Their is nothing we hate more than seeing a 4 or 5 year child come in for their first visit, only to have us find cavities. Because of this, we strongly believe in the benefits of getting a child in to the office shortly after their tooth comes in. At our office we encourage patients to bring their kids in to see us around the age of one. At these visits we spend a lot of time talking with the parents about their child’s oral health, and provide a packet of information that we have created to help guide them through their child’s first few years of oral health.
Dr. Van Timmeren will spend a very short period of time looking in the child’s mouth using what is known as a knee to knee exam. The parent holds the child in their lap and places the child’s head in the Dr.’s lap. He will look around to make sure everything is developing properly, and that is it.
This visit is more about education than anything else. Their are no x-rays, and we don’t even do any cleaning unless the child is super cooperative. We do these once a year until the child turns 3, and then they will start to have normal cleanings.
Most insurance companies do pay for these exams, but it is important to include the child on the plan when you are able.