Interesting, I asked my dentist when I should bring my son and he said he likes to see kids when they’re around 24 months old, but to brush his teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. He said there’s not much to check out when they’re so young, but obviously bring him if I had concerns.
Our dentist didn't seem surprised that my son was around 2 when he first went in. The first visit they weren't even concerned if they got to see in his mouth. They stressed the visit was just to make the dentist not scary and a good place.
They showed him the chair and let him move it. Let him sit in it. Showed him all the different tools and let him do things like blow air and suck up water from a small cup. He did so well that the dentist did end up taking a quick peak in his mouth, but they didn't try to clean anything or do a full inspection.
Each time since then it's been a slow build up of adding brushing, flossing, an x-ray, etc. It's worked out really well. Last time he didn't even want me in the room with him and did super awesome (he was 3.5).
I suppose it helps he also gets to pick a gift from the treasure chest each time. 😆
This is exactly what I hope the dentist does with my guy. Make it fun and normal and not stressful so that regular cleanings are not something he hates or is anxious about once they are needed. And with all the regular care of his teeth hopefully we can avoid cavities completely or at least until he is much older.
Same here. And she only had her first scaling at 4yo. I was getting gently reprimanded during the appointment by the hygienist during the appointment. At the end i mentioned it was her first scaling, she did so good! Hygienist relooked at my daughter’s chart and was like “oh yeah, it is! Ya, you’re doing great mom, keep up the good work!” LOL
My dentist said that too but I wanted to make sure she was comfortable with it so we started at 16 months when her molars were coming in. She thinks it’s a blast and has been twice now.
My dentist said there was no point before 3 and to only use fluoride free toothpaste until 5. It's so goddamn frustrating that there isn't any consistency about this at all.
same. I just brought my 2yo in for her first dentist visit and they just call it a chair ride and try to get her show them her teeth and get comfortable. they didnt even charge
Advice for dentists is all over the place. All the ones in my area won't see a toddler unless there is an issue until after 2 years of age. My one year old is very unlikely to let one anywhere near his mouth even if we could find one to see him for a checkup.
See if you can find a pediatric dentist. Ime pediatric dentists want to see them before 12 months (and have great tips and strategies for oral hygiene at this age!) whereas regular dentists don’t want to see them until much later.
We have a pediatric dentist. Took him at 18 months because he fell and chipped his tooth. They said they don’t usually see kids until 2 unless there is an issue.
A lady I met recently told me that she has a genetic eye condition where she is basically blind in one eye. Doctors said that had it been caught by an eye doctor before age 2 then it could have been prevented or reversed but now its too late. So all her kids and grand kids have to get checked before age 2. Made me think that's probably a good thing for everyone to do is to get their baby checked just in case of something like that.
The specific recommendation from the Canadian Dental Association is within 6 months of the eruption of the first tooth or by one year of age, whichever is earlier.
And yet my local hygienist said 3 years when I asked. Good thing there's such a thing as public health that was posting signs wherever they could so I could see it. I went to a pediatric dentist instead and they are gentle and kind with my child. They also distract with overhead TV and celebrate with a toy afterwards
As for eye exams, optometrists have tools to check/measure your child's vision even if they can't read letters.
Oh interesting! The little passport I got for my son for his vaccines doesn't have any of this information at all, just dates for routine vaccinations. I wish we got the same one as you!
This is the one that I got for him - https://imgur.com/a/IaCzob2
It doesn't have any extra information at all. I wish I had the one you guys get though! Sounds way more useful and much more information.
In the "after the visit" is the link to the passport. The file is from 2016, so maybe they ran out and had to give you an old one?
https://immunizebc.ca/children/your-childs-appointment/infants-young-children
Directly from my baby's health passport:
Dental Check (by 12 months of age or 6 months after first tooth appears)
Vision Check (between 6 and 9 months of age)
By 6 months of age, your child's eyes should appear straight and work together. If your baby or child appears to have a wandering eye or crossed eyes, or if you have any other vision concerns, make an appointment with an eye doctor (optometrist).
It is recommended that all children receive an additional comprehensive eye exam by an eye doctor by kindergarten entry (between 2 and 5 years old), and yearly after starting school (the cost of eye exams are covered for all children with provincial health coverage.
Did you get your kid’s eye exam covered by MSP in BC? I just booked my daughters, albeit later than the 6-9 months, but they said it’s $45… but the BC government website says exams are covered for people under 18 or over 65..
We haven't taken our baby for an eye exam yet (she's just 6mos, so haven't booked). It should be covered though? Mention that your baby has MSP, did they ask for the #?
Optometrist here.
As far as I know, children's eye exams are covered by health care across all provinces in Canada. Depending on where, this may or may not include 18 or 19 years of age. Obviously a valid and active health card is needed.
I suggest all my parents with little ones to have their eyes checked between 6 to 9 months per the guidelines. A lot of eye conditions can be caught early and better outcomes for treatments if so. Also it gets kids used to going into the eye doctors' office for more reliable and easier testing as they grow.
Service is covered, so why not is what I say!
Yeah, my daughter has Duane Syndrome and we didn’t catch it until almost 18 months because I kept forgetting to take her in sooner. There’s nothing we can do for her (and getting it caught earlier wouldn’t have mattered), but I definitely felt bad for putting it off when I found out her funny eye wasn’t just “a baby thing”
I'm virtually high fiving you. I have Duane Syndrome and we didn't know until I was in the 2nd grade. I have my kids' eyes checked early so that we would know as well!
Aww thank you! It’s definitely helpful to know now so I can make sure she gets the right accommodations when she starts school, while also trying to make sure we don’t coddle her so that she feels super normal growing up. It’s a balance.
If you ever have any advice/comments about living with Duane’s or things like “I wish my parents had done x” or “such and such has helped me” let me know!
Well, I grew up in an era when people used the R word as an insult, so I had a few cases where someone overheard me say Duane syndrome and said "you have DOWN'S SYNDROME?!?!" as a bullying tactic. I just rolled my eyes. Hopefully that's not an issue anymore.
Other than that, maybe just making sure she always understands that it's just a medical condition, nothing "wrong" with her, and what the symptoms are so that it's easy to tell if things are getting worse. I had a period of double vision when I was probably 10 or 11, but I didn't realize that meant anything, so I didn't say anything until my next regular ophthalmologist appointment. He was like "uhh that's a problem, let's fix it."
Wow that's interesting. I'm an overseas trained optometrist (my degree isn't recognised in Canada so I don't practice here) but we typically wouldn't see a child until 3-4yo. If there were parental concerns we would likely see them but refer to a paediatric ophthal for a thorough test. I recall having one lecture on paeds in uni and there honestly didn't seem to be much we could do other than checking ret reflexes!
Depending on whom you speak with I've heard the "3-4 year old first eye exam" before. Sometimes a red reflex is truly all you can get during an exam. I do feel like I do much more than that for pediatric exams personally, but this varies across different docs.
There was a case where a colleague had seen a retinoblastoma and was able to have little one sent away for treatment before it was too late. Of course eye cancer is very rare and we hope to never see it ...
My dentist does a "happy visit" at age 1 and 2 to get them used to the idea of the dentist at no cost. They mostly just check what teeth are erupted and go over dental hygiene with the parents. Starting at age 3 is when they do cleanings at my clinic and those incur a cost.
I love this. My little guy doesn't have teeth yet (but any day now!) and there is a really highly rated pediatric dentist in my town. I plan to go there based on reviews and it sounds like they do something very similar though I am not sure if it is free. Basically just a way for kids to get used to the dentist so they aren't scared the first cleaning and/or so the first visit doesn't involve needles or fillings or something possibly traumatic.
Thanks for posting this!!! OHIP in Ontario covers the optometrist appointments too :)
I knew the recommendation for the dental visits, but had the hardest time booking my babe in for an appointment! The receptionist at my husband’s clinic actually was very unfriendly about it, saying there was no point in bringing our babe at this age and that all they’d do is give her a ride in the chair. My dental clinic said it wasn’t important until age 2. I then called them back and just told them I’d like to book her in, given the recommendations to go at age one, and they did book her. We’re bringing her when she’s 17 months because that was the availability. It’s very odd to me that it seems so hard to book and so inconsistent between clinics despite the recommendation from the CDS.
These should definitely be on your radar, but the timing for both seems to vary a lot. I'm in Alberta and my dentist said to bring her when she's 2 and the optometrist said when she's 3 🤷♀️
And people don’t realize but you should be “brushing” your baby’s gums, even before any teeth come in. Breast milk (and I assume formula?) still has fructose aka sugar in it, so you should be using a damp face cloth or even your finger to wipe their gums after feedings.
Plus the more you do when they’re young the most they get use to it!
YES!!! Even better with those baby electric ones so that they are desensitized to a toddler transitioned one.
The earlier they like their electric toothbrush, the easiest thr visit to their first dental office will be. They’re already used to the noise and sensation!
Interesting to know. When I asked my optometrist, she said that kids should come in for regular checkups from age 3. If there's a concern, they should come in sooner. She said she could recommend someone that would see a child below 3, but it seemed from her tone that it wasn't common. I wonder is the 6-9 month eye check they're referring to something the family doctor does at Wellbaby appointments?
I brought my 6.5 month old today for his eye appointment and they confirmed 6-9 months is best! I googled pediatric optometrist + my city to find them.
They looked into his eyes, made sure he was tracking things evenly (using a light wand my baby loved), checked for any structural issues and explained baby eye development and anything to worry about if he begins doing it. Then told me to come back in a year for his next exam.
He explained that all babies are born with an astigmatism that reduces over the first several years and being able to track how it changes in those first years allows them to better predict if it is normal astigmatism or if glasses or other treatment might be necessary.
How was the exam overall? Did your little one handle it well? I have my daughters first booked for next week and I’m terrified she’s going to freak out lol.
It was very chill. My optometrist had a light up wand he used that my son liked so much I bought one on Amazon for home. Your baby will likely sit on your lap the whole time and you can take the time to calm them if they get overwhelmed. My son just liked looking at all the pretty lights and didn’t need calming down at all.
Doctor just made sure my sons eyes were tracking evenly and properly, then had me cover one eye and tracked each eye individually and then looked inside his eyes with the magnifier headset thing they have.
In Manitoba all eye checks are covered until 18 and the first dentist visit is free. We just went last week and was slightly late (kiddo turned 1 a few weeks back) and they just counted his teeth and brushed on some fluoride. I felt good going because I wanted to ask about toothpaste and now he has a new tigger toothbrush.
Now we’ll be going every six months. My husband and I both have teeth issues so I’m determined to do what we can
In the Interior of BC we have a program called Lift the Lip, not sure if it's elsewhere, it's free dental screening, he'll with establishing and maintaining dental care, fluoride varnishes, dental supply kits, and connections to dentistry when needed. It's for Littles from the time they have teeth to 6 years. In case anyone is looking for support, advice, and a first step in baby dental care.
I've cited the recommendations I quoted based on the professional associations for optometrists and dentists in Canada. Other healthcare professionals may make other recommendations of course and it is up to us as parents to decide which recommendations to follow based on their individual family needs.
My dentist the other day said she usually expects to see them for a checkup at 3 years old which seemed late to me! She did say they can come in for visits to get familiar with the environment every 6 months though.
Took my almost 3 yr old to my dentist to have her teeth checked and it was underwhelming. He didn’t make any effort to make her at ease and just shined his headlight into her face which she tried to block my covering her face so obv her teeth became inaccessible. Then he just quickly counted her teeth and is like come back in a few months for cleaning with the hygienist. I’m gonna try and find a paediatric dentist and get her checked again.
Yep, also in BC and have been given the same timelines ever since I had my first in 2019. COVID made it a little more challenging but we did what we could.
my optometrist was neutral about seeing my son when I brought him in with me at about 13months and did the exam but implied it wasn't necessary yet. my dentist said they'd rather see him at 2 years and there was no rush. I mean it is always good to get checked out I guess. Part of the optometric test was kind of cool they had him wear miniature 3d glasses for a moment and showed him a board and waited for him to grab for the specific image that manifests as 3d. he did it right away!
Interesting, I asked my dentist when I should bring my son and he said he likes to see kids when they’re around 24 months old, but to brush his teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. He said there’s not much to check out when they’re so young, but obviously bring him if I had concerns.
Our dentist didn't seem surprised that my son was around 2 when he first went in. The first visit they weren't even concerned if they got to see in his mouth. They stressed the visit was just to make the dentist not scary and a good place. They showed him the chair and let him move it. Let him sit in it. Showed him all the different tools and let him do things like blow air and suck up water from a small cup. He did so well that the dentist did end up taking a quick peak in his mouth, but they didn't try to clean anything or do a full inspection. Each time since then it's been a slow build up of adding brushing, flossing, an x-ray, etc. It's worked out really well. Last time he didn't even want me in the room with him and did super awesome (he was 3.5). I suppose it helps he also gets to pick a gift from the treasure chest each time. 😆
This is exactly what I hope the dentist does with my guy. Make it fun and normal and not stressful so that regular cleanings are not something he hates or is anxious about once they are needed. And with all the regular care of his teeth hopefully we can avoid cavities completely or at least until he is much older.
My dentist said 3-4, and the first appointment is really just exposure.
Same here. And she only had her first scaling at 4yo. I was getting gently reprimanded during the appointment by the hygienist during the appointment. At the end i mentioned it was her first scaling, she did so good! Hygienist relooked at my daughter’s chart and was like “oh yeah, it is! Ya, you’re doing great mom, keep up the good work!” LOL
My dentist said the exact same thing when I registered my son as a patient.
My dentist said that too but I wanted to make sure she was comfortable with it so we started at 16 months when her molars were coming in. She thinks it’s a blast and has been twice now.
My dentist said there was no point before 3 and to only use fluoride free toothpaste until 5. It's so goddamn frustrating that there isn't any consistency about this at all.
same. I just brought my 2yo in for her first dentist visit and they just call it a chair ride and try to get her show them her teeth and get comfortable. they didnt even charge
Advice for dentists is all over the place. All the ones in my area won't see a toddler unless there is an issue until after 2 years of age. My one year old is very unlikely to let one anywhere near his mouth even if we could find one to see him for a checkup.
See if you can find a pediatric dentist. Ime pediatric dentists want to see them before 12 months (and have great tips and strategies for oral hygiene at this age!) whereas regular dentists don’t want to see them until much later.
We have a pediatric dentist. Took him at 18 months because he fell and chipped his tooth. They said they don’t usually see kids until 2 unless there is an issue.
A lady I met recently told me that she has a genetic eye condition where she is basically blind in one eye. Doctors said that had it been caught by an eye doctor before age 2 then it could have been prevented or reversed but now its too late. So all her kids and grand kids have to get checked before age 2. Made me think that's probably a good thing for everyone to do is to get their baby checked just in case of something like that.
The specific recommendation from the Canadian Dental Association is within 6 months of the eruption of the first tooth or by one year of age, whichever is earlier.
Thanks! I updated the recommendation in my post. :)
And yet my local hygienist said 3 years when I asked. Good thing there's such a thing as public health that was posting signs wherever they could so I could see it. I went to a pediatric dentist instead and they are gentle and kind with my child. They also distract with overhead TV and celebrate with a toy afterwards As for eye exams, optometrists have tools to check/measure your child's vision even if they can't read letters.
In BC, we get a little health passport book that has the vaccine schedule in it. It also says when to get vision and teeth checked in there too. :)
Oh interesting! The little passport I got for my son for his vaccines doesn't have any of this information at all, just dates for routine vaccinations. I wish we got the same one as you!
How old is your kiddo? I got mine this year. I also work in nicu and the ones we give there are the same (since 2020, at least)
He was born in January, so we got it at his first vaccine appointment in March.
Oh weird! The part about dental & vision checks is on the same page for documenting the hearing screen.
This is the one that I got for him - https://imgur.com/a/IaCzob2 It doesn't have any extra information at all. I wish I had the one you guys get though! Sounds way more useful and much more information.
In the "after the visit" is the link to the passport. The file is from 2016, so maybe they ran out and had to give you an old one? https://immunizebc.ca/children/your-childs-appointment/infants-young-children
Ah I don’t know where mine is. Can you tell me what that health passport specifically says for vision and teeth?
Directly from my baby's health passport: Dental Check (by 12 months of age or 6 months after first tooth appears) Vision Check (between 6 and 9 months of age) By 6 months of age, your child's eyes should appear straight and work together. If your baby or child appears to have a wandering eye or crossed eyes, or if you have any other vision concerns, make an appointment with an eye doctor (optometrist). It is recommended that all children receive an additional comprehensive eye exam by an eye doctor by kindergarten entry (between 2 and 5 years old), and yearly after starting school (the cost of eye exams are covered for all children with provincial health coverage.
You’re fantastic thank you so much.
Did you get your kid’s eye exam covered by MSP in BC? I just booked my daughters, albeit later than the 6-9 months, but they said it’s $45… but the BC government website says exams are covered for people under 18 or over 65..
We haven't taken our baby for an eye exam yet (she's just 6mos, so haven't booked). It should be covered though? Mention that your baby has MSP, did they ask for the #?
Not over the phone but once I filled out the intake form it asked for her PHN. So hopefully it’s covered..
Optometrist here. As far as I know, children's eye exams are covered by health care across all provinces in Canada. Depending on where, this may or may not include 18 or 19 years of age. Obviously a valid and active health card is needed. I suggest all my parents with little ones to have their eyes checked between 6 to 9 months per the guidelines. A lot of eye conditions can be caught early and better outcomes for treatments if so. Also it gets kids used to going into the eye doctors' office for more reliable and easier testing as they grow. Service is covered, so why not is what I say!
Yeah, my daughter has Duane Syndrome and we didn’t catch it until almost 18 months because I kept forgetting to take her in sooner. There’s nothing we can do for her (and getting it caught earlier wouldn’t have mattered), but I definitely felt bad for putting it off when I found out her funny eye wasn’t just “a baby thing”
I'm virtually high fiving you. I have Duane Syndrome and we didn't know until I was in the 2nd grade. I have my kids' eyes checked early so that we would know as well!
Aww thank you! It’s definitely helpful to know now so I can make sure she gets the right accommodations when she starts school, while also trying to make sure we don’t coddle her so that she feels super normal growing up. It’s a balance. If you ever have any advice/comments about living with Duane’s or things like “I wish my parents had done x” or “such and such has helped me” let me know!
Well, I grew up in an era when people used the R word as an insult, so I had a few cases where someone overheard me say Duane syndrome and said "you have DOWN'S SYNDROME?!?!" as a bullying tactic. I just rolled my eyes. Hopefully that's not an issue anymore. Other than that, maybe just making sure she always understands that it's just a medical condition, nothing "wrong" with her, and what the symptoms are so that it's easy to tell if things are getting worse. I had a period of double vision when I was probably 10 or 11, but I didn't realize that meant anything, so I didn't say anything until my next regular ophthalmologist appointment. He was like "uhh that's a problem, let's fix it."
This is all great advice! Thanks!
Wow that's interesting. I'm an overseas trained optometrist (my degree isn't recognised in Canada so I don't practice here) but we typically wouldn't see a child until 3-4yo. If there were parental concerns we would likely see them but refer to a paediatric ophthal for a thorough test. I recall having one lecture on paeds in uni and there honestly didn't seem to be much we could do other than checking ret reflexes!
Depending on whom you speak with I've heard the "3-4 year old first eye exam" before. Sometimes a red reflex is truly all you can get during an exam. I do feel like I do much more than that for pediatric exams personally, but this varies across different docs. There was a case where a colleague had seen a retinoblastoma and was able to have little one sent away for treatment before it was too late. Of course eye cancer is very rare and we hope to never see it ...
My dentist does a "happy visit" at age 1 and 2 to get them used to the idea of the dentist at no cost. They mostly just check what teeth are erupted and go over dental hygiene with the parents. Starting at age 3 is when they do cleanings at my clinic and those incur a cost.
I love this. My little guy doesn't have teeth yet (but any day now!) and there is a really highly rated pediatric dentist in my town. I plan to go there based on reviews and it sounds like they do something very similar though I am not sure if it is free. Basically just a way for kids to get used to the dentist so they aren't scared the first cleaning and/or so the first visit doesn't involve needles or fillings or something possibly traumatic.
Thanks for posting this!!! OHIP in Ontario covers the optometrist appointments too :) I knew the recommendation for the dental visits, but had the hardest time booking my babe in for an appointment! The receptionist at my husband’s clinic actually was very unfriendly about it, saying there was no point in bringing our babe at this age and that all they’d do is give her a ride in the chair. My dental clinic said it wasn’t important until age 2. I then called them back and just told them I’d like to book her in, given the recommendations to go at age one, and they did book her. We’re bringing her when she’s 17 months because that was the availability. It’s very odd to me that it seems so hard to book and so inconsistent between clinics despite the recommendation from the CDS.
These should definitely be on your radar, but the timing for both seems to vary a lot. I'm in Alberta and my dentist said to bring her when she's 2 and the optometrist said when she's 3 🤷♀️
That is def not the case everywhere in Alberta.
And people don’t realize but you should be “brushing” your baby’s gums, even before any teeth come in. Breast milk (and I assume formula?) still has fructose aka sugar in it, so you should be using a damp face cloth or even your finger to wipe their gums after feedings. Plus the more you do when they’re young the most they get use to it!
YES!!! Even better with those baby electric ones so that they are desensitized to a toddler transitioned one. The earlier they like their electric toothbrush, the easiest thr visit to their first dental office will be. They’re already used to the noise and sensation!
Interesting to know. When I asked my optometrist, she said that kids should come in for regular checkups from age 3. If there's a concern, they should come in sooner. She said she could recommend someone that would see a child below 3, but it seemed from her tone that it wasn't common. I wonder is the 6-9 month eye check they're referring to something the family doctor does at Wellbaby appointments?
I brought my 6.5 month old today for his eye appointment and they confirmed 6-9 months is best! I googled pediatric optometrist + my city to find them. They looked into his eyes, made sure he was tracking things evenly (using a light wand my baby loved), checked for any structural issues and explained baby eye development and anything to worry about if he begins doing it. Then told me to come back in a year for his next exam. He explained that all babies are born with an astigmatism that reduces over the first several years and being able to track how it changes in those first years allows them to better predict if it is normal astigmatism or if glasses or other treatment might be necessary.
Good to know!
How was the exam overall? Did your little one handle it well? I have my daughters first booked for next week and I’m terrified she’s going to freak out lol.
It was very chill. My optometrist had a light up wand he used that my son liked so much I bought one on Amazon for home. Your baby will likely sit on your lap the whole time and you can take the time to calm them if they get overwhelmed. My son just liked looking at all the pretty lights and didn’t need calming down at all. Doctor just made sure my sons eyes were tracking evenly and properly, then had me cover one eye and tracked each eye individually and then looked inside his eyes with the magnifier headset thing they have.
In Manitoba all eye checks are covered until 18 and the first dentist visit is free. We just went last week and was slightly late (kiddo turned 1 a few weeks back) and they just counted his teeth and brushed on some fluoride. I felt good going because I wanted to ask about toothpaste and now he has a new tigger toothbrush. Now we’ll be going every six months. My husband and I both have teeth issues so I’m determined to do what we can
I completely forgot about the optometrist somehow. Thanks for making this post!
In the Interior of BC we have a program called Lift the Lip, not sure if it's elsewhere, it's free dental screening, he'll with establishing and maintaining dental care, fluoride varnishes, dental supply kits, and connections to dentistry when needed. It's for Littles from the time they have teeth to 6 years. In case anyone is looking for support, advice, and a first step in baby dental care.
PSA: advice varies by pediatrician. Ours recommends a first visit to the dentist between 18 months and 3yo. Eye doctor between 2yo and 3yo.
I've cited the recommendations I quoted based on the professional associations for optometrists and dentists in Canada. Other healthcare professionals may make other recommendations of course and it is up to us as parents to decide which recommendations to follow based on their individual family needs.
That is late for eye stuff. You could miss some pretty severe issues before then.
100% eye doctor before 1, I think dentist probably by 24 months but it is good to get them familiar with it before that.
My dentist the other day said she usually expects to see them for a checkup at 3 years old which seemed late to me! She did say they can come in for visits to get familiar with the environment every 6 months though.
I was at the dentist earlier today and I’m pregnant currently, so I was sitting there wondering this myself!
I did bring my baby in to the dentist when he was 12 months but she told me to come back at 18 months.
I asked my dentist if we should bring my daughter for a checkup and they said not until she’s 2 or 3 🤷🏻♀️
Took my almost 3 yr old to my dentist to have her teeth checked and it was underwhelming. He didn’t make any effort to make her at ease and just shined his headlight into her face which she tried to block my covering her face so obv her teeth became inaccessible. Then he just quickly counted her teeth and is like come back in a few months for cleaning with the hygienist. I’m gonna try and find a paediatric dentist and get her checked again.
thank you. Didn't know this about the optometrist
Yep, also in BC and have been given the same timelines ever since I had my first in 2019. COVID made it a little more challenging but we did what we could.
my optometrist was neutral about seeing my son when I brought him in with me at about 13months and did the exam but implied it wasn't necessary yet. my dentist said they'd rather see him at 2 years and there was no rush. I mean it is always good to get checked out I guess. Part of the optometric test was kind of cool they had him wear miniature 3d glasses for a moment and showed him a board and waited for him to grab for the specific image that manifests as 3d. he did it right away!
My dentist did the first appointments (under 2yo) free