For parents, the Yellow Book is just as essential as a diaper bag and a stroller. It accompanies your child through the first years of life and helps you keep track of important preventive care appointments.

Since 2026, there has been an important change: Dental checkups are now also permanently documented in this child health record booklet.

In this article, we’ll explain what this means in practice, why it makes sense, and how it will affect you and your child.

Dental care begins earlier than many parents realize. Even though baby teeth eventually fall out, they play an important role in the healthy development of the jaw, as well as in speech and chewing.

Regular dental checkups are therefore an important part of early detection screenings during childhood. They help identify problems early on, prevent the need for major procedures, and support parents in establishing good habits regarding dental care and nutrition from the very beginning.

Since January 2026, dental checkups have been an integral part of the Yellow Book.

This means that dental early-detection exams are now listed right next to the pediatrician’s U-exams—all clearly organized in one place.

Specifically, this involves six dental checkup appointments between the ages of 6 months and 6 years. These are listed as Z1 through Z6 and accompany your child from the first tooth until just before they start school.

The big advantage: fewer pieces of paper, a clearer overview of checkups that have already taken place and those still to come, and better coordination between the pediatrician and the dentist.

The goal of this change is to make dental checkups just as routine as pediatric medical checkups.

During an early dental screening, we check whether your child’s teeth, mouth, and jaw are developing appropriately for their age and whether there are any signs of an increased risk of tooth decay.

You’ll also receive helpful tips on proper toothbrushing, a diet that promotes dental health, and the appropriate use of fluoride, as well as answers to any questions you may still have.

The goal is to build trust so that your child remains curious and relaxed during the checkup.

This new feature makes preventive dental care for children one thing above all else: more transparent. By recording appointments in the Yellow Book, you’ll find all of your child’s important preventive care appointments—with the pediatrician and the dentist—all in one place.

Children’s dental checkups remain part of the standard preventive care coverage as usual and do not incur any additional costs. You simply gain greater transparency and the assurance that your child’s dental care is well managed from the very beginning.

If you have any questions about these changes, please feel free to ask us during your next visit to the office.