This will not be a dental visit like the
ones you are used to. Your one year old will, of course, not be
expected to sit in the dental chair and have her/his teeth cleaned and
fluoride applied. Instead, the pediatric dentist will ask you a few
questions about your child's development, medical history and her
nursing and eating habits. He will have your child lie down on your lap
for a brief exam. The pediatric dentist realizes that at age one your
child doesn't yet have very many teeth or very much patience, so the
exam will be very short.
With information the pediatric dentist has
gathered, he is then able to undertake the most important part of this
first visit counseling you, the parent (brushing, diet and fluoride
needs). Oral habits like thumb and pacifier use will be discussed and
their impact on the developing dentition and orthodontic consequences.