How to Prepare for Your Child’s First Dentist Visit

Kenzie had her very first dentist visit last week & it went so much better than I expected! 

Here are a few tips to help you prepare for your little ones first dentist appointment: 

🦷 Set realistic expectations: I went into this appointment expecting it to go pretty horribly & yes she cried a couple of times, but overall it went really well. Mackenzie sat on my lap the whole time & allowed the dentist to get a look inside her mouth (I call that a win)!

🪥 Start brushing your little ones teeth when they start coming in! Here is the toothbrush & toothpaste (has fluoride) we use & she loves brushing her teeth!

🦷 I called the pediatric dentist I was planning to bring her to when I first started to see her teeth coming in (around 11 months old) & they told me to start brushing her teeth with a very small amount of fluoride toothpaste. We’ve been doing it ever since & I think it helped make the appointment go smoother since she loves to brush her teeth. 

🪥 Try your best to prepare your little one for the appointment. It can be helpful to read books about going to the dentist. Our pediatric dentist actually had a social story on their website that walks you through what will happen at your appointment. I loved it & read it to Mackenzie the few days leading up to our visit! You can also get a dentist kit to help prepare them (we’ve done this with a doctor kit for doctor visits!)

🦷 I brought stickers to keep her occupied while we waited & they definitely kept her busy! 

🪥 Our dentist has a TV on the ceiling & Mackenzie was able to watch coco melon while they looked in her mouth. (this last one isn’t really something you can do, but I absolutely love that they have that!)

Hopefully your little ones first visit to the dentist goes well and let me know some of your tips that have helped with “firsts” like dentist, doctor, or maybe haircuts 👇🏼