How often should my child see the dentist? and at what age should they start?

What the evidence says

Dentists in Canada recommend that your child has their first dental visit within 6 months of their first tooth coming in, or by their first birthday, whichever happens first. This is true even though babies don't have many teeth yet. The idea is to catch problems early, before they start, and to help your child get comfortable with the dentist.

The Canadian Dental Association, the group that speaks for dentists across the country, and the Canadian Paediatric Society, which represents children's doctors, both agree on this age-1 recommendation. Baby teeth can get cavities too, and early decay is actually quite common in young Canadian children, so starting early matters.

After that first visit, most dentists suggest checkups every 6 months. This lets them keep an eye on new teeth coming in, catch small problems before they become big ones, and check that home brushing is working well. Your child's own dentist may adjust this schedule up or down depending on how healthy their teeth are.

Interestingly, the science behind the exact 6-month number is less solid than you might think. A systematic review looking at checkup timing found not enough proof either way to say 6 months is definitely better than a longer gap for healthy children. One randomized trial even found that checking every 2 years led to about the same number of cavities as every 6 months, in children without high risk factors. So 6 months is a sensible default, but your dentist may reasonably suggest a different interval based on your child's own risk of cavities.

The bottom line: start by their first birthday or within 6 months of the first tooth, then follow your dentist's advice on how often to go back, usually every 6 months unless told otherwise.