Welcome to Your Dental Home

The American Academy of Pediatrics has developed a concept it calls the “medical home.” The idea is to create one place to deliver and coordinate care for infants, children and adolescents. Similarly, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) supports the establishment of a “dental home,” a place where all aspects of oral health that result from the interaction of the patient, parents, non-dental professionals (such as pediatricians) and dental professionals can be coordinated.

Dental problems can begin early in your child’s life. One of the most common diseases among infants is early childhood caries (tooth decay that can lead to cavities), an infectious disease caused by bacteria. As soon as the first tooth erupts, your child is at risk for early childhood caries.

A dental home should be established when your child’s first tooth erupts or when he or she reaches the age of one year, whichever comes first. Frequently, your child’s pediatrician will tell you when it is the right time.

An early visit to a pediatric dentist, before any dental problems have developed, has several benefits:

• The child’s first dental experience will be a positive one.
• Parents will receive important information about how to keep their child’s teeth and mouth healthy.
• The dentist can evaluate the child’s oral health and check for any dental anomalies.

Once your child’s dental home is established, regularly scheduled checkups let us spot any issues, such as the first signs of early childhood caries, before they can develop into serious problems. You can be sure that your child will receive all the appropriate preventive and prophylactic measures.

Studies have shown that children who have a dental home are more likely to receive preventive and routine oral health care. That means both fewer oral health problems and lower overall cost of treatment—and a better smile for both parent and child.