Teeth Cleaning for 3 Year Olds?

D.,
I started taking my son (now 6) to the dentist at 3. I take him to my dentist, not a pediatric dentist and he does fine. They told me the first visit they would just take a look, show him the "squirt gun", etc. but he did so well, they did a complete exam & cleaning!
I went first and let him watch and he seemed to be at ease after that. Good luck....their dad is right about this--it's time for a visit!

My dentist doesn't suggest taking the kids for their own cleaning until three but I do take my kids with me to get my teeth cleaned every six months. I figure the more exposure the better. Granted I haven't had to have any work done and I love going so it makes for a much calmer time!
So maybe you could take your girls with you or your husband first to let them watch what happens and what they will need to do?
So far my six year old has had some great experiences and he has no fear of them either. Good Luck!

My experience was similar to others. I took my 3 yr old in a few months ago, and they did a very basic cleaning (the polisher and a little bit of scraping), and generally checked things out. My regular dentist did it. There are pediatric dentists also - but you don't necessarily need one unless they find problems with your child's teeth.

It was a good experience for my LO - I thought he might be intimidated by the "tools", but he did fine.

Get some suggestions for a good pediatric dentist in your area. I'm in New Cumberland. Call them and ask what age they would see a child for their first visit. Most average around age three, some age 4. They'll keep it simple and check around, count how many teeth they have, and do a cleaning if the child feels comfortable. If you have questions, even simple ones, ask! Be sure you're brushing teeth at least twice a day, after breakfast and before bed. You can watch their teeth and brush more often if you feel the need. You can start doing three times a day and have them brush their own teeth in the middle of the day to practice how to do it properly.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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The American Dental Association recommends brining your children to the dentist at 1 year old and then receiving evaluations every 6 months thereafter. I take my son to Charm Pediatrics in BlueBell and they are covered under my insurance. They do an exam and cleaning every 6 months. The cleaning is pretty much a breeze... the hygienist comes in and I lay my son across my lap (I'm sitting in the dental chair) and his head is in her lap. She puts her hands in the corners of his mouth which opens his choppers up and she brushes with the paste and flosses him then applies the fluroide treatment. After that is done, the dentist comes and (same position across the laps) and looks at his teeth and gums.. its all over in about 30minutes and they let my son select a toy and give him his "treat bag" with toothbrush, kids flossers and toothpaste.
The office is completely for kids.. kid TV, kid furniture and kid TVs in the dental rooms. Lots of toys and kid themed furnishings... My son likes it there.. gets annoyed with them cleaning/inspecting his teeth -- but they are quick and he's happy with the "treats" at the end.
FOod for thought for you.. I say go for it..
If you had to pay cash, I think the visit is about $150 or so, so its reasonable..
I'd rather invest in it now, they pay to have cavities or worse later in life..

Oh, I know places like in Lansdale have a visiting dental program where they get these services for free as the city or borough gets a grant... that's pretty cool..

yes, it is time to take them. There are pediatric dentists in some areas. I take my son to the dental clinic at University of Pittsburgh and they are awesome. Everything is kid-sized and kid friendly. There is a book by Mr. Roger's about going to the dentist (maybe others too). I also 'played dentist' before taking my son for the first time. we counted his teeth etc...

D.

I take my 3 year old to Dr. Maggie Gurtner in Mt. Lebanon. My daughter does great!! My daughter is almost 3 and has had one cleaning. I think it has to do a lot with the staff and how comfortable they make my kids feel. I also take my 9 year old son there, who was terrified of the dentist, until we found this office, and now he does fine. This office even has computer screens above the chair so they can watch TV while they get their teeth done. I would just make sure you take your 3 year old to a pediatric dentist since they are equipped and trained to deal with younger children.

I took my son to our family dentist when he was 3 1/2 and he did really well. They first had me take him to my appt when he first turned 3 so he could see everything they do and then scheduled him in with my next appt when he was 3 1/2. I would talk to your dentist about their procedure.

Hi D., I started taking my girls to the dentist when they were two years old. I did not want them to share my fear of dentists and the resulting dental issues! The first couple of visits are just "get to know" visits, they are introduced to the staff, the equipment, and all the cool dentist stuff. They are taught how and why to brush their teeth and usually get stickers and a new tooth brush. This is also a great time to discuss bad habits like thumb sucking and binkys. As they get older their exams get more sophiscated and involved of course. I have been taking my girls to Dentistry for Kids in Monroeville since we moved to PA almost 10 yrs ago. My girls have loved going there since their first visit. They all have great teeth and I think it's because of the staff at Dentistry for Kids. I highly recommend them to everyone. The staff is amazing, the doctors really do care and they make you feel part of their family. They have more than one office in the Pittsburgh area check them out! Best wishes

I started taking my oldest to the dentist when she was 20 months old (she only had a few teeth at the time, she was a late teether). I wanted her to get used to going, and not be afraid. They put the flouride stuff on her teeth whenever we go (she goes every 6 months now and has no issues about going, she started going back by herself with me waiting in the waiting area when she was not even 3 years old!). My little one is 16 months and she just went for her first visit last week, but she has a mouthful of teeth already. We see a pediatric dentist and I truly think that is the way to go when you have young kids.

definately bring her in! If she's scared, they will just take a peek to make sure there aren't any immediate problems, probably she'll get a toy and you'll be on your way. My daughter didn't let them clean her teeth until she was 3 and a half, and now she's fine. my younger daughter is 3 now, and has an appt in october... crossing my fingers for that!

i also recommend reading some books about it before you go, and watch some shows about it. barney has a good episode about going to the dentist. Don't watch Nemo right before though! i think the dentist scenes in that scared my daughter!!!
another thing I did to prepare my girls is get them electric toothbrushes, so then they would be used to the sound and look of a spinning brush.
Good luck!

I don't know where in Pittsburgh you are, but...We LOVE and give our highest recommendation to the Gurtner Dental practice in Mt. Lebanon on Cochran Road. They are a husband and wife team; wife is a pediatric dentist and handles the kids, husband cares for the adults. Not only are they both very gentle, compassionate and kind, the entire staff is as well. It's a very warm atmosphere and all are incredibly competent and caring. I can't say enough about them; we would never go anywhere else. We have been going there since we moved back to Pgh over a decade ago (our daughter was 3 at the time), and she has always LOVED to go to the dentist because Dr. Maggie and the staff make it a great experience for the kids. Can't give a much better recommendation than that. :-) ###-###-#### http://www.gurtnerdental.com/

My son, now 4, went for his first dental check at 3 years. He did really well. They don't necessarily "clean" the teeth just check the teeth & mouth (as long as there are no issues). It's really to get the kids exposed to the dentist and to learn about proper teeth brushing, good eating, etc. It also relieves fears that they may have if you wait until they are older or if & when a problem arises.
Good luck!

This is about the time that you should go for your first dental appointment. The first time my dentist just viewed and counted my twins' teeth and no cleaning. This helped getting them comfortable with him. The next time they did a simple cleaning and they were fine with it.