What's the Right Age to Take A Kid to the Dentist?

We take our kids to the doctor from the day they are born, but the dentist is different.

It is a scary proposition for me to make that first dental appointment. I hope hope hope that my daughter gets her teeth from her dad’s side. My side of the family has terrible teeth.

I remember being 4 or 5 and having cavities so bad I had to get caps on my teeth, and there were so many other dental issues from early on and still to this day. The experiences were so bad I even hated brushing my teeth at all.

We all have a different approach to teaching dental health and the tools available to us have come such a long way from when we were kids.

With our daughter we have tried to make it fun and make it so she wants to brush her teeth. We had given her a regular old fashioned tooth brush. Then our pediatrician recommended we use an electric toothbrush.

That way even if she didn’t actually brush it would still cover a much greater surface and remove more dental bacteria and debris in her mouth.

So we made the switch and she has lots of fun brushing most days though some days she resists.

Now, as we are getting ready to make her first dental appointment. I have lots of trepidation and dread.

I do not want her to grow up hating her teeth and having a fear of dentists like I did. I don’t know what I’m going to do if she has bad teeth.

So now here 's my question:

-How do you teach dental health to your kids?

-What's the right age to take them to the dentist for the first time?

Let us know your views in the comments that follow.

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