The First Dentist Visit at Kids Dental Is Free for Children Under Three!

The Canadian Dental Association encourages the assessment of infants, by a dentist, within 6 months of the eruption of the first tooth or by one year of age. The goal is to have your child visit the dentist before there is a problem with his or her teeth.

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We're a Winnipeg group of dentists and specialists offering children's dentistry and pediatric orthodontics in a kid friendly story book setting.

In Winnipeg, call Kids Dental at 222-KIDS(5437) to get more details or to book an appointment.

Please take advantage of our new patient forms to help you fill out at your convenience.

The first visit is usually a short one. Our aim is to give your child a chance to get to know the dentist and the clinic in a friendly and non-threatening manner.


During this visit our dental team will do the following:

• Cavity risk assessment
• Offer anticipatory guidance
• Examine your child’s teeth for decay
• Examine your child’s gums and soft tissue for disease or problems
• Evaluate the way your child’s teeth fit together, “the bite”.
• Identify any potential problems or deleterious habits.
• Show you and your child how to properly clean his or her teeth at home.
• Answer your questions or concerns.

We do not usually do a cleaning on your child’s first visit, since we want this visit to be as easy and fun as possible for your child. If  your child is very mature or around the age of three or four at the time of their first visit, we may recommend a cleaning and fluoride application. This prophylaxis is an important treatment that serves to reinforce the importance of home care as well as remove plaque and tartar from teeth. At age one a lap-top exam is preferred. In the later years it would be best for the child to sit independently as this enhances the communication between the dentist and the child, without the child looking to the parent for encouragement or security. Our dentists are experts at handling all types of young patients in a friendly and understanding way.

A parent or legal guardian must accompany the child for this first visit, since this person will be asked to fill out medical and dental health forms. The parent should also bring a list of any medications the child may be taking and be prepared to discuss any behavioral or health issues. This information is important because it helps us to treat and manage your child in a safe and effective manner.

Preparing for the First Office Visit

It is important to us and to your child that the first visit be a positive one.

We recommend that your child make their first visit at 12 months of age. At this visit our clinical team will count your child’s teeth and take a quick peek inside the mouth to assess his or her overall state of oral health and to pinpoint any problems early. The entire procedure may only take one or two minutes depending on the behavior of your child. The main goal is to have a fun and easy visit with your child and to introduce them to our dental clinic and children's play village.

The best predictor of a child’s behavior in the dental chair is the parent’s level of anxiety. In most cases, if the parent is nervous, the child is going to feel the same way. Here are a few tips to help your child’s first dental visit go smoothly:

• Tell your child about the visit, but don’t go into details.  
• Let the dentist answer the questions about dental tools and procedures since we often have kid friendly terms for all of our tools. We will explain things in a non-threatening, easy to understand manner.  
• Never tell your child that something may hurt.
• Don’t tell your child about your own unpleasant experiences.
• Try not to promise your child a reward for going to the dentist.
• Remember that young children are often fearful.  Some are afraid of being separated from their parents, others from the unknown, and some are just shy.  We treat many children in our office and have many ways of helping an anxious or fearful child learn to understand and cope with their dental visits.
• Explain to your child that the dentist is there to help them with the very important job of keeping their teeth and gums healthy.