Children
Bring your child when their first teeth come through, or before they turn one. The first visit is for getting to know us.
- Visits
- One, 30 to 45 minutes
- Last updated
What it is
The first visit takes 30 to 45 minutes. If you can, book a morning appointment, when young children are alert and fresh.
How your child feels about it depends a lot on you. Talk about it positively, make the trip fun, and keep your own worries about the dentist to yourself.
At home, offer fruit rather than juice, and limit the sweets and snacks that cause tooth decay.
At around 6 to 7 and again at 11 to 14, we may suggest fissure sealants: a thin plastic coating on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth that protects them from decay.
How it is done
Before you come
Tell your child what they will see: a room, instruments, people in masks and a bright light above the chair.
We look
We examine the teeth, jaws, bite, gums and mouth. X-rays are not often needed at a first visit.
A gentle clean
Only if needed, and gently.
We show you how to brush
We show you how to clean their teeth at home, and how much toothpaste to use for their age.
Fluoride
We talk about fluoride. Fluoride varnish can go on both baby and adult teeth; from the age of 3, at least twice a year.
How long it lasts
Fluoride varnish is put on again at least twice a year. Fissure sealants last up to 4 years. Until 18, check-ups are at most a year apart.
What you will feel
At the first visit we only do what the steps above say: we look, clean if needed, and talk. Young children have you next to them, and need you calm. From about 4, most can come in on their own. Ask us anything, teething included.
Afterwards
- Start brushing as soon as the first milk tooth comes through.
- Brush twice a day, for about 2 minutes, the last time just before bed. Then spit out, without rinsing.
- Up to 3: a smear of toothpaste with at least 1,000ppm fluoride. From 3 to 6: a pea-sized amount, 1,000 to 1,500ppm. From 7: 1,350 to 1,500ppm.
- Under 3, you do the brushing. From 3 to 6, let them brush their own teeth while you watch, and help until they are 7 or 8.
- Only milk in a bottle, never juice, fizzy drinks or anything sweetened, and finished before bedtime. At around one year, move on to a cup.
- Use a small, soft toothbrush with small circular movements, gently over the gums and behind the teeth too. Before teeth come through, wipe the gums with a clean, damp cloth.
Where the steps come from
The steps and the aftercare on this page follow these patient information pages.