You might recognise
- A first visit, from around age one
- A child who is nervous, or has refused before
- A visible hole or dark spot on a tooth
- A knocked or chipped tooth
- Wanting to prevent rather than repair
Children’s Dentistry
A first visit they will come back from
The first visit has one job. Your child should be happy to come back. Everything else follows from that, and nothing good follows without it.
Who this is for
Parents of children from around their first birthday onwards, whether or not anything is wrong. A first visit is much easier when nothing hurts.
Also children who have had a frightening experience somewhere else and now refuse to open their mouth at all. We are used to that, and we will not rush it.
What we do
Small things, done early
Almost everything that goes wrong with children’s teeth is preventable, and cheap to prevent compared to what it costs to fix.
First visits
From around age one, or whenever the first teeth appear. Nothing invasive. We count teeth, have a look, and let them get used to the chair and the people.
Fissure sealants
A thin coating over the grooves in the back teeth, where decay almost always starts. No drilling, no injection, done in minutes. One of the best-value things in dentistry.
Fluoride
Painted on at the end of a check-up. Strengthens enamel and slows early decay. Useful for children who get cavities easily or who are wearing braces.
Small fillings
Caught early, a filling in a baby tooth is quick and straightforward. Left too long, the same tooth needs taking out, which affects how the adult tooth comes through.
The first visit
How we keep it calm
Come to your own appointment first
Many parents bring their child along to sit and watch. Seeing a parent in the chair, relaxed, does more than anything we can say. It is often how a first visit happens by accident.
Sitting, not treating
A first appointment can be nothing more than sitting in the chair, going up and down, and looking at the light. If that is all we manage, it was still a success.
Counting teeth
We make the examination a game. Counting out loud, letting them hold the mirror. We explain what each instrument does before it goes anywhere near them.
No surprises, no bribes
We tell children what is going to happen before it happens, in words they understand. We avoid the word ‘hurt’, and we do not promise that something will not happen if it might.
What to do at home
You get practical advice on brushing, what to do about snacks and sweet drinks, and when to come back. Usually every six months at this age.
Common questions
What parents ask us
Around their first birthday, or whenever the first teeth come through. That first visit is not really about treatment. It is about the child meeting a dentist while nothing is wrong, so that the first time is not also a painful time.
We slow down. A visit where a frightened child only sits in the chair and goes home is a good visit, because the next one is easier. We do not hold children down and we do not rush. If something urgent needs doing we will talk it through with you first.
Yes. They hold the space for the adult teeth coming behind them. A baby tooth lost early lets the neighbours drift into the gap, and the adult tooth then comes through crowded or in the wrong place. Infection in a baby tooth can also affect the adult tooth developing above it.
Yes, and for young children we prefer it. You know your child. If it helps for you to sit beside them or hold their hand, do it.
Usually every six months. Children who get cavities easily may need to come more often, and we will say so rather than leaving you to guess.
Most children stop by themselves and it causes no lasting harm. It becomes worth addressing if it continues once the adult front teeth are coming through, because it can push them forward. Mention it at a check-up and we will tell you whether it needs doing anything about.
First step
Book their first visit
Tell us your child’s age and whether they have seen a dentist before, and we will plan the visit around that.