Our dedicated children’s dentist is here to care specifically for our younger clientele. We understand that visiting the dentist can be an anxious time for children and so do our best to make the experience as comfortable and pleasant as possible.

Babies and Toddlers:

As soon as your baby’s teeth begin to emerge it is important to start paying attention to their oral hygiene and habits. This means brushing their teeth twice a day using fluoride toothpaste and paying attention to their diet and sugar intake. We all know that sugar is bad for our teeth, but did you know it is the frequency it is consumed rather than the overall amount that does the damage? For example, it would be worse for your child’s teeth to eat one sweet every hour throughout the day than to eat a whole pack of sweets in one go. The best time for a child to eat sweet foods is at the end of a meal. Don’t forget there is sugar in other things too like fruit juice and squash. It is really important to look after the health of milk teeth as they are essential not only for eating but for speech development, facial appearance and saving space for the adult teeth to grow.

At this young age your child does not need regular check-ups but it can be beneficial to bring them along to the dentist with you and get them used to the experience. Try to ensure that you are calm and happy during your appointments so that young children do not pick up on anxiety associated with visiting the dentist.

Age 6:

At around the age of 5 or 6 your child’s first permanent teeth( first molars) will start to emerge. These adult molars do not replace any baby teeth but grow in behind them, many people therefore do not realise that they are permanent teeth and so do not look after them properly. This is the age that you should start bringing your child to the dentist for regular check-ups.

We can also offer services like Pit &fissure sealants on the back teeth which can help to protect them from decay. The sealants work by filling in the small ‘fissures’ or gaps on the biting surface of the teeth, this means that food cannot be trapped in these spaces and the teeth are easier to clean. Fissure sealants are simply brushed on to the surface of the tooth and so are quick and pain free.

Age 7-9:

Once the baby begins to lose the milk teeth, its time to start assessing your child for potential orthodontic (brace) treatment. At about this age we can start to see the position of the adult teeth and monitor the growth of the jaw for potential problems. Not everyone will need to have their teeth straightened with braces, but if your child does then we have a team of orthodontists and dentists who can provide a range of options to help. In some cases, early orthodontics can help to avoid lengthy brace treatment later in life or even prevent the need for facial surgery.