We fell behind on the first dentist appointment because we moved from Detroit to Chicago while my son was approaching the 1 year mark, but today we finally got him in for his first dentist appointment.

Even though your kid might have only three or four teeth, they should get into the dentist around their first birthday. They won’t get a cleaning, but they’ll get a “lap-to-lap” check-up. This means you’ll hold your baby on their back while the dentist inspects the teeth they do have and the rest of their jaw to make sure everything is developing correctly.

Your baby’s first set of teeth, even though they aren’t fully developed, are all in their jawbone at birth. Most babies get their first teeth around six months old, but some don’t get them until 12 or 14 months. The full set should be there by the time they are three years old.

The teeth typically come in from the center and then outward, which makes the molars the last teeth to make an appearance. These are also usually the worst from a teething perspective, and can come in with a low-grade fever and diarhea.

To help soothe your baby’s gums while their teeth come in, you can give them a bag of frozen veggies or fruits to gnaw on. We use the Fresh Food Feeder with some frozen bananas or strawberries and our son loves it.

The dentist will probably also recommend you use a non-flouride toothpaste with a nightly brushing routine. I’ll cover brushing, flossing and dental care the next tip.

They’ll also check for bottle mouth and other signs up decay. Bottle mouth can be caused by putting your baby to bed with a bottle of milk or juice. Something I didn’t know was that it can also be caused by letting your baby drink from a sippy cup of juice or milk all day as well.

Just like putting them to bed with a bottle, it keeps their teeth continually bathed in sugary liquid, which can eat away at their enamel. If you do give your baby milk or juice in a cup, make sure it’s gone in thirty minutes. Or you can give your baby a glass of water and let them suck away to their heart’s content.