The first dental visit.
It is shorter, gentler and duller than you are imagining.
A five-minute read for parents
Swipe through the guide
Eight slides. Save them before you book, or read the full guide below.
Why twelve months, when they have four teeth?
Because the visit is not really about treatment. It is about catching the first signs, and about your child learning that this room is ordinary.
A child whose first visit happens when something already hurts learns something very different.
When to book: around the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing.
What actually happens.
- 1Most of it is talking. Brushing, bottles, drinks, dummies, and what to expect next.
- 2Your child usually sits on your lap, not in the chair. Often knee to knee with the dentist.
- 3A quick look, a count of the teeth, a lift of the lip. Sometimes a fluoride varnish is painted on.
- 4It is often over in fifteen minutes. There is no drill and no needle at a check-up.
Getting them ready.
- ✓Book a morning slot, before the day has worn them out.
- ✓Practise at home. Lie them across your lap, open wide, count the teeth, make it a game.
- ✓Read a picture book about going to the dentist in the week before.
- ✓Let them bring one thing of their own. A toy, a blanket, whatever travels with them.
- ✓Go to your own appointment first and let them watch, if you can.
Words to leave at home.
Reassurance can plant the exact idea you are trying to avoid.
- “It will not hurt.” They had not thought of hurt until you said it.
- “Be brave.” That tells them there is something to be brave about.
- “There will be no needles.” Never promise what you cannot control.
- “Wait until the dentist sees that.” The dentist is not a punishment.
- “I hate the dentist too.” Your fear transfers faster than anything else in the room.
Try instead: “The dentist is going to count your teeth.”
$1,158 of dental care per eligible child.
That is the cap over two calendar years under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
- It covers children aged 0 to 17 whose family receives a payment such as Family Tax Benefit Part A.
- Check your balance in myGov under Medicare, or simply ask the practice when you book.
- Every state also runs a public dental service for children. Waiting times vary, so ask your state health department.
Cap current as at January 2026 and indexed each year. Source: Services Australia.
And after that.
- ✓Every six to twelve months, or whatever interval your dentist sets for your child.
- ✓Sooner if your monthly lift the lip check turns up a white line or a dark spot.
- ✓Sooner again for any knock to a tooth, even one that looks fine.
- ✓Keep going in the good years. Regular visits are what stop the frightening ones.
The first one is the hardest to book.
After that it is just something your family does, like a haircut. Save this guide and make the call.
Pair it with the free Star Book
For grown-ups only. We never ask children for their details.
More Parent Guides
This guide is general information for parents. It isn’t a substitute for advice from your child’s dentist.
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