"WHEN TO SEE THE DENTIST"

"I have a two year old and I have recently discovered that she has a cavity in her mouth. She doesn't eat lots of sweets and brushes her teeth twice a day. We were giving her milk right before bed, could that cause the cavity? We have since stopped giving her the milk and replaced it with water. AND when should we begin taking her to the dentist? I can't imagine taking her anytime soon since she doesn't like to sit still and is uncomfortable with strangers. What do you suggest?"

I know it says elsewhere on this website that about three years old is a good time to start seeing the dentist, but many pediatric dentists these days are suggesting earlier. One that I recently talked to said that she likes to start seeing kids around their first birthday. This isn�t usually a complete teeth cleaning, though. Most of the appointment will be focused on getting the child comfortable and educating parents on proper tooth brushing and cavity prevention. She will usually mention to parents that milk or juice right before bed (without brushing) can lead to cavities. It is interesting that studies show that human milk doesn�t lead to cavities, though. Your child should go see a dentist now, since she has a cavity. She should also get into the habit of brushing after her bedtime milk.