Family dentist for kids in Miami,
gentle from the very first visit.

Before and at the first visit

Guidance from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the ADA points to a first dental visit around the first tooth or the first birthday. For many babies that is somewhere between 6 and 12 months, but every child is different, and a slightly later start is not a crisis. The point is to begin before there is a problem.

You can start well before that appointment. Wipe your baby's gums with a soft, damp cloth after feeds. Once the first tooth appears, brush it twice a day with a smear of fluoride toothpaste about the size of a grain of rice. Try not to put your baby to bed with a bottle of milk or juice, since liquid pooling around the teeth overnight is a common cause of early cavities.

For babies and toddlers, the visit itself is short. Your child usually sits in your lap, facing you, while Dr. Rana looks at the teeth and gums, checks how the teeth are coming in and talks with you about feeding, teething and brushing. For ideas on preparing at home, read about your child's first dental visit.

Why cavities in baby teeth still matter

Baby teeth fall out, so it is tempting to let a small cavity go. Some of them stay in place until around age 10 to 12, though, and they do real work in the meantime: chewing, clear speech and holding space for the adult teeth underneath. A baby tooth lost early to decay can let neighboring teeth drift and crowd the adult tooth coming in behind it.

Untreated decay can also reach the nerve, cause pain and infection, and in some cases affect the developing adult tooth. Treatment depends on the size and location of the cavity and on how soon the tooth is due to fall out. Small cavities can sometimes be watched or treated with fluoride, while larger ones often need a filling. Read more in why baby teeth cavities matter and what to expect when your child's first cavity is filled.

Sealants and fluoride, in practice

Fluoride varnish is painted onto the teeth in a minute or two. It tastes a little sweet, it sets quickly, and kids can usually go right back to their day, with soft foods and no brushing for a few hours afterward. At home, the toothpaste amount goes up from a rice-grain smear to a pea-size dab at about age three. For the details on how much is enough, see fluoride for kids: how much is too much.

Sealants are a thin coating brushed into the grooves of the back teeth and hardened with a light. No numbing or drilling is needed. They are most often placed on the first adult molars, which come in around age six, and the second adult molars, around age twelve. They can wear or chip over time, so we check them at each visit. Our post on whether dental sealants are worth it covers who benefits most.

Thumb sucking and pacifiers

Sucking a thumb, finger or pacifier is normal for babies and toddlers, and many children stop by about age three or four. The concern grows if a strong habit continues as the adult front teeth start coming in, which can push the top teeth forward or leave a gap between the upper and lower front teeth when your child bites.

Pressure and scolding tend to backfire. Gentle steps work better for most families: praise on good days, a sticker chart, keeping hands busy during screen time, and noticing when the habit happens, such as when your child is tired or bored. We watch how the bite is developing at each checkup and tell you if it is time to do more. More in our post on thumb sucking and pacifiers.

Mouthguards for sports

The ADA recommends a mouthguard for sports with contact or a risk of falls, such as soccer, basketball, football, baseball, martial arts, skateboarding and cycling. A guard can help protect the teeth, lips and tongue, and lowers the chance of a broken or knocked-out tooth.

There are three main kinds. Stock guards come ready to wear but often fit loosely. Boil-and-bite guards are softened in hot water and shaped at home, and fit better. Custom-fitted guards are made from a model of your child's teeth and usually fit most comfortably, which makes kids more likely to keep them in. Growing mouths change, so expect to replace a guard as new teeth come in. If your child wears braces, ask us which type works with them.

If a tooth is knocked out or broken during a game, our emergency dental page explains what to do in the first hour.

Helping anxious kids feel at ease

Many children are nervous about the dentist, often because of something they heard rather than anything that happened to them. We use a simple pattern: tell, show, then do. We tell your child what comes next in plain words, show the tool on a finger or a toy, and only then use it in their mouth. Kids are invited to raise a hand any time they need a break.

At home, keep the talk calm and simple. Skip words like shot, drill or hurt, and avoid promising that nothing will be felt. Reading a picture book about the dentist, or letting your child come along to a parent's cleaning first, helps many kids. Morning and Saturday appointments often go better than visits squeezed in at the end of a long school day.

If a young child needs a lot of treatment, or could only get through it with sedation, a pediatric dentist who focuses on that care is often the better fit, and we will refer you.

When we refer to a pediatric dentist or an orthodontist

Dr. Rana is a family dentist, and most kids' care, from checkups to small fillings, can happen right here. Some situations call for another dentist's training, and we tell you when that is the case.

• Pediatric dentist: very young children with widespread decay, children who need treatment under sedation or general anesthesia, and children with medical, developmental or behavioral needs that call for a dedicated setting.
• Orthodontist: the American Association of Orthodontists suggests a first orthodontic check by about age seven. We look for crossbites, severe crowding, jaw growth concerns and front teeth that stick out, and refer you when an evaluation makes sense. For some teens, clear aligners are an option; see Invisalign and Invisalign for teens.
• Oral surgeon: for wisdom teeth that are deeply impacted or close to a nerve. Many routine cases can be handled here; see wisdom teeth removal.

After a referral, your child can keep coming to us for cleanings and checkups, and we coordinate with the other office.

Visits in Spanish or English, with parents in the room

Plenty of Miami kids switch languages mid-sentence, and many grandparents bring children to appointments. Our team can explain things to your child in one language and to you or a grandparent in the other, so everyone hears the same plan. The Spanish version of this information is on dentista familiar en Miami.

Parents are welcome in the room. For babies and young children, being next to you, or on your lap, is usually the calmest way to start. Some older kids and teens speak up more on their own, so as they get older we ask what you and your child prefer. Either way, you hear what we found and what we recommend before you leave.

Insurance, costs and getting here

We accept most major dental insurance. Many plans cover children's checkups and cleanings at a high percentage, and some treat sealants and fluoride as preventive care, often with age or tooth limits. Fillings are often covered as basic services, subject to a deductible and annual maximum. We check your benefits for you, and you get the exact price in writing before any treatment. For costs your plan doesn't cover, 0% financing on approved credit through CareCredit, Cherry and LendingClub is available.

We are at 3050 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 703, at NE 30th Street in Edgewater, with building and street parking. Families from Midtown, Wynwood and the Design District are often here in 5 to 10 minutes, and from Miami Beach in about 10 to 20, depending on traffic.

About the dentist

Dr. Aakash Rana, DDS

Dr. Aakash Rana, DDS is a general dentist trained at NYU College of Dentistry, with more than $100,000 in continuing education. He plans and treats each case at Prana Dental himself, works with our in-house lab, and refers to a specialist when a case needs one.

More questions from parents

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