American Dental Association (ADA) recommends to schedule the first dental visit between the arrival of the first tooth and his/her first birthday. But the best time for a youngster to have a great experience first time would be determined by her willingness to cooperate at the chairside, which varies person-to-person. The best way is to get her acquainted in a non-threatening environment. An experienced dentist would start with letting the little patient hold on to a 'safe' instrument such as the intraoral mirror, count his/her teeth (actually doing a dental examination), giving mom and dad dental tips on caring for the pearly whites, at the same time educating them about the danger of milk-bottle decay, etc, BEFORE any perceived need for the dentist's 'real' services. On the other hand, the worst experience a little patient can have is being brought in because of a toothache, especially after having been 'advised' by peers about the horrific ordeal s