To take care of their perfect teeth and a beautiful smile, we recommend regular dental check-ups. Regular check-ups are important for their baby teeth phase and for their permanent teeth phase. Regular care is required, with all relevant cleaning and maintenance instructions.
The first visit to the dentist is recommended when the child's first baby tooth grows, which is usually at the age of 6–10 months. The first visit to the dentist is not for treatment, but for prevention – advising parents on proper oral hygiene of baby teeth and nutrition.
The Hočevar Centre takes care of the timely protection of teeth and treatment of any cavities or other imperfections.
Thus we use minor preventive interventions to avoid the need for major interventions in later years.
As observed in adult patients, fear of dentists most often develops at an early age because of bad experiences. At the Hočevar Centre, we focus not only on ensuring healthy and beautiful teeth at an early age or in early childhood, but also on establishing a good relationship and a friendly environment in which the child learns that a visit to the dentist is nothing stressful or painful.
Thus, as the child grows up, visits to the dentist later in life develop into something routine and without any painful associations.
The FEAR that we experienced in our youth when we visited a dentist thus REMAINS IN THE PAST, where it belongs.
- preventive check-ups,
- finding any initial cavities and treating such cavities with minimally invasive methods,
- sealing dental fissures and
- other treatment.
Together, we will introduce the child to preventive measures to protect their teeth and, in collaboration with orthodontists, identify possible developmental abnormalities. The key is prompt and correct action.
During the transition from baby teeth to permanent teeth (around the age of 5–7), parents often do not pay enough attention to the growth of permanent first molars in children, which sometimes grow out without the baby tooth falling out. In such cases, we do not even notice that the child already has a permanent tooth in their mouth. Such teeth can develop cavities with untimely care, as parents pay attention to their teeth only when the first baby teeth fall out.
Prevention ensures a HEALTHY SMILE of the CHILD and a healthier development, as the child can chew normally and absorb more nutrients from the food they eat, while diseases of the oral cavity can also affect their GENERAL HEALTH.
So when should you bring a child for their first visit to the dentist?
The first visit to the dentist is recommended when the child's first baby tooth grows, which is usually at the age of 6–10 months. The first visit to the dentist is not for treatment, but for prevention – advising parents on proper oral hygiene of baby teeth and nutrition.
Establishing good habits in childhood is the first step to healthy teeth for life. We start brushing the child's teeth as soon as their first baby tooth grows. Teeth should be brushed twice a day, in the morning and in the evening before going to bed. We help the child brush their teeth until their manual skills are sufficiently developed so that they can clean their teeth properly by themselves. This usually happens around ten years of age. You should also note that children are not aware of the consequences of poorly brushed teeth.
Regular preventive dental check-ups are crucial. The child will definitely have a bad experience and start fearing the dentist if the parents bring them to the first check-up when problems and ache have already occurred, as the child will associate the pain with the dentist. Regular visits to the dentist avoid these issues. The child realises that a visit to the dentist is pleasant and that their fear is unnecessary. Furthermore, over time, the child becomes increasingly aware of the importance of oral hygiene and oral health
Manca Peternelj, DMD
