Children's dentistry
The first visit isn't really about the teeth. It's about making sure the second visit isn't a fight.
Children who have a bad first experience at a dentist carry it into adulthood. That's where most adult dental anxiety comes from. So a first appointment here is deliberately low-stakes: sitting in the chair, counting teeth, a ride up and down, and going home.
Bring them earlier than feels necessary. Around the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing. Nothing much happens at that age, which is exactly the point.
Signs that usually point here
Bring them in if you notice any of these, and for a routine check even if you don't.
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White or brown spots on any tooth, especially near the gumline
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Complaining of pain, or avoiding chewing on one side
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A tooth knocked loose or chipped in a fall
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Permanent teeth coming through behind the baby teeth
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Thumb sucking continuing past age four
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Never having been to a dentist and being over one year old
What actually happens
Short, and the parent stays in the room throughout.
Meeting the chair
No instruments to begin with. Sitting in the chair, seeing how it moves, and getting used to the room. For a first visit at age one to three, this may be most of the appointment.
5–10 minutesCounting the teeth
A gentle look with a mirror, counting out loud so it's a game rather than a procedure. Decay, spacing and how the bite is developing all get checked in the process.
5–10 minutesFluoride or sealants, if useful
Fluoride varnish is painted on and takes a minute. Sealants fill the deep grooves of new back molars where brushing can't reach. Both are painless and prevent far more than they cost.
5–10 minutesTalking to the parent
What to watch for, how to brush a resisting toddler's teeth, and what to do about a knocked-out tooth if it happens. Practical, not a lecture about sugar.
5 minutesBefore and after
A case from the clinic, shared with the patient's written consent.
Early cavity in a milk molar treated in a single visit. See more cases →
How is a nervous child handled?
Slowly, and with nothing done that hasn't been explained first in words a child understands. Instruments are shown before they're used. Nothing is hidden behind the back.
The parent stays in the room. If a child isn't ready on a given day, the appointment stops there and they come back. A child sent home having had a good experience will cooperate next time, and one held down will not, for twenty years.
Numbing gel goes on before any injection, and children are told they'll feel a squeeze rather than being told it won't hurt. Being lied to once is what ends the trust.
What it costs
Prevention is cheap. Fillings in milk teeth cost less than in adult teeth, and sealants cost less than either.
- Consultation and examinationStarts at
- Fluoride varnish applicationStarts at
- Sealant (per tooth)Starts at
- Filling in a milk toothStarts at
- Milk tooth extractionStarts at
Ranges, not quotes. You get the exact figure after the examination and before any work starts.
What people ask before booking
Because infection in a milk tooth reaches the permanent tooth forming directly underneath it, and can damage the enamel before that tooth ever appears. Milk teeth also hold the space for the adult ones; losing them early causes crowding that later needs braces.
Around the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing. Almost nothing happens at that visit, and that's the value of it. The child learns the dentist is an ordinary place before there's ever a problem to fix.
Lay them across your lap with their head toward you rather than facing them, which gives better visibility and less resistance. Twice a day, a smear of fluoride toothpaste. Persistence beats technique at that age, and this gets covered properly at the visit.
If it's a permanent tooth, find it, hold it by the crown not the root, and put it in milk. Get to a dentist within the hour. If it's a milk tooth, don't try to reimplant it. Call the clinic, but the urgency is lower.
Before age four, generally not. After that it starts to push the upper front teeth forward and affect how the jaws meet. It's worth addressing then, gently and without shaming, and there are approaches that work better than nagging.
Only where there's a reason: decay suspected between teeth, or a permanent tooth not appearing when it should. Not routinely. When one is needed, it's shielded and takes seconds.
What usually comes next
Book a consultation
The consultation covers the examination and, where it's needed, an X-ray. You'll know what's wrong and what it costs before committing to anything.
In pain right now? Call the clinic instead of waiting for a callback.