Children at Caring Dental
From early years to young adults
At Caring Dental in Petts Wood, we pride ourselves on being a family-centered dental practice, often looking after several generations from toddlers to great-grandparents. Continuity and trust are key to building good relationships, and for maintaining healthy dental habits.
This is no more important than when we see children. They are eager learners, and keen to ‘look after’ themselves from a young age, so a positive experience at the dentist and early education are key to forming healthy, life-long habits.
Family-friendly visits for all ages and stages
We welcome parents to bring their babies or toddlers along to appointments, helping them get used to the sights and sounds of the practice, and meeting our friendly team.
- We encourage family visits, and if you’re comfortable being at the dentist yourself, it can set a great example for children. Bringing them along may also be more convenient for you, and we have baby-changing facilities to help make your visits even easier.
- While it may not be possible for your child to have a ‘proper’ examination yet, it’s a great opportunity for you to ask questions and discuss their dental care. If you wish, our dentists and hygienists can gently demonstrate how to clean their teeth, and provide friendly advice on maintaining dental health.You can read more on our Homecare and healthy habits page.
Children’s first dental examinations
Although there is no exact age, we tend to advise regular examinations from about three years old, and typically every six months. This might mean sitting on a parent’s lap, or often children like to climb up on the ‘special chair’ by themselves! The dentist will usually try to look in their mouth, to check that baby teeth are clean and healthy, but initially the main aim is to help your child feel at ease. You can read more on our Children’s examinations page.
- We love making these visits friendly, fun and relaxed, and very much tailored to your child’s needs. Some are extremely confident while others are understandably shy, but everything is done at their speed, and we reward their willingness and positive behaviour with a sticker!
- For older children, who for any reason haven’t visited the dentist before, we can promise no judgement and an extra warm welcome. First visits are so important, even if it’s just to look around and have a friendly chat. We are always thrilled to care for new patients, at any age, and to help build their confidence.
The importance of regular appointments
Routine appointments mean any issues are usually detected early and dealt with simply, avoiding bigger problems in future.
- A milestone for children is losing their first baby tooth, typically around the age of six, which they are often very proud of! Once adult teeth begin to arrive there are no more second chances, so it’s extremely important that they are regularly monitored and well looked after.
- Regular visits, with friendly advice and encouragement from their dentist, can be a real confidence boost. However, there is no pressure for parents to bring their children exactly every six months.
- Your dentist will advise what is appropriate for each child’s needs, and how often they might benefit from seeing our friendly hygienists. Many parents opt for Denplan for Children, a payment plan which spreads the cost of routine dental care and hygiene visits.
Visiting the hygienist
Once children have a few of their adult teeth, from about the age of 7, we often recommend a child-friendly visit to one of our hygienists. This gives them a good experience of seeing another member of the dental team, and is always carried out at the child’s pace.
- Our hygienists will give advice about following a tooth-friendly diet and cleaning routine. We also encourage children to bring their own toothbrush for a demonstration of how best to brush for their age.
- If appropriate, the hygienist will also give your child’s teeth an age-suitable professional clean, even if it’s just a gentle polish to remove any staining. They often love how smooth their teeth feel!
- Children usually feel quite grown up and proud of how good they were! All these experiences are a valuable help in building their knowledge, confidence and trust for visiting the dentist.
Continuing healthy habits
It is imperative that all the good work continues when children start secondary school. By then, most are brushing their teeth by themselves (hopefully still with some parental supervision!)
- By this age they tend to be more independent generally, making their own food choices, including how many sugary snacks and drinks they consume, so healthy home habits and regular check-ups become even more important, especially to protect their new adult teeth.
- Our aim is to help children get into adulthood and beyond without any fillings, and for them to have a really good attitude towards their dental care. Our homecare and healthy habits page has plenty of advice for children and young adults.
Orthodontics and braces
We continually monitor every child’s jaw growth and dental development, and as they lose their last baby teeth, typically aged 11-14, we can see how well their adult teeth are positioned and if they are likely to need braces.
- Having orthodontic treatment is not just about appearance, but also fit, function and hygiene. It’s far easier to clean teeth that are well aligned, without crowded areas that are awkward to reach or spaces that can trap food. This helps maintain a healthy mouth and reduces the chance of decay or gum problems.
- If we feel your child would benefit from seeing an orthodontist, we’ll discuss this with you and can refer them to an orthodontist of your choice, or to be seen at Petts Wood Orthodontics. This is a like-minded family practice, and we enjoy an excellent working relationship with them.
As parents, there’s a lot we can do to help our children grow up with clean, healthy teeth and no fillings. This is a perfectly attainable goal for most, but it does take effort, some discipline, and maybe a little good fortune. It’s incredibly satisfying for us at Caring Dental to help them achieve this, and your young adults are then set for life with excellent dental health and a lovely bright smile.
Ready to book your child’s first dental examination?
Our friendly team will give your child a warm welcome, and we will do our very best to ensure they have a comfortable and positive experience. You can read more on our children’s examinations page, but if you have any questions, or would like to bring them in first for a look around, please call us on 01689 664600.
When they are ready for their first appointment, please contact us or use our online booking system. We look forward to seeing you!