When your little one arrived, you sought a caring pediatrician to carefully monitor and treat your child's physical, emotional and social health. And barring any complications, the pediatrician was the only doctor your little one needed until he was much, much older, right? Well, not exactly. What most parents don't realize is that there are several specialists who would prefer to see kids when they're little to look out for, and prevent, many a malady.

At what age do these doctors like to start seeing kids, and what do they typically do and look for?

The excuse is a common one: "But they're just baby teeth, so how important is it to see a dentist when she'll get brand-new teeth in a few years?" But the answer may surprise you. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that 40 percent of 5-year-olds in the United States have cavities in their primary teeth – and the lack of dental care that earned those cavities will only continue with permanent teeth.

In fact, dental decay is the most chronic disease found in children, says Dr. John Bond, the founder and CEO of 6 Day Dental & Orthodontics, which has five locations throughout Texas. He believes that by visiting the dentist early and beginning a course of conservative early intervention, children can undergo fewer dental procedures throughout their lifetime, saving time, money and pain.

Dr. Bond recommends that children should first visit the dentist around their 2nd birthday, primarily to get them comfortable with the dentist and check for baby-bottle decay and other early problems.

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