By age
Pediatric dentistry, stage by stage.
Every age brings its own risks, milestones and treatments. Find yours.
Choose your child's stage
Before baby
Prenatal
Pregnancy
Your baby's teeth start forming at week 6. What you do now shapes them for life.
ExploreFirst year
Infant
0–12 months
From gum wiping to the first tooth to the first dental visit.
ExploreTerrific twos
Toddler
1–3 years
The cavity-prevention window. Weaning off the bottle, mastering the toothbrush.
ExplorePreschool years
Preschool
3–5 years
Building independence. First X-rays. First habits to break.
ExploreMixed dentition
School-age
6–12 years
Sealants, sports mouthguards, and the first orthodontic check.
ExploreTeen years
Teen
13–18 years
Ortho, wisdom teeth, whitening, and life-long habits.
ExploreAdapted care
Special needs
All ages
Autism, sensory, medically-complex — every child deserves a dentist.
ExploreNot sure where to start?
The first dental visit should happen by your child's first birthday. From there, every 6 months.
Book a first visitAge-by-age dental care
What matters, right now, at your child's exact age
Pediatric dental care is not one thing repeated at intervals — it's a sequence of developmental windows, each with its own risks, opportunities and cost of missing the window. What matters at 6 months (first tooth wellness visit, fluoride exposure, bottle transition) is not what matters at 3 years (arch development, weaning windows, first meaningful cleaning) or at 7 years (orthodontic screening, first permanent-molar sealants, hygiene handoff to the child) or at 14 years (wisdom-tooth planning, aligner compliance, sports mouthguards, vaping education). This library is organised by age band so the information you're reading is actually relevant to the child in front of you today.
Each age-band page lists the evidence-based milestones that should be met in that window, the red flags that mean an out-of-cycle visit, the habits parents should be building now (and the ones they can stop worrying about), and the conversations worth having with your pediatric dentist at the next appointment. Where a milestone spans more than one band — orthodontic screening starts at age 7 but continues through 10, for example — we cross-link. Where a milestone can be intercepted earlier for high-risk kids (early childhood caries risk assessment, sleep-disordered breathing screening), we say so. The point is not a checklist; the point is age-appropriate decisions that compound over the 18 years of a child's dental development.
The four things this pillar actually covers
0–2: infancy and toddlerhood
Prenatal counselling, first-tooth visit, bottle and pacifier transitions, fluoride exposure, and the diet windows that decide caries risk for the next five years.
3–6: pre-school and early primary
Full primary dentition established, first meaningful cleaning, sealants on primary molars for high-risk kids, and the habit weaning that has to happen now.
7–10: mixed dentition and orthodontic screening
First permanent molars in, orthodontic Phase-I decisions, hygiene handoff, sports and mouthguards, MIH and hypomineralisation screening.
11–17: teens, orthodontics and airway
Aligner compliance, wisdom-tooth planning, bruxism screening, vaping and dietary risks, and the transition to adult dental care.
How it works
Four steps from question to answer
Find your child's age
The library segments into four bands so you skip straight to what's relevant this year.
Check the milestones
Each band lists what should be happening now — and the red flags that mean a same-week visit.
Build the habits
Age-specific brushing, flossing and diet scripts you can start tomorrow.
Book the right visit
Filter our directory to specialists who work best with your child's age and developmental profile.
Frequently asked
Answers to the questions parents ask us most
Why does my baby need a dentist before they're one?
The first-birthday visit is 80% parent counselling — bottle transitions, fluoride exposure, brushing technique — and 20% oral exam. Families who attend prevent up to 80% of early childhood caries compared to families whose first visit happens at age 3. The visit is cheap, brief and disproportionately impactful.
When should we start using fluoride toothpaste?
From eruption of the first tooth, per AAPD and EAPD. Use a smear (rice-grain) under age 3 and a pea-sized amount from 3 to 6. Supervise brushing until age 8 and encourage spitting rather than rinsing to keep fluoride in contact with enamel.
At what age should my child see an orthodontist?
The AAO recommends an orthodontic screening at age 7. Most kids won't need treatment yet, but the small subset who benefit from Phase-I interceptive treatment (crossbites, severe crowding, habit-driven open bites, ectopic canines) are best identified before age 10.
How often should teens see a dentist?
Every six months at minimum, with a full recall including bitewings every 12–18 months depending on caries risk. Teens with orthodontic appliances, chronic mouth-breathing, disordered eating patterns, or vaping habits benefit from three-monthly hygiene visits.
When do baby teeth fall out?
Central incisors around 6–7 years, lateral incisors 7–8, first molars 9–11, canines 10–12, and second molars 10–12. Wide variation is normal. Early loss (before 4) or late loss (after 13) both warrant an evaluation.