Does scaling weaken teeth? Common worries about a cleaning
Loose teeth, gaps and sensitivity after a cleaning: what is really happening, and why scaling does not wear away enamel.
Your child’s first visit to the dentist
When to bring them, what Dr Meera does in the first fifteen minutes and how to talk about it at home.
We suggest bringing a child for a first dental visit around their first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing. Many parents wait until a tooth hurts, which makes the first visit a stressful one. An early, easy visit is better.
Dr Meera Joshi sees children on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, when the clinic is quieter. A first visit takes about twenty minutes and is mostly getting to know each other. Toddlers usually sit on a parent’s lap, facing them, with their head resting on Dr Meera’s knees, so the child can see the parent the whole time. She counts the teeth aloud, looks at the gums, checks for early white or brown spots that can be the first sign of decay, and shows the parent how to brush a small child’s teeth.
Older children are invited to sit in the chair, ride it up and down and hold the mirror. Dr Meera explains each instrument in simple words before using it, such as calling the suction “a small straw that drinks water”. Nothing is done on the first visit beyond looking and cleaning unless there is pain.
At home, talk about the visit in plain, calm terms, and avoid words like “hurt”, “injection” or “drill”. Do not promise a reward for being brave, which suggests there is something to be brave about. Bring the child’s favourite soft toy, and come fed and rested. A morning slot after breakfast usually goes best.
