[NoMoreGuilt]

I have booked 13 month old DS to see a dentist (1st visit) next week. He appears to have an underbite and although I know that theres not much they can do about it at this age, I thought it might be prudent to see a dentist anyway.

Now Im thinking of cancelling because I think he might be too young to visit a dentist at this age? He hates having his teeth brushed and I know having a stranger trying to open his mouth will distress him. I don't even know if the dentist will be able to get a look inside his mouth at all. I don't want to waste my time (have to take time off work to go) and also money and make DS upset too.

When was the first time you took your toddler to a dentist?

[squirt081]

2yrs old. all they did was have a quick look in her mouth. There is no way she would have been able to go earlier.

[8yeargap]

I doubt there is anything they could do at 13 months old. The first time I took my DD was last year when she was 7! One of her front teeth was covered by her gum, but it has since broken through. I really think you should wait.

[her mum]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that I would definitely take him.

Not for the concern about the underbite particularly as I don't think (happy to be corrected though) that there is anything that they can do at this point.

My DD has been coming to the dentist with me from 8 months and just has a little turn of sitting in the chair, opening her mouth etc. Nothing happens that is traumatic for her and it gets her used to the place, smells etc.

So, maybe I wouldn't make an appointment specifically for the underbite, but it definitely can't hurt to take him to a dentist. The lure of a sticker, free toothbrush etc might help him to be more comfortable with opening his mouth for tooth brushing too?

This post has been edited by her mum: 12/04/2012, 10:04 PM

[Paddlepop]

My daughter had her first "check-up" last month at 2y2months when my DH and I had our check-ups. I was already in the dental chair so my DH put her on my lap and she lay back, and opened her mouth when we asked her to. The dentist was able to have a look at all of her teeth, touch her teeth and then that was it. Maybe 1 minute in total. My DD was very happy and then proceeded to watch me and my DH have our check-ups. At the end of the appointment the dentist gave her a tube of Wiggles toothpaste and DD was super happy.

The dentist said that we should just keep an eye on her teeth for any problems/changes, she'll briefly check her when we have check-ups and she doesn't need a real check-up until she starts kindy/prep.

At 13 months there is no way my DD would have let anyone into her mouth. We had enough trouble trying to get her teeth brushed.

If you do decide to take your son then try to get him to open his mouth on command, like saying "Open your mouth like a lion. Roar!" That seems to work well with my DD. Make it fun to open his mouth.

ETA My DD has been going to the dentist with us twice a year since she was a few weeks old so she was already very familiar with the place.

This post has been edited by Paddlepop: 12/04/2012, 10:14 PM

[soontobegran]

I do think it is too early to both take your little one to see the dentist and to diagnose any possible dental problem.
By all means take your baby to the dentist with you when you visit but not to let the dentist examine him. At an age where tooth cleaning can be such a drama I'd hate to risk him being frightened off forever.

Ours all went at about age 2 just for a ride in the chair and some of them let the dentist have a peek

[lovej]

My older two went at four and three together for their first visit. They just had a quick look in and that was it. DD has an underbite and they said that we will just have to see how the next set of teeth match up and deal with it in her adult teeth. DD has wear on the bottom if her top front teeth, the ends look greyish, again nothing can be done and she just needs to get them checked yearly. My twins are 18 months at the moment and I can't imagine taking them anytime soon. They barely open their mouths for tooth brushing and rarely sit still.

[heres hoping]

When reading sites and pamphlets it is often recommended to go to the dentist to get checks as early as 13 months but there is no way my DD (15 mths next wk and she has 12 teeth) would stand for it - she wouldn't sit still for starters, let alone open her mouth for a stranger to poke in her mouth but most of all she would freak out with the noises of the machines - she hates noises of hairdryers for example.

If you want to take your little one to ease your mind then no harm would come of it as long as the experience didn't scare him. If it did it may cause problems for future visits. Does your 13 mth old have all of his teeth? His jawline would still be developing and may change when he gets all of his teeth. There is no rush anyhow.

[Erma Gerd]

My current toddler had her first check at about 15 months. Her brother had dental issues starting at about 12 months, so I wanted to get in early. They said they don't normally see kids until age 2 (paediatric specialist dentist), but gave her a check up during her brother's appointment. I was glad we'd done it, because while they gave her the all-clear at 15 months, by 20 months she had issues and needed a GA for repair. At least she'd been there and done that before with the examination, so it wasn't quite so stressful. And even if she'd not had any subsequent issues, I think I'd prefer to have regular check-ups become a routine for the kids as early as possible.