How often should I get a dental checkup and cleaning?

Most patients should visit every six months for a routine exam and cleaning, though your dentist may recommend a different schedule based on your oral health history.

What happens during a dental checkup?

Your visit includes a professional cleaning to remove plaque and tartar, plus a comprehensive exam covering X-rays, a gum and tooth evaluation, a bite and jaw check, and an oral cancer screening.

How often do I need dental X-rays?

Most patients need X-rays about once a year, though your dentist may recommend them more or less often depending on your oral health and risk factors.

Is an oral cancer screening really part of every visit?

Yes. At Smile Craft Dental, an oral cancer screening is a standard part of every routine checkup, not an add-on, so any unusual spots or changes are caught early.

I have dental anxiety — can you accommodate that?

Yes. Our team is experienced working with nervous patients and will explain every step before we begin so you feel comfortable throughout your visit.

It's been years since my last checkup — what should I expect?

We'll meet you where you are without judgment. Your first visit back typically includes a full exam, X-rays if needed, and a thorough cleaning to get your smile back on track.

Infant Oral Health Exams in Redwood City, CA

Most parents assume a baby’s first dental visit can wait until a full set of teeth comes in, or at least until a child is old enough to sit still in a chair. In reality, pediatric dental guidance recommends an infant oral health exam by a child’s first birthday, well before either of those milestones happens. Our team at Smile Craft Dental has spent years helping local families navigate that “wait, already?” moment, and we know the instinct to delay usually comes from not realizing this visit exists at all, not from any lack of care on the parent’s part.

In practice, an early exam looks less like a traditional dental appointment and more like a conversation, one where you do most of the talking and we do most of the listening. This is really just the first chapter of a much longer relationship, and our Redwood City pediatric dentistry team is ready to continue that care as your child grows into every stage that follows. Whether you’re bringing in your first child or your third, our goal is to make that first visit feel calm, informative, and free of any pressure to have the “right” questions ready in advance.

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What an Infant Oral Health Exam Actually Looks Like

If you’re picturing a dental chair, a bright light, and a lot of tools, you can set that image aside. Most infant exams happen with your baby in your lap, or lying gently across your knees facing us in what’s sometimes called a knee-to-knee position. There’s no drilling, no injections, and typically nothing invasive at all. If you’d like a broader sense of what a first visit at our office looks like beyond the infant exam itself, that page walks through what to expect from start to finish.

What actually happens is closer to a guided tour of your baby’s mouth. We’ll look at how teeth are coming in, check for anything unusual along the gums or soft tissue, and spend real time answering the questions you’ve probably been saving up. Is it normal for them to only chew on one side? Should you be worried about a pacifier habit? Is teething supposed to look like this? These conversations are often the most valuable part of the visit, and a few practical details are worth knowing beforehand:

Bottle and breastfeeding habits can influence early tooth development, so feel free to mention your routine even if it seems unrelated.

Teething discomfort is common and usually manageable without needing dental treatment.

Early exams are typically short, often just 15 to 20 minutes.

You're welcome to bring a partner, grandparent, or anyone else who helps care for your child.

None of this requires advance preparation on your end. As your child gets older and their exams involve more than a visual check, tools like 3D dental scans may come into play, but for now, just showing up with your questions is more than enough.

Why the Timing Matters More Than It Seems

It’s easy to think of one missed appointment as harmless, especially for something as small as a baby’s first few teeth. But the data tells a different story about why timing matters here. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s guidance on perinatal and infant oral health care recommends that oral health professionals encourage families to establish a dental home by the time a child turns one, when early risk assessment and anticipatory guidance are far easier to act on than they are later. Waiting even a year or two past that window can shift a simple preventive visit into something closer to a repair project.

Think about it the way you’d think about a car’s maintenance schedule. An oil change on time is quick, inexpensive, and easy to forget about entirely. Ignore it long enough, though, and you’re no longer looking at routine maintenance. You’re looking at a bigger repair, more time in the shop, and a bill you didn’t plan for.

One Visit Now, One Practice for Life

An infant exam rarely happens in isolation. Often, it’s the moment a family starts thinking about dental care as something they handle together rather than one appointment at a time. Our family dentistry approach in Redwood City means your baby’s first exam can sit on the same calendar as a sibling’s cleaning or a parent’s checkup, instead of juggling separate providers for every member of the household.

That kind of continuity tends to matter more than parents expect. The same team that sees your infant today can still be seeing your child when they’re navigating orthodontics, and the same office that answers your questions now will remember their history later. Our staff includes Spanish speakers as well, so language never has to be the reason a question goes unasked.

Infant Oral Health Exam Cost & Financing

The cost of an infant oral health exam is typically minimal and depends on your specific plan or any additional care needed. We accept most major dental insurance plans and offer flexible payment options to help make early preventive care accessible for every family. Call (650) 967-9900 to schedule your infant’s exam and get a personalized cost estimate.

One flag: this is the same phone number as the Sunnyvale pages above, but now for a Redwood City location — worth confirming that’s the correct number for this office before it goes live.

Smile Craft Dental Is Ready Before You Think You Need Us

An infant’s first dental exam isn’t about fixing a problem. It’s about making sure one never gets the chance to start. That distinction matters, because it means there’s no perfect or “worst-case” reason you need before booking this appointment. The best time to come in is before you have a reason to worry, not after.

If you’re a Redwood City parent wondering if it’s too early to bring your baby in, the answer is almost certainly no. Dr. Janice Chou and our team would be glad to meet your little one and walk you through exactly what to expect, whether this is your family’s very first dental visit or you’re switching providers for the first time. Please contact our office to find a time that works for you, and let’s get your baby’s first exam on the calendar.

Your Care Team in Redwood City

Dr. Amy Nguyen and our Redwood City team combine a thorough clinical exam with a gentle, patient-centered cleaning at every checkup.

Dr. Amy Nguyen, DDS

Lead Dentist · Smile Craft Dental Redwood City

Dr. Amy leads Smile Craft Dental with a commitment to technology, continuing education, and patient-centered care. Every checkup includes a thorough exam and an oral cancer screening as a standard part of the visit, not an afterthought. Her approach is straightforward: explain everything clearly, listen carefully, and make sure you leave with answers, not just instructions.

Preventive Care FocusedAdvanced Continuing EducationBay Area Practice Since 2019Spanish-Speaking Staff

What Redwood City Patients Say

4.9 stars across 556 Google reviews. Here's what patients describe about their experience at Smile Craft.

Ready to Schedule Your Next Checkup?

Smile Craft Dental is a family dental practice serving patients of all ages in Redwood City. Our team welcomes new patients from San Carlos, Belmont, and the surrounding Peninsula seeking routine checkups, cleanings, and preventive care. If you're ready to schedule your next checkup, we make it easy to get started. Contact us to request an appointment and take the next step toward a healthy smile.

2531 El Camino Real · Redwood City, CA 94061
Serving San Carlos, Belmont, and the Peninsula

Smile Craft Dental

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