ADA recommends bringing them by the time they are 1, but my husband (and a lot of other dentists) say 2-3 is fine. Before that a lot of kids won't open for the dentist or keep their mouths open for the exam and the bite wings for the x-rays won't fit in their mouths. If you think you can actually see a cavity you should go a head and bring her in. They have to be fairly large to be seen just by glancing in her mouth, esp. if you aren't used to doing exams. It could just be discoloration but you still should get it checked in case it is a cavity as it will start to hurt if it is large and progresses further. And since you are taking her, I would take her twin as well, just to keep them on the same schedule and make it easier for you to keep up with their appts and avoid having to make so many trips. The dentist that you see should be able to see them. You don't really need to go to Ped. dentist unless they are really difficult to treat or have a specific problem (like needing a root canal at a very young age).
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Do you or your husband recommend the parent being in with the child during their visit, or leaving them with the dentist alone? I've heard pro's and con's for both and I'm not sure what I'll do when I take mine in.

 

We took them at 3 years old. I sat on a chair nearby for their first visit. We went back this year, at 4, and Nikki had a cavity. They let me sit in the room while they filled it, but she started sobbing at one point because she was so scared and I got up to touch her hand and got yelled at...so I'm not going to go back. I was careful not to bump anything or get in the way and was only going to touch her (which immediately calmed her down), so I'm not sure why they were so upset with me. Anyway! That's been my experience

 

We brought the girls to a pedi dentist at 2. DH and I brought them together, and I sat in the chair with one on my lap so the dentist could count their teeth and look in their mouths. They did fine even though it took a couple of jokes to get her to smile and then open her mouth for the dentist.

 

We took my older DD at age 3 and the twins at just under a year. We took them together and they each sat on our laps for their first 2 appt. and after that they went back alone no problems. I think for first timers, it's pretty common to have the parent go back with them as I can't imagine too many kids going back alone and not having a problem doing what they need them to do.

 

We don't allow anyone other than the patient being treated to go back into the room. We will sometimes make exceptions based on the individual patient. Kids over 5 actually do better without the parent in the back (my own included- I send them off with the assistant). Our assistant come out, introduce their selves, ask them if they would like to pick a toy out of the treasure box, then take them back after they get their toy. When parents go back kids tend to have a harder time and want to "hide" behind mom. Also parents will discipline a child for things that the dentist would not and it creates anxiety for the child. It's natural for the child to want to know what the instruments are and what's going on but parents often want the kids to just lay still and that's not what kids do at the dentist. It's also easier on the parents to not be in the back. When your kid comes up front happy with a sucker and the dentist tells you how things went it's a lot easier as a parent than watching the appt. if your child struggles during it. Ask your dentist what he/she thinks works best at his practice and do what he says.

Marianne- I'm definitely not saying your dentist was right since he never should have yelled at you (and shouldn't allow parents in the back if he's not prepared for them to act like a parent towards their scared child), but probably the reason your dentist freaked out when you touched your daughter's hand was 1) it may have broken his concentration which can cause him to perf the tooth, which then requires that it be extracted or crowned if it's permanent, he could cut her gums and the inside of her mouth and 2) if you had accidentally bumped her or she had turned her head towards you he could have really, REALLY hurt her. The hand piece a dentist uses goes 250,000 RPMs. You could decapitate someone with it. I have actually seen a dentist (NOT my husband) slip and slice a woman from the corner of her mouth almost to her ear. It was a really ugly wound and left a bad scar. She was a charity clinic patient so he was covered by their insurance, but obviously that could open a dentist up to a huge lawsuit, even if the patient turned their head and he wasn't at fault. Again, your dentist was out of line if he yelled at you, in my opinion, and he handled the situation wrong.

 

Both my pediatrician and family dentist suggested starting seeing the dentist at age 3 unless there was a problem (like a cavity). Let us know how your DD makes out!

 

We took them a little before 3 because they had some discoloring on their teeth, however it polished right off. We go to a pediatric dentist and she lets them go back together and also lets me come back there. I hold them in my lap facing me and she leans their head back into her lap and cleans their teeth that way. I would recommend a pediatric dentist just because they seem to be more patient with them.

Good luck!

 

Our Pedi recommended by one year since they already had teeth. We went in with them until the last visit two months ago. They went in all by themselves and the nurses asked if they can keep them for the day since they were showing the other kids what to do...funny. Call a Pedi dentist if you have concerns.

 

The only time I have not been in the room while my boys had their teeth done was when I had mine done at the same time. From 3 until they were in 1st grade, they went to my dentist. Last year (1st grade) we switched to a pediatric dentist--because mine is an hour away, and once they started school full time, it was too far to have to go. The pediatric dentist always has the parents in the back with the kids, and no one has ever told me not to be there--and my boys don't have any problems--behaviorally at the dentist.

 

I have always taken all my kids to our dentist since there is no pediatric dentist in our town. They have always allowed me to go into the back with them and sit them on my lap if necessary. With the twins, my DH and I both go and DH goes with one and I go with the other. We started at 3, which is still a little scary for them at that age, but with a full mouth of teeth, I just couldn't see waiting any longer.

 

Thankfully whatever it was is gone. She woke up and I looked inside again, we brushed real good last night, must have been discoloration or food particles, all are gone now. We'll start brushing 2x a day instead of 1 now and I'm looking into that appt asap. Gonna ask the local twin mom's group for a good dentist.
Thanks all!

 

We started at 1 yr of age with our kids and have had no problems. They see my dentist who is excellent (with adults & kids). I went back with them the first time and have not had to since.

IMO the earlier the better.

 

I forgot to say that I took them back together, but one of them would sit on my lap while the other sat in the chair to have their teeth looked at.

In response to HaleysHope: The dentist didn't have anything in her mouth at the time I decided to get up and touch her hand. He wasn't even sitting next to her. The assistant was sitting next to Nikki, but again, didn't have anything in her mouth at the time. Thanks for sharing reasons as to why he might have gotten so upset with me, however

 

I took all 3 of mine for the first time at age 3 and they all did great. :good: If you have concerns though I would go earlier.

 

I took them for the first time when they were like 3y3m. I took them at the same time, and they did great. They've gone twice now, and no cavities for either yet. They have done great both times.