The Age 1 Dental Visit: Yes, You Can Have Fun Seeing Babies in Your Office (And Why You Should!)

This lecture will give an overview of The Age 1 Dental Visit. I will review the rationale behind the age 1 dental visit (establish dental home, address and treat any frank or incipient lesions, identify caries risk, identify eruption anomalies, assess soft tissues, and provide anticipatory guidance). I will teach the audience on the infant oral exam technique. I will discuss how to deal with common issues such as the child crying, and how to position the child in the knee to knee position with a parent. I will discuss clinical tools such as a mouth prop that may be helpful. I will discuss anticipatory guidance for diet, including sippy cups, sweets, and how to approach the topic of breastfeeding in a helpful and non-judgmental manner that conveys the right information and is evidence-based. I will also review hygiene instructions for parents, including prevention of S. mutans transmission. I will discuss the current AAPD guidelines and demonstrate how few children are being seen at age 1. I will discuss sequelae of untreated early childhood caries and show clinical photos of such, and review treatment of incipient or early caries including topical fluoride and SDF. I will discuss eruption sequence and what to expect at age 1. I will discuss common findings and important findings that warrant further investigation, such as signs of leukemia or Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis. Finally, I will review coding and billing for exam and hygiene procedures.