Gentle Infant Dental Exams in Houston, TX

Early dental care lays the foundation for a lifetime of healthy smiles. Even before teeth erupt, bacteria can accumulate in your baby’s mouth and influence future oral health. Regular visits allow us to monitor development, identify potential concerns early, and guide parents on proper care at home.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children see a dentist within six months of their first tooth erupting, or by age one. These early visits help your child become familiar with the dental environment while allowing parents to receive guidance on feeding habits, oral hygiene, and developmental milestones. By starting early, we can often prevent issues like early childhood cavities and help your child build positive associations with dental care!

We're committed to the belief that your baby’s first dental exam should be gentle, educational, and stress-free. As a result, during the visit, we will:

• Examine your baby’s gums, teeth, and jaw development
• Check for signs of early decay or developmental concerns
• Review feeding habits, pacifier use, and thumb-sucking
• Demonstrate safe cleaning techniques for gums and teeth
• Answer any questions you have about teething or oral growth

For infants and toddlers, exams are often performed in a knee-to-knee position, allowing your child to remain secure and comfortable in your lap. Our goal is to make the experience positive, quick, and reassuring for both parent and child.

What happens during infancy plays a major role in your child’s future oral health. With this in mind, our outstanding team provides guidance on common practices to help ensure proper development and healthy long-term habits, including:

• Bottle and breastfeeding habits, namely, avoiding bottles at bedtime
• Pacifier use, including when and how to begin weaning
• Thumb or finger sucking, and when it starts becoming a concern
• Oral hygiene routines, even before teeth are present

We focus on building trust, offering encouragement, and making each visit a positive experience. For our team, education is every bit as important as treatment. And we strive for every parent to leave each visit with practical tips and renewed confidence in caring for their child’s smile at home. 

At Echeverri Dental Center, your child’s care is guided by Dr. Kim Kierszenson, DDS, MSD, a board-certified pediatric dentist with advanced training in infant and child oral health. After earning her dental degree from Universidad Latina de Costa Rica and practicing dentistry internationally, Dr. Kim completed her pediatric dentistry residency at UTHealth Houston. Board certification is a voluntary, rigorous process that goes beyond dental school and residency training, and involves intensive additional testing and evaluation, as well as a commitment to the highest standards of care in children’s dentistry.

Dr. Kim has a compassionate perspective on patient care and a genuine love for working with children. She takes great pride in creating positive dental experiences that help kids feel safe and confident. Her expertise allows her to provide comprehensive preventive care while partnering closely with parents to support each child’s unique needs. Families seeking a trusted pediatric dentist in Spring Branch can feel confident knowing their child is in caring, empathetic, expert hands.

Whether it’s time for your baby’s first dental exam or if you've simply got questions about effective infant oral health habits, we’re here to help! Contact Dr. Juan Echeverri, Dr. Kim, and the caring and skilled Echeverri Dental Center team today to schedule your child’s first dental visit and take a vital first step toward a lifetime of healthy smiles!