Taking Your Kids to the Dentist and Opticians: When & Why?

For little people (Toddlers) going somewhere new can be exciting but also daunting! We recently took our three year old, Teddy, to the Opticians for the first time and he’s also awaiting his very first appointment at the Dentist. This is a huge step in his little life, but so nice to see our little boy growing up.

We all know that going to the dentist and opticians is an important part of our regular health check ups, but this is just as important for our youngsters. Milk teeth are only around for a short period of time in the grand scheme of things but they need just as much care and consideration. Unfortunately the rate of tooth decay in young children is quite high in our country, with an estimated thirty four thousand children having to have one or more of their teeth removed due to decay each year! Lucky decay rates in Toddlers have declined in the past five years according to the Public Health England. So we want to make sure we do everything for Teddy and Charlie to make sure they stay healthy! 

Firstly, we visited the opticians in Harrogate where myself, my partner, and Teddy, all had our eyes tested. The big machine, strange space and unfamiliar faces can be very overwhelming but the optician was so calm and friendly that Teddy took it all in his stride and I think he enjoyed the exciting big boy chair and ‘fun’ machine!

Having Teddy’s eyes tested is very important to us as i have a Astigmatism; he’s just turned three and that is the recommended age to have your first eye test. Also we want to make sure that he’s able concentrate and learn at pre-school, as so much of what they learn at school is visual so it’s good to know if Teddy will need any help to support his learning. We plan to visit on a regular basis to keep, again before he moves up to big school and periodically as and when the optician advises.

Dentists can also be very daunting for children and even adults on occasion. I know i have had some bad experiences in my time and have read/seen a couple of horror stories on the Daily Mail website. We want to encourage Teddy to not be afraid of visiting the dentist, so it’s great to start visiting at this young age so that he can get use to the unfamiliar surroundings and all the strange, alien equipment; and realise it’s not at all scary!

We’re not sure how the first trip will go down but we plan on making it a fun occasion and a mini adventure! We plan on taking him to The Old Spire dental practice, i recommend these highly as the helped sort out my dental abscess after my previous dentistry caused the abscess and failed to repair it.  

A dental abscess is making me a very unhappy man right now. No work, no sleep and no food, it's enough to drive a man insane! 24/7 headache

— Yorkshire Dad (@TheYorkshireDad) November 11, 2013

Letting him take a familiar toy or teddy, maybe even his power rangers dino chargers to the dentist may help him feel at ease, of the fact he may get a sticker after may give him all the encouragement he needs to show off his pearly whites. I have even thought about showing him YouTube videos that show and tell him about the important of cleaning your teeth and going for check-ups. There is a great one on the Sesame Street website here.

Ted loves to brush his teeth, and we encourage him to brush for the full 2 minutes, he has two electric brushes (Spiderman and Batman) and his own big boy tooth paste, so we’re confident his teeth are looked after, however you never know when you might encounter a problem. Taking Teddy to the dentist even just to sit in the chair until he feels comfortable to let the dentist take a look is good practise for the future should he become scared or concerned! 

Many source say that you should take your children for regular check-ups as soon as you feel they are emotionally ready and able to do so. If you are thinking about taking your little ones to either the dentist or the opticians i recommend reading the following information:

Teeth

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/dentalhealth/Pages/Careofkidsteeth.aspx
http://www.colgate.com/en/us/oc/oral-health/life-stages/childrens-oral-care/article/when-to-take-a-child-to-a-dentist-for-the-first-time-0113
https://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/children-parenting-190/toddlers-pre-schoolers-12-months-4-years-59/516742-what-age-did-you-first-take-your-toddler-dentist.html
http://www.babycenter.com/400_when-do-i-take-my-baby-to-the-dentist_7701656_211.bc

Eye Sight

https://www.specsavers.co.uk/childrens-eyecare
http://www.parents.com/advice/babies/health/when-should-my-child-get-her-vision-tested/
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/opticians/Pages/childrens-eyes.aspx
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-87216/Everything-need-know-childs-eye-test.html