In short: Take your child to the dentist by their first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing. The visit is gentle — mostly checking development and showing you how to clean and protect their teeth. Starting early prevents decay and helps your child grow up unafraid of the dentist.
The recommended guideline is that a child should first see a dentist by their first birthday, or within six months of their first tooth appearing — whichever comes sooner. This surprises many parents, who assume the dentist can wait until the child is older or all the teeth are through. But early visits set the foundation for a lifetime of healthy teeth.
That very first visit isn’t about drilling or treatment. It’s gentle and mostly about you, the parent. The dentist checks that the teeth and jaws are developing normally, looks for any early signs of decay, and — crucially — shows you how to clean your baby’s teeth, what to avoid, and how to prevent cavities. Things like bottle-feeding habits, night-time milk, and early sugar exposure all matter more than people realise.
There are two big benefits to starting early:
- Prevention. Tooth decay in very young children is common and largely preventable. Catching risky habits early stops painful problems before they start.
- Comfort. A child who visits the dentist from a young age, with nothing scary happening, grows up seeing it as normal. These children are far less likely to develop dental fear later.
After the first visit, most children are seen every six months, so the dentist can monitor development, apply preventive treatments like fluoride when helpful, and keep the experience positive.
If your child hasn’t been yet — whatever their age — it’s never too late to start. Book a gentle children’s dental check-up and we’ll make it a friendly first experience.