Children's Dental Preventative Care In Broomfield, CO

Children's dental preventative care comes down to 3 ages and a checkup every 6 months. First visit by age 1. Sealants on the first permanent molars around age 6. A parent helping with the toothbrush until about age 8.

We're a family-owned pediatric dental practice in Erie, about 10 minutes from Broomfield via Highway 287 or the Northwest Parkway. Dr. Alison Grover is a board-certified pediatric dentist. For everything we offer Broomfield families, start with our Broomfield pediatric dentist page.

The 1-6-8 Rule

The 1-6-8 Rule is how we explain children's dental preventative care to Broomfield parents. Each number is an age, and each age has a job.

Age 1, the first dental visit. Book it by the first birthday, or within 6 months of the first tooth if that comes sooner. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry puts the first exam at the first tooth and no later than 12 months.
Age 6, sealants on the first permanent molars. These molars come in around age 6, and back teeth are where 9 in 10 cavities happen, according to the CDC.
Age 8, your child takes over the toothbrush. Most kids don't have the coordination to brush well on their own before then.

Between those ages, a checkup every 6 months keeps everything on track. Children at higher risk for cavities come in more often.

Age 1: The First Visit

The first visit happens by the first birthday, or within 6 months of the first tooth if that comes sooner. It's short. We check for early signs of decay, see how the mouth is developing, talk through feeding habits, and show you how to care for the first teeth at home.

Starting this early keeps the first visits focused on habits instead of repairs.

Every 6 Months: What a Checkup Covers

The 6-month checkup is where most children's dental preventative care happens. A visit usually takes 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your child's age and if X-rays are needed.

At each checkup:

A pediatric dentist examines the teeth, gums and bite.
The teeth get cleaned, with a toothpaste flavor your child picks.
Fluoride varnish goes on, in a flavor your child picks from our fluoride menu. Your child can eat and drink normally right away, with no waiting.
X-rays, when they're due, are taken right in the treatment room, so your child never has to leave their movie.
You're welcome to stay in the room the whole time.

If a checkup turns up white spots, we treat white spots on teeth with a painless, no-drill treatment done in 1 visit. The step-by-step visit is on our teeth cleaning and exams page.

Age 6: Seal the First Permanent Molars

Seal the first permanent molars soon after they come in, usually around age 6, and the second molars around age 12. A sealant is a thin, protective coating on the chewing surfaces of the back molars.

The CDC's numbers explain the timing. Back teeth are where 9 in 10 cavities happen, and sealants prevent 80% of the cavities there over 2 years. Sealants are 1 part of cavity prevention, and that page also explains why checkups land every 6 months.

Age 8: Handing Over the Toothbrush

Help with brushing until your child can tie their own shoes. For most kids that's around age 8, when they have the coordination to brush well on their own.

Those years count. By age 8, 52% of U.S. children have had a cavity in a baby tooth, according to the CDC. Colorado's 2022-23 school screening found that 60.6% of third graders had already had one.

Until your child takes over:

Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste: a smear the size of a grain of rice under age 3, and a pea-sized amount from age 3.
Start flossing as soon as 2 teeth touch.
Keep sugary snacks and drinks to mealtimes. Frequent sugar between meals feeds decay.
Use a mouthguard for sports, especially contact sports.

Broomfield Tap Water and Fluoride Drops

Broomfield adds fluoride to its tap water, and that changes the answer on fluoride drops and tablets for most Broomfield kids. The city's water quality reports put the yearly average at 0.68 ppm in 2024 and 0.62 ppm in 2025. Colorado's health department recommends 0.7 mg/L, the same measure, and kept that level in a statement dated October 14, 2024.

Both years averaged above 0.6 ppm, the level where the American Dental Association's supplement schedule stops recommending drops or tablets. Individual samples in both years dipped as low as 0.53. In October 2025, the FDA also restricted prescription fluoride drops and tablets for children under 3 and for older children at low or moderate risk for cavities. Toothpaste and the fluoride we apply at checkups weren't part of that action.

What that means for your child:

Drops or tablets are a decision we make at the visit, based on your child's cavity risk and the water your family drinks.
Fluoride varnish at each checkup adds protection on top of the tap, and your child can eat and drink right after.
If your home drinks mostly bottled or reverse-osmosis water, tell us. Your child is getting less fluoride than the city's numbers suggest.

More on fluoride treatment for Broomfield kids.

When Your Child Won't Sit Still

Every part of the 1-6-8 Rule depends on a child who will get in the chair, so we start there.

A nervous child can begin with a Happy Visit, an introductory appointment where the only goal is to explore the office, meet the team and get comfortable. In the chair, your child picks a movie for the ceiling TV from more than 70 choices, plus the toothpaste and fluoride flavors. We can change how your child sits or reclines to suit their comfort, physical needs or anxiety. Parents are welcome in the treatment room.

When that isn't enough, there are 3 sedation levels: mild sedation with nitrous oxide, moderate oral sedation, and deep sedation with in-office general anesthesia, given by an anesthesiologist. More on dental care for kids with special needs.

About Dr. Alison Grover

Dr. Alison Grover is a mom, a pediatric dentist and the owner of Mini Miners. She and her husband built the practice in Erie in 2017 and started with 4 patients. She earned her DDS at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, then completed a general practice residency and a 2-year pediatric residency, with her pediatric dental certificate from UCLA. She holds a degree in child psychology from Wellesley College and went to Fairview High School in Boulder.

Dr. Grover is a board-certified Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, which means she passed the board's written and oral exams. About 1 in 3 pediatric dentists in the U.S. hold that title.

Questions Broomfield Parents Ask

What is the 1-6-8 Rule?

It's our shorthand for children's dental preventative care: a first dental visit by age 1, sealants on the first permanent molars around age 6, and help with brushing until about age 8. A checkup every 6 months runs underneath all 3.

Should my child take fluoride drops or tablets?

Usually not, if your child drinks Broomfield city water. The city's water averaged 0.68 ppm in 2024 and 0.62 ppm in 2025, above the 0.6 ppm level where the American Dental Association's schedule stops recommending supplements. Since October 2025, the FDA has also restricted them for children under 3 and for older children at low or moderate risk. We decide at the visit.

What does children's dental preventative care include at Mini Miners?

An exam, a cleaning, fluoride varnish, X-rays when they're due, sealants once the permanent molars come in, and coaching on brushing and flossing at home. It starts by the first birthday and repeats every 6 months.

Can I stay with my child during the visit?

Yes. Parents are always welcome to stay in the treatment room.

What if my child is too nervous for a checkup?

Start with a Happy Visit, where your child explores the office and meets the team with no treatment. We can also change how your child sits or reclines, and 3 levels of sedation are available when a child needs more help.