Having your child visit their dentist is highly important, which is why you should schedule their first appointment early on in their life. This way, they understand the importance of taking care of their teeth. When scheduling your child's first dentist appointment, here are five things to keep in mind to help you prepare:

1. Make the First Appointment at One Year Old: As soon as your child is one year old, you should schedule the first dental appointment. This is not only important to check on the development of your child's teeth but also to ensure that your child soon becomes used to someone poking around inside of their mouth. This is going to make future dental appointments much easier. 
2. Be Present:  When taking your child to their first dental appointment and all dental appointments afterwards, you should be sure that you are 100% present. This is because your dentist is going to provide tips for you to help your child stay on top of their dental health, which includes tooth brushing techniques to incorporate at their age. Many parents need this instruction since the right brushing technique is going to differ from child to child. Besides, being present and communicating with the dentist can help calm your child and make them feel less fearful. 
3. Schedule at the Right Time: When you schedule your appointment for your child's first dental appointment, it's important that you schedule at the right time. If your child tends to be more calm in the morning, then wait until the office has a morning appointment available instead of later in the afternoon when it's close to nap time. This is going to make a huge difference in how successful and smooth the appointment goes. 
4. Read Books About the Dentist: Reading your child books about going to the dentist can get them familiar with the idea. This way, they have something to connect them and can understand that every kid goes through it, and it's not so scary. 
5. Play Dentist: Finally, it's a good idea to play dentist at home. You can pretend you are the dentist and brush your child's teeth, and don't forget to start incorporating flossing once your child's teeth start to touch. This is just another way to get your child used to someone poking around in their mouth. 

When you keep these five things in mind, it can definitely make your child's first dental appointment much easier. Talk to a pediatric dentist like those at Alaska Dentistry For Kids for more tips.