A child should first see a dentist when their first milk teeth begin to appear, with the first birthday a useful latest target for routine attendance. The visit creates a prevention plan at the point when teeth become vulnerable to decay and gives the child a low-pressure introduction to the practice.
A baby may only sit on a parent’s lap for a brief look. That is still worthwhile. The dentist can discuss brushing, fluoride, feeding and teething, check development where possible and plan a recall interval based on the child rather than waiting until all the teeth have erupted.
Decay can begin soon after teeth erupt. A first visit by around 12 months allows advice to be tailored before habits become established and before a problem causes pain. It also makes dental attendance part of ordinary family healthcare.
Milk teeth help a child bite, chew, speak and hold space for developing adult teeth. They are not disposable simply because they will eventually fall out. Untreated decay can lead to pain, infection, disrupted sleep, time away from nursery or school and more difficult early dental experiences.
If your child is already older and has not attended, book now without blame. The useful next step is a calm first appointment, not trying to recreate an ideal timeline.
A routine first visit does not normally require X-rays. Any image or treatment must be justified for the individual child. If the child does not open their mouth, the appointment can still build familiarity and provide valuable prevention advice.
Brush as soon as the first tooth erupts, last thing at night and on one other occasion. For children under three, NHS guidance recommends a smear of toothpaste containing at least 1,000 parts per million fluoride. From three to six, use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste with more than 1,000 ppm fluoride unless a dental professional recommends a different strength.
An adult should brush or supervise. Young children do not yet have the dexterity to clean every surface. Encourage them to spit out after brushing and do not routinely rinse with water, which washes fluoride away.
A small, soft brush and a stable position help. Try standing behind the child with their head supported, or brushing while they lie with their head in your lap. Consistency matters more than creating a complicated routine.
How often teeth meet sugar matters as well as the total amount. Keep sugary foods and drinks to mealtimes rather than offering repeated snacks or sips through the day. Water and unflavoured milk are the tooth-friendly everyday drinks recommended by the NHS.
Move towards an open cup or free-flow cup without a valve as development allows, and avoid putting juice or sugary drinks in a bottle. Do not add sugar to feeds or offer sweet drinks at bedtime. If a child needs liquid medicine regularly, ask a pharmacist or prescriber whether a sugar-free version is suitable.
Natural-sugar labels do not mean a product is harmless to teeth. Pouches sucked directly through a nozzle can expose teeth repeatedly. Meals and snacks still need to meet the child’s nutrition and feeding needs, so discuss major restrictions with an appropriate health professional.
Contact a dentist promptly for toothache, a visible hole, a broken tooth, gum swelling, a dental injury or a tooth changing colour after trauma. Seek urgent help for spreading facial swelling, significant bleeding, serious injury, difficulty swallowing or any effect on breathing.
Describe the visit simply and positively: the dentist will count and look at the teeth. Avoid promising that nothing will happen or using words about injections and pain when no treatment has been proposed. Children can detect adult anxiety even when the words sound reassuring.
Choose an appointment time when the child is usually rested and fed. Bring a comfort item if helpful and tell the practice about communication, sensory, mobility or medical needs in advance. A familiar visual sequence may help some children understand arriving, sitting, opening and leaving.
Let the dental team use their own age-appropriate explanations. Praise specific cooperation, such as walking into the room or sitting briefly, rather than making a reward depend on completing every part of an examination.
Fear is not misbehaviour. The dentist may use short acclimatisation visits, show instruments away from the mouth or build the examination in stages. Forcing a routine check can make future care harder, although urgent infection or trauma may require a different plan.
Tell the team about a previous difficult experience and what helps the child regulate. Older children benefit from being included in simple choices, such as which flavour toothpaste to discuss or whether the parent sits nearby, while the clinician retains responsibility for safe care.
Some children need referral or additional support because of treatment complexity, anxiety, age or medical needs. Referral is a way to match care to need, not a failure by the child or family.
The dentist sets a recall interval using the child’s decay risk, development, home care, medical factors and previous findings. It is not automatically every six months for every child. A higher-risk child may need closer preventive review; a stable child may be advised differently within accepted guidance.
Appointments can include fluoride varnish or fissure-sealant discussion when suitable, brushing coaching and monitoring of eruption and bite. Orthodontic concerns are assessed as the mouth develops, but a first dental visit should not be delayed until braces are relevant.
The children’s dentistry service in Kingston is the canonical treatment page for appointments and prevention. This guide answers when to start and how to prepare.
Most routine first visits are timed with the first tooth and by around age one. Seek earlier professional advice if you notice an oral problem or have a feeding or development concern.
Book now. The team can make the first visit age-appropriate and focus on prevention without judgement.
Often not. The aim is assessment and prevention, although symptoms or visible disease may require discussion of treatment or another visit.
For children under three, NHS guidance recommends a smear of toothpaste containing at least 1,000 ppm fluoride.
Milk teeth support eating, speech and space for adult teeth. The appropriate management depends on the tooth, decay, symptoms, age and cooperation.
Thames Street Dental can introduce your child to the practice, check development as cooperation allows and build a practical prevention plan.
020 8546 6546
