Referral to a Pediatric Dentist. Most often than not, parents are not sure when they should first take their children to see the dentist. According to the American Academy Of Pediatric Dentistry, parents should take their child in for a dental examination when the first tooth appears or no later than their child’s first birthday. Once a parent does decide to take their child for their first dental visit, the most common question asked is should they take their child to a General dentist or to a Pediatric dentist.