Your Child's First Visit

Children should begin visiting the pediatric dentist at a very early age to establish a dental home. The dental home is the ongoing relationship between the dentist and the patient, inclusive of all aspects of oral health care. Children who have a dental home are more likely to receive appropriate preventive and routine oral health care. The establishment of a dental home should begin 6 months after the eruption of the first tooth, or no later than 12 months of age. This provides time-critical opportunities to implement preventive health practices and reduce the child’s risk of preventable dental/oral disease.

A child's initial dental visit often sets the tone for subsequent attitudes about dental care and oral health. It is important to establish good feelings about going to the dentist. Dr. Tew's goal is not for your child to have tolerable office visits, but to have great visits so they will enjoy visiting the dentist for a lifetime!