Your Greenfield family dentists, Drs. Bagley, Goodwin, and Hrinda are crazy about our young patients. Through our experiences as dentists and parents, we are well aware how frightening a child’s first dental appointment can seem. Developing good dental habits early on in life can translate into optimal oral health throughout all of your years. We dedicate our practice to providing warm, friendly, compassionate, and extra gentle care to our patients that are children. Our hope is that they will be loyal to our practice, as we are to them, for years to come. If you’re wondering more about dental habits in the earliest days of your child’s development, read on for more information.
The First Dental Appointment
Many parents ask when their baby or toddler should first go to the dentist. The general rule of thumb is that as soon as their first tooth erupts, you should schedule an appointment. This may seem counter-intuitive since most toddlers don’t have very many teeth to even be cleaned. However, dental checkups at this stage are for more than just preventive care. The jaws and teeth of babies and kids are still growing, so six month checkups can help us detect developmental problems in early (and more treatable) stages. Early diagnosis and intervention can prevent or reverse issues such as over-crowded teeth or abnormal growth of the jaw.
Stick to the Schedule
If you detect something is amiss in the eruption or loss of your baby’s primary teeth, your Greenfield family dentists are here to make sure that everything is on schedule. No two toddlers are exactly alike, and the rates of teething and losing teeth are bound to happen at varying rates. However, there is a general guideline, so if your child’s dental development is falling too far outside of the norm, this may be a red flag that an issue is at hand. Better to be safe, than sorry, so call us.
Dental Checkups for the Whole Family from Greenfield Family Dentists
If you have questions about your child’s teeth, or it is time for their first (or your next) biannual dental checkup, please don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment. Drs. Bagley, Goodwin, and Hrinda would love to be your family dentists in the Greenfield area. Contact our 01301 dentist office by calling 413-772-0842. We are happy to serve patients in the western region of Massachusetts, close to the surrounding states of CT, NH, VT, and NY.