A child’s first experiences at a dental clinic set the pattern for the rest of their life. We go slowly, explain what we are doing in words a child understands, and do not spring anything on them. Practically, having surgeons on site matters for children more than people expect: dental injuries peak between six and twelve, and buried or extra teeth are picked up in the same age group.
Is this treatment for you?
Consider a consultation about children's dentistry if you have:
- A first dental visit
- Toothache or a hole in a tooth
- A knocked-out, loosened or broken tooth after a fall
- A baby tooth that will not come out, or an adult tooth coming in behind it
- Thumb sucking or prolonged dummy use affecting the bite
- A child who is frightened of the dentist
- Referral from a school dental check
Check-ups and prevention
The first visit should be around the first birthday or when the first teeth appear, and it is mostly a friendly look and a conversation with the parents. After that, six-monthly visits catch decay while it is still small. Fissure sealants, a thin protective coating on the biting surfaces of the back teeth, are one of the most effective preventive measures available and take minutes to place. Fluoride varnish is applied where the risk is high.
Fillings and baby teeth
Parents often ask why a baby tooth needs filling if it is going to fall out. Because a decayed baby tooth hurts, can abscess, and holds the space for the permanent tooth behind it. Losing it early lets the neighbouring teeth drift into the gap and the permanent tooth arrives to find no room. Where a baby tooth genuinely cannot be saved, a space maintainer keeps the gap open.
Dental injuries in children
Falls, bicycles, cricket and playground collisions account for most of what we see. A knocked-out permanent tooth is a true emergency: hold it by the crown, keep it in milk, and come immediately. A knocked-out baby tooth is never replanted, because doing so risks damaging the permanent tooth developing above it, but the child should still be seen. Displaced and broken teeth are repositioned and splinted, then followed for a year or more because the nerve can die slowly.
Teeth that do not come through
Around the age of eleven to thirteen, the upper canines sometimes fail to erupt and become impacted in the bone. Caught early on a radiograph, the baby canine can be removed and the permanent one often finds its own way down. Caught late, it needs surgical exposure and orthodontic traction. This is a case where a timely X-ray saves a great deal of treatment, and it is a large part of why we take radiographs at the right ages.
Anxious children and special needs
Some children simply cannot cope in a dental chair, and forcing the issue does lasting harm. For these children, and for those with additional needs, treatment under general anaesthesia in a hospital theatre lets everything be completed safely in one session. Both consultants work in hospital settings and can arrange this.
What happens, step by step
- 1
Meet and look
A gentle examination, a ride in the chair and a count of the teeth. Often nothing more at the first visit.
- 2
Prevention
Cleaning, fluoride varnish, sealants and practical advice for parents on brushing and diet.
- 3
Treatment if needed
Fillings or extraction under local anaesthesia, explained to the child first in their own terms.
- 4
Monitoring growth
Radiographs at the right ages to catch impacted, missing or extra teeth before they become difficult.
Recovery and aftercare
Children bounce back from dental treatment faster than adults. After an extraction, keep them on soft food for the day and watch that they do not bite the numb lip, which is the commonest post-extraction injury in children. After trauma, expect follow-up appointments over the following year to check the nerve of the injured tooth.
Common questions
At what age should my child first see a dentist?
By the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing. Early visits are about familiarity and prevention, not treatment.
My child knocked out a front tooth. What do I do?
If it is a permanent tooth, hold it by the crown, rinse briefly in milk if dirty, and either place it back in the socket or keep it in cold milk, then come immediately. If it is a baby tooth, do not put it back, but come and be seen because the permanent tooth underneath may be affected.
Are dental X-rays safe for children?
Yes. A modern digital dental radiograph delivers a very small dose, and we take them only when there is a clinical reason. The risk of not taking a needed radiograph, missing an impacted canine or decay between the teeth, is considerably greater.
How do I stop my child being frightened?
Do not use the dentist as a threat, avoid words like injection, drill or pain in front of them, and bring them along to your own appointments so the place is familiar. Then leave the explaining to us; we do it in language that does not alarm them.
What this costs
Fees depend on the complexity of your case, the materials used and whether preparatory work such as grafting is needed. You receive a written, itemised estimate after your examination, before any treatment begins.
Medically reviewed by Dr Syed Muhammad Zaki Mehdi, BDS, FCPS (OMFS), CHPE, C-Implantology, Consultant Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon. Last reviewed 17 September 2026. This page is general information and does not replace an examination.