The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a child’s first dental visit should be scheduled by his or her 1st birthday. You may be wondering what we do at a first visit here at University Pediatric Dentistry in Sugar Land and why it’s so important to start early.

ORAL DEVELOPMENT

A lot changes in a child’s mouth from when they are born until they get their full set of baby teeth.  It’s important for parents to know what to expect. Our Board Certified Pediatric Dentist, Dr. Urvi Jadav, will talk about timing of new teeth and what to expect as they are coming in. She will show parents if there are any variations of normal with the teeth and what that means. By starting early, we can let parents know if we see any early signs of decay. Many times, when Dr. Jadav sees very early changes, she can suggest dietary or habit changes that can prevent having to do treatment on those teeth. Dr. Jadav always prefers to take a conservative approach, just like she would for her two daughters. Aside from checking for cavities, she will be assessing the tongue, cheeks, jaws, and tonsils. She wants to make sure every aspect of a child’s mouth, bite, and jaws look healthy!

ORAL HYGIENE

Parents often ask when to start brushing and how to brush their little ones. Dr. Jadav will review when to start, how to position them, and toothpaste use.  At our office, we rate oral hygiene on a scale from 1-5 with 5 being the best. That way, parents can have a comparison point to see how they are doing in terms of hygiene from visit to visit.  

DIET

Diet plays a major role in cavity formation. For babies, we’ll review bottle use. For toddlers, we talk about gummy snacks, sippy cups, and juices. For older kids, we’ll review the types of gummy, sticky and sugary foods to avoid. For those with braces, we’ll reinforce what the orthodontist recommends.  

HABITS

Dr. Jadav will talk about thumb sucking, pacifiers, and nail biting. Although a lot of these habits are age appropriate, she will review what long term changes they can cause in terms of the bite. She will let parents know when it is the right time to intervene and what to try.

TRAUMA

Dr. Jadav reviews what to do if and when your child ever has any trauma. It’s a very common childhood injury and we want parents to know what to look for, when to call us, or when to come see us in the office. She takes call for her patients around the clock.

Most of all, Dr. Jadav wants parents and children to be very comfortable. The more the child visits our Sugar Land office located in Riverstone, the more likely that he or she will realize that coming to the dentist is a fun adventure! This will help prepare them to be cooperative dental patients for our orthodontist and general dentist friends in the future!  

If you have any questions regarding this or any of our services, please don’t hesitate to call me at (832)844-0011 or email me at upediatricdentistry@gmail.com.