Children's Visit to the Dentist

It's probably time that she see the dentist. We take both our boys to our regular dentist and they do just fine with that. In fact, their first visit was free. It just included teeth cleaning, a quick look at their teeth (no x-rays) and the brush on flouride. You may want to see if your regular dentist does the same!

My daughter is almost 14 now. When she was a baby, she went with me to my regular dental appointments and the Dr would look in her mouth, etc so she would be comfortable with the procedure.

Around 2 we started taking her to a pediatric dentist, Dr. Tipton Asher. He and his staff are top notch. They are located in Plano near Medical Center Plano off 15th.

As for sealants, as her new teeth came in, we did get them sealed. I think it was about $20 or so at the time. It is worth it to us and her since she has no decay.

My daughter started losing her teeth at age 4 and by the age of 10 she had lost all the teeth she was supposed to lose and she has a fantastic mouth. We have sealants on all of her teeth that Dr. Asher recommended to seal. There is no need whatsoever for braces which is such a blessing to have a child with great healthy teeth.

As for insurance, when we started going to Dr. Asher, he did not deal with any insurance. We paid up front and I filed for reimbursement which I always got back within a few dollars. I believe he might deal with some insurance now but I am not sure.

Preventative care and routine care means so much to your child. He/she need healthy teeth!!

My daughter saw the dentist for the first time at 3. They did x-rays and just a general cleaning. I asked about the sealant and the nurse told me that is was like $16 a tooth to do it and said it was kinda pointless to do on a child who was going to lose them anyway and to save the money to do it on their adult teeth, it made sense to me, so we just brush 2 to 3 times a day to keep what she's got looking healthy and clean.

When my son was 3 he saw our dentist for a "Happy Visit." It was a free visit where the hygienist counted his teeth, he felt the brush that tickles, etc. It was just a relaxed, "getting to know you" kind of visit. His first "real" visit was when he was 4. It's gone really smoothly for him so far- no anxiety, he always looks forward to going.

Our family dentist doesn't see kids till they are 4, so we took my son in to him at 4. He LOVED it. Unless there is a concern with your child's teeth, there probably isn't a reason to take them in sooner. As for sealant, I think that's only used if there are cavities, but I'm not sure.

Now is just about the perfect time to introduce your daughter to the dental office. I am a dental hygienist and typically sealants are done on permanent molars unless the child is unusually prone to decay. They are not usually needed on baby teeth. Some dental offices will give a 10-20% discount if you are paying cash. You can take your daughter to any general dentist or a pediatric one. Some good pediatric dentists are Dr. Rozas in Coppell, Sandra Armstrong in Southlake, Bridget McAnthony in Keller, and Stan Preece in Keller. Good luck.

We started my daughter at 2 years old and she absolutely loves the dentist!!