A pediatric dentist for Lincoln families

New parents in Lincoln: your baby's first dental visits

If there's a baby or toddler in your house, the first dental visit probably comes sooner than you'd guess. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association both recommend it by the first birthday, or within six months of that first tooth.

This early visit is short and relaxed. You stay with your child the whole time, often with your little one on your lap. We count teeth, check the gums, look for early signs of decay, and show you an easy way to brush.

Most of the time is really a conversation with you: bottles and sippy cups, night feedings, snacks, and toothpaste. Read more about our infant and toddler dentistry.

Teething, in brief

• First teeth often show up around 6 months, though the normal range is wide.
• All 20 baby teeth have usually arrived by about age 3.
• The FDA advises against benzocaine teething gels for children under 2, and against teething necklaces and bracelets because of choking and strangulation risks.
• Brush with fluoride toothpaste from the very first tooth, using a smear no bigger than a grain of rice until age 3.

Our baby teething timeline shows which teeth tend to come in when, along with safe ways to soothe sore gums.

Thumbs and pacifiers

Most children give up thumb or pacifier sucking on their own somewhere between ages 2 and 4. We'll watch your child's bite at each visit, and our guide to thumb sucking, pacifiers, and the bite explains when the habit deserves a closer look.

Making the Highway 65 drive worth it

For most Lincoln families, the trip takes about 20 to 30 minutes each way, a little longer than for families who live in Roseville. A bit of planning makes each drive count.

Secure online forms are on the way. Until then, we're glad to email new-patient paperwork when you book, and our patient forms page lists what's included.

• Choose your next date at checkout. Early-morning and after-school slots tend to fill first, so reserving six months out gives you the widest pick.
• Pack for the ride. A favorite toy or book helps the miles go by, especially for toddlers.
• Running behind? Give us a call from the road so we can plan around it.

Western Placer Unified and the first-year dental check

Western Placer Unified School District serves Lincoln from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade, along with Sheridan and parts of Roseville. The baby you're bringing in today will be enrolling in TK sooner than it seems, and California will ask for a dental check when that happens.

The requirement is called the Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment, or KOHA. For Western Placer families, it usually goes like this:

1. Your school hands you the state form during enrollment.
2. You book a checkup in the 12 months before your child starts, or during that first school year.
3. You bring the form along, and we complete the dental section at the visit.
4. You return it to the school by May 31 of your child's first year.

Since 2025, a screening done in TK counts for kindergarten too, so there's no second form. Families who can't get an assessment can ask the school for a waiver.

Lincoln's water and your child's fluoride

Lincoln's water comes largely from the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA), and the city also uses its own wells. With more than one source in the mix, the fluoride level at your tap can vary by address.

To see what reaches your home, look up your water provider's annual water quality report, or PCWA's water-quality information. Then tell us what you learn, along with whether your family drinks mostly tap, filtered, or bottled water.

That helps us decide whether your child would benefit from fluoride varnish at checkups. For babies and toddlers, varnish takes only seconds to paint on, so it fits easily into even the shortest visit.

Care that grows with your family

Once your little one is a regular, visits shift from baby basics to keeping a growing set of teeth healthy. Lincoln families come to us for:

• Checkups and cleanings every six months, with low-dose digital X-rays when they're needed.
• Sealants for the first permanent molars, which tend to erupt around age 6.
• Tooth-colored fillings if a cavity does turn up.
• Help after a fall or injury, from toddler tumbles to playground bumps.

Dr. Christopher Lee is a pediatric dentist, parents are welcome chairside, and the treasure chest gives kids something to look forward to at the end of the drive. Families from other nearby towns can find their page on our areas we serve list.