Infant & toddler dentistry

When your baby should first see a dentist

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and the American Dental Association (ADA) recommend a first dental visit by your child's first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth coming in, whichever comes first.

That can feel surprisingly early, especially when your baby has only a tooth or two. But cavities can start soon after teeth appear, and many of the habits that protect teeth, or put them at risk, take shape during infancy.

An early visit is mostly about prevention. It gives you a chance to ask questions, learn what's normal, and set up a dental home: one office that knows your child's history and that you can call when something comes up.

If your child is already past their first birthday and hasn't been seen yet, that's okay. There's no catching up to do. Simply book your child's first visit and we'll start from where you are.

What happens at a baby or toddler visit

The first visit is relaxed and fairly quick. For most babies, there's no big dental chair involved. Instead, we use a knee-to-knee exam, which keeps your child in contact with you the whole time.

1. Get to know you

   We talk about your child's health history, feeding, sleep, and teething, plus any questions or worries on your mind.

2. Knee to knee

   You sit facing the dentist with your knees touching. Your baby lies back with their head in the dentist's lap and their body in yours, so you can see each other and hold hands.

3. Look and count

   The dentist checks the teeth, gums, tongue, and the inside of the cheeks and lips, and notes how new teeth are coming in.

4. Clean

   We gently brush away any plaque and show you how to reach each tooth at home.

5. Protect

   If it's right for your child, we paint on a thin coat of fluoride varnish. It takes moments and sets quickly.

6. Plan together

   We share what we saw, explain your child's cavity risk in plain terms, and suggest when to come back.

Many babies cry during the exam, and that's completely fine. It's a normal response to something new, and an open, crying mouth actually makes the teeth easier to see. Most little ones settle the moment they're back in your arms.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends fluoride varnish for all children from the first tooth through age 5, applied in primary care, so your pediatrician may offer it too. Let us know if your child has had varnish recently. Our fluoride treatments page explains how it works and how often it's usually applied.

Early childhood cavities and bottle habits

Cavities in babies and toddlers, sometimes called early childhood caries, often begin on the upper front teeth near the gumline. At first they may look like dull white or chalky lines. Over time they can turn yellow or brown, and because baby teeth have thinner enamel than adult teeth, decay can spread quickly.

How bottle and sippy-cup habits play a role

Cavity-causing germs feed on sugars, including the natural sugars in milk, formula, and juice. The concern usually isn't what your child drinks, but how often and how long the teeth stay coated. A bottle at bedtime or naptime, or a sippy cup of milk or juice carried around all day, keeps teeth bathed in sugar for hours.

Frequent feedings through the night once teeth have come in can have a similar effect for some children, whether from a bottle or the breast. We'll talk through what's realistic for your family, without judgment.

• If your child needs a bottle to fall asleep, fill it with plain water only.
• Save milk and formula for feeding times instead of all-day sipping.
• Make water the drink between meals. If you offer juice, keep it small and serve it with a meal.
• Wipe or brush the teeth after the last feeding of the night.
• Start practicing with a cup, and ask us how to plan the move away from the bottle.

Our guide to cavities in children explains how decay develops and how to do a quick lift-the-lip check at home. And if you've wondered whether cavities in baby teeth matter since those teeth fall out anyway, our guide on why baby teeth matter explains what's at stake.

What we'll talk about at early visits

Much of an infant or toddler visit is practical coaching for you. Topics often include:

• Teething. What's normal, how to soothe sore gums safely, and which products to skip. Our baby teething timeline shows when each tooth usually arrives and how to help.
• Brushing and toothpaste. How to brush a wriggly toddler and how much fluoride toothpaste to use (a rice-grain smear under age 3). Our age-by-age brushing guide shows positions that work.
• Food and drinks. Snack timing, sippy cups, and which drinks are kindest to teeth.
• Pacifiers and thumb sucking. Most children stop on their own between ages 2 and 4. We'll tell you if anything about your child's bite needs watching. Our guide to thumb sucking, pacifiers, and your child's bite has more detail.
• Bumps and falls. New walkers tumble a lot, and mouth injuries are common. We'll explain what to do if a tooth is chipped, pushed in, or knocked out. A knocked-out baby tooth should not be put back in. Call us, and see our pediatric dental emergencies page for next steps.
• Water and fluoride. Whether your tap water has fluoride affects how we tailor your child's care. Roseville's city water is fluoridated, but levels in nearby communities can vary by address, and bottled or filtered water may contain little.

As your toddler grows

After the first visit, most children come back about every six months, though we may suggest a different schedule based on your child's risk. Each visit builds familiarity, and over time toddlers graduate to regular checkups and cleanings in the big chair.

We keep things playful and predictable. Our team uses a tell-show-do approach, explaining and showing each step before doing it. Parents are always welcome chairside, and every visit ends with a trip to the treasure chest.

If your child was born early, has a medical condition, or has developmental or sensory differences, early visits can be especially helpful. Our special needs dentistry page explains how we adapt care. For simple ways to get any little one ready, see our first-visit tips for families.

Cost and insurance for early visits

Visits for babies and toddlers are mostly preventive: an exam, a gentle cleaning, and often fluoride varnish. Many dental plans cover these services, though the details vary from plan to plan.

We're in-network with most PPO plans and will verify your benefits before the visit, so you'll know what to expect. You can read more about insurance, payment, and estimates. Medi-Cal Dental also covers dental care for eligible California children. If your child has Medi-Cal, check with your plan to find dentists you can see.