Your child’s first visit

Parents ask us all the time: “What is the right age to bring my child in for their first dental visit?” With children’s teeth typically erupting from infant gums between 6 and 12 months of age, and almost immediately being susceptible to tooth decay, the answer is within the first year. If prevention is your goal, the sooner the better after the teeth first appear.

As an added bonus, we find that earlier visits to the dentist help increase a child’s familiarity and comfort with being a patient, setting them up for easier and more successful healthcare outcomes throughout their life.

Our approach

Patients under the age of 3 can sit in the dental chair, if they feel comfortable, or they can sit on their parent’s/guardian’s lap if they prefer. We often find that a “knee to knee” exam is best for babies and toddlers because it enables us to do a thorough exam safely. Even though we will be gentle and reassuring, toddlers sometimes cry because they are naturally and rightly fearful of an unfamiliar person looking in their mouth. This is normal, but with parents cooperation we can work through it to ensure a positive outcome.

This position enables us to visualize their mouths and teeth clearly so that we can be efficient and not prolong the exam. Fortunately, your child will be facing you throughout the exam which is reassuring. When kids are under 3, we usually do a “toothbrush prophy” which is effective at cleaning plaque and demonstrating to caregivers how we recommend brushing a young child’s teeth as well as showing how much toothpaste (just a pea-sized smear) is advisable.

As children get older and are comfortable sitting in the chair we are able to introduce them to a traditional prophy or cleaning with the handpiece and scaling any hard calculus (also known as dental tartar) from the teeth for a more thorough preventative cleaning.

Paying for your dental care

We understand that paying for your child’s dental care is a major consideration in selecting your provider. That is why we support a variety of common payment methods to meet most families’ needs, including:

• Cash
• Care Credit
• Check
• Credit cards including:
  • American Express
  • Discover Card
  • Mastercard
  • Visa
• Delaware Medicaid
• Private insurance* including:
  • Aetna
  • Cigna
  • Delta Dental
  • MetLife
  • United Concordia

*If you have questions about your insurance coverage and benefits call us today at (302) 475-3110 with your insurance information ready and we can help you better understand your coverage and treatment options.