Young teeth need just as much care and attention as adult teeth. It’s wise to introduce your child to the dentist as soon as their very first tooth appears (usually when they are around six months old). Even though there will be hardly any teeth for us to examine at this stage, early visits will help your child feel relaxed about attending dental appointments. You can also pick up plenty of helpful advice about tooth care for tots, including how to use dental tools and dietary advice.
A combination of regular visits to the dentist from a young age, developing a good dental care routine at home and encouraging a healthy diet will help keep your child’s teeth in great condition for life.
As well as regular visits to the dentist, you also need to look after your child’s teeth at home.
Babies and infants
Start dental care early by gently wiping new teeth (and gums) with a clean flannel. As more teeth come through, you can start using a soft toothbrush and a smear of toothpaste.
Aged three to six
When your child turns three, you can progress to a pea-sized amount of paste. Brush your child’s teeth for around two minutes, twice a day, and especially before bedtime. Encourage them to brush for long enough by introducing a child-friendly timer. When children are around three to four years old, introduce them to flossing as their teeth will be starting to touch each other and the resulting narrow gaps will need an effective method of cleaning.
Aged seven onwards
Supervise tooth brushing until children are old enough to brush properly by themselves at around seven or eight years. However, even when they can clean their teeth alone, it’s probably a good idea to occasionally check they are still using an effective technique.
For further protection, fissure sealants can be applied to your child’s permanent teeth as they emerge (usually starting around age six to seven). These are a clear plastic coating which cover the narrow grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth to stop bacteria from entering and help prevent tooth decay.
Find out moreWe usually advise that children should visit the dentist for a check up every six months, which tends to line up with the parent’s appointments. This gives us the chance to check their teeth and gums are healthy and spot any problems before they are given the chance to get worse. If we discover anything that needs extra care, we will arrange a follow up appointment.
Your child will start to lose their baby teeth at around 6 years old, but you shouldn’t need to see your dentist when this happens. It is a natural part of development, and occurs to make way for the child’s permanent teeth to grow. At the next regular check up, your dentist will have a look at the gap or new tooth as part of their examination, and will be able to make sure everything is developing well.
It is important that your child feels comfortable with visiting the dentist from a young age, to help them on their journey to healthy teeth for life. If you are anxious about dental treatment, you may want to choose another family member or friend to take your child, so your worries are not passed on. We have a lot of tips that can help - please contact us for more information.
We offer a warm welcome to all patients looking to benefit from our dynamic and professional dental care and wide range of treatment options. Our clean and spacious practice and welcoming team help you feel at ease from the moment your journey begins.
Please be aware that we are a first floor practice that is only accessible via stairs.
Please contact us to find out more - we’re looking forward to getting to know you and showing you what we can do.
Please note we are currently unable to accept any new NHS patients.
