How old was your child when you first took them to a pediatric dentist?

[Anonymous]

I have yet to take my 2 year old, but I am wondering if I am way behind. I guess it looked like all his teeth were coming in ok, and I know that these are only temporary teeth, so I wasn't in a big rush.

Also, does anyone have any recommendations in the DC/NOVA area? I am paranoid about dentists who look for problems when none are there to make a buck. Please don't flame me, I know that many, if not most, dentists are honest...I am just a skeptic.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

My DS was just shy of his 3rd bday when I took him for the first time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS was just shy of his 3rd bday when I took him for the first time.

Same here.

[Anonymous]

3, too

but we took her to our dentist, not a pediatric dentist

[Anonymous]

According to my pediatric dentist, they like to see kids for the first time around their first birthday. That being said, most people I know wait until around their kid's third birthday. I did take my youngest at her first birthday, but she was at risk of having dental issues due to malnutrition and lack of dental care during her early months of life. Had this not been the case, I am sure I would not have taken her until she was three despite the dentist's advice. Absent some unusual circumstances, all they do is look at their mouth at 12 months.

One other thing about temporary teeth. Some of them last 9 or 10 years so if there is an early cavity, they will fill it.

[Anonymous]

3

[Anonymous]

Our pediatric dentist said that the 12 month appointment is really just to educate the parents, so he told me not to bother doing that for DC2 since we were already there for DC1's 3-yo appointment. He said DC2 didn't need to have the first appointment until the 3rd birthday. Dr Kuwabara in Friendship Heights was great and trustworthy, I believe.

[Anonymous]

i second the recommendation for dr. kuwabara. very nice.
i took my son a few months after he turned three.

[Anonymous]

we took our daughter at 1 - she had a lot of teeth. we love dr. niloo @ children's dentistry of oakton.

[Anonymous]

2, dr. brorring in bethesda

[Anonymous]

Age 3, and we too see Dr. Niloo in Oakton - like her a lot!

[Anonymous]

if your child is enrolled in a daycare/pre-school (liscensed) in DC, they must have a form filled out by a dentist at age 3 saying they were evaluated.

[Anonymous]

At 2 1/2, our younger one tagged along to watch his older sister at the dentist's, to see what it was like. The dentist also looked at his teeth for a second, but didn't really do anything and it wasn't a formal appointment. His first real appointment with a cleaning is schedule for age 3. We see Dr. Davis on Greensboro Drive in Tysons Corner. The kids love going there.

[Anonymous]

Took our DS right after he turned 3. At that age, he was able to keep his mouth open long enough to have it cleaned. We have always been pretty good at making him brush his teeth twice/day and there was NO way my DS at 2 would have tolerated a cleaning, so we waited until we felt he was ready.

[Anonymous]

Took my son at around 2.5 to a kids' dental clinic that had a Cars theme at the University where we were living at the time--they had local pediatric dentists there and one did my son's cleaning instead of one of the dental students because he was freaking out (my fault, because stupidly I told him to leave the toy Lightning McQueen in the waiting area). He needed it at the time, he had some buildup on his front teeth to be scraped off. After that we didn't go again until he was almost 4, after another move and a referral to a great ped. dentist in our new city.

The first time he wanted me to hold his hand the whole time, the second time he hopped up and was fine with me just being in the room. The dentist didn't do x-rays the first time, and the second visit only did one x-ray to ease into it. It helps that they have TVs above the exam chairs and an elaborate Thomas the Train table in the waiting area.

Had we not moved from DC, I probably would have taken him to my dentist, Dr. Pamela Brady. She used to be near L'Enfant Plaza in SE but I think she moved her office to K Street a while back. She's so friendly and gentle, and when my son was a small infant I brought him with me to my appointment and her staff just cooed over him the whole time we were there.