When Should I bring My Child To See A Dentist

We love seeing children, and see lots of children from 5-18 years on. One of the most common questions we get asked is: "When should I bring my child to see the dentist?" We believe it's important for all children to have a positive experience at the dentist, and one of the things we're delighted to have at Accent is a full-time Oral-Therapist (Hygienist) Karen Hobbs who has a speciality treating children! 

Bringing your child in with you when you have an exam or clean appointment is what we recommend. By doing this, your child can see you in the chair having your exam and not making a fuss about it. Your child can then get used to the place and dentist prior to having their own appointment and see that it’s not a big deal. By coming in for appointments which do not require treatment we can build trust with your child. After a few visits like this, your child will feel more comfortable and be happy to have their teeth checked and be excited for it to be their turn in the chair.

We can usually do most procedures quickly and painlessly. But there are some things that could  make this harder for us (see below).

We provide free routine care for teenagers from 13 years old until completion of secondary school.

It is important to remember that children can be good listeners and can pick up on the negative things that you may say about coming to the dentist, this can make our job that much harder. It is important to avoid saying things like:

“You might need a needle/injection”

“It won’t hurt”

Using the term “Murder House”

“Don’t worry she is almost finished”

“The dentist might use a drill”

All these words may scare your child and we can carry out most procedures without using these terms. We find that we can successfully explain treatment and have more acceptances if the parent does not try to explain what is happening unless we ask you to do so.

For more information on how we care for our patients under 18 year old, and how you can look after their teeth at home.

Some great books that you could read to your child prior to coming for their first visit are ….

Dr De Soto. Written by William Steig   (Age 5-8 years)

Brush, brush , brush. Written by Alice Padron   (Age 1-3 years)

The tooth book.  Written by Dr Seuss   (Age Infant to 5 years)

Ready, set, brush. Written by Che Rudko   (Age 2-5 years)

Dentist trip (Peppa Pig)  Written by Scholastic   (Age 3-5 years)

The Berenstain Bears visit the dentist . Written by Stan and Jan Berenstain   (Age 3-7 years)

Sugar bug Doug. Written by Ben Magleby   (Age 8-12 years)

The tooth book : A guide to healthy teeth and gums. Written by Edward Millar   (Age 5-8 years)