What you can expect

What happens during a dental exam for children might vary depending on the child's age and treatment needs.

Ages 6 months to 1 year

The dentist or hygienist might place your child on a table or exam chair or have you hold your child on your lap during the exam. Then the dentist or hygienist will likely:

• Evaluate your child's oral hygiene and overall health, drinking and eating habits, and risk of tooth decay
• Remove stains or deposits on your child's teeth by gently scrubbing with a wet toothbrush or wet cloth
• Demonstrate proper cleaning techniques
• Assess how much fluoride your child is getting through diet and use of oral hygiene products — and, if necessary, prescribe a fluoride supplement or apply a topical fluoride treatment to your child's teeth
• Look for sores or bumps on your child's tongue, inside the cheeks, and on the roof of the mouth
• Evaluate the impact of habits such as pacifier use and thumb sucking

Toddlers, school-age children and adolescents

During each regular checkup, the dentist or hygienist will continue to evaluate your child's oral hygiene and overall health, drinking and eating habits, and risk of tooth decay. Besides cleaning your child's teeth, the dentist or hygienist might:

• Take digital dental X-rays or, if necessary, do other diagnostic procedures
• Apply sealants — thin, protective plastic coatings — to permanent molars and other back teeth susceptible to decay
• Repair cavities or tooth defects
• Look for problems in the way your child's upper and lower teeth fit together
• Counsel your child about the impact of thumb sucking, jaw clenching or nail biting
• Recommend pre-orthodontic treatment, such as a special mouthpiece, or orthodontic treatment, such as braces, to straighten your child's teeth or adjust the bite

As your child gets older, dental exams might also include counseling about the oral health risks associated with:

• Drinking sugary beverages
• Smoking
• Chewing tobacco
• Eating disorders
• Oral piercings
• Not wearing a mouthguard during contact sports

The dentist or hygienist might also discuss the possible removal of your child's wisdom teeth (third molars) at the appropriate age, usually at age 16.

Dental X-ray

A dental X-ray allows the dentist to see detailed images of specific sections of your child's mouth to help diagnose problems not visible during the dental exam. X-rays aren't typically needed at every dental visit, and your dentist or hygienist will discuss with you the need for X-rays based on your child's age, oral health and risk of disease.

Radiation exposure from dental X-rays is low, especially with digital X-rays — but talk to the dentist if you're concerned.