Children’s Dentistry
The first visit: at what age
Early, and not because there is a problem.
The first visit happens around a year old, or within a few months of the first teeth appearing. At that age it is not about treatment but about looking, advising on brushing and diet, and spotting what is starting.
The other reason matters more: a child whose first visit involves no pain and no treatment keeps a neutral impression of the surgery. A child who meets a dentist because something hurts links the two, sometimes for a long time.
Prevention: sealants and fluoride
Two simple measures on the most exposed teeth.
The first permanent molars come through around six, often unnoticed by parents since no baby tooth falls out at that point. Their surface is grooved too narrowly for a brush to reach: that is where most childhood decay forms.
Sealing fills those grooves with a resin, without anaesthetic and without touching the tooth. Fluoride, from age-appropriate toothpaste and sometimes from applications at the surgery, strengthens the enamel. The two together are worth more than any treatment done later.
Decay in baby teeth
"It will fall out anyway" is the wrong answer.
A decayed baby tooth hurts, becomes infected, and the infection spreads to the permanent tooth bud sitting directly beneath it. It also holds the space: a baby molar lost too early lets the neighbouring teeth drift, and the permanent tooth has nowhere to go when it arrives.
So decay in baby teeth is treated, and treated early. In children it advances faster than in adults because the enamel is thinner, and a few months are enough to change the scale of the treatment.
A broken or knocked-out tooth: what to do
For a permanent tooth, the next hour decides.
If a permanent tooth is knocked out, pick it up by the crown and never by the root, rinse it in water or saline without scrubbing, and put it back in its socket if you can. Otherwise carry it in milk, saline, or the child’s own saliva — never dry, never in water.
Seek treatment immediately: the chance of keeping the tooth falls hour by hour. A knocked-out baby tooth, by contrast, is not put back, but the child should still be examined to check the permanent bud beneath. A broken fragment should be kept and brought along; it can sometimes be bonded back on.
When to start thinking about orthodontics
A first opinion around seven, even if nothing shows.
By around seven the permanent incisors and first molars are in place: enough to see how the jaws meet and whether there will be room. Most children need nothing done at that age, and the opinion serves to establish that nothing needs doing.
A few situations are better treated early, while growth can still be guided: a marked discrepancy between the jaws, a crossbite, a serious lack of space. Prolonged thumb-sucking or constant mouth-breathing are worth mentioning at the same visit.
Learn more about orthodonticsPreparing an anxious child
What parents say beforehand matters a great deal.
The words used at home arrive in the chair with the child. "It won’t hurt" introduces the idea of pain; "we are just going to count your teeth" promises nothing that can be contradicted. Recounting your own bad experience in front of a child passes it straight on.
A short morning appointment with no treatment planned makes the best first visit. A child who leaves without anything having been done comes back more readily next time — and next time is the one that counts.
Learn more about sedationChildren’s Dentistry — Frequently Asked Questions
- At what age is the first visit?
- Around one year old, or within a few months of the first tooth. The aim is to advise and to spot things, not to treat.
- Should a baby tooth be treated?
- Yes. It can become infected, hurt, affect the permanent tooth bud beneath it, and losing it early loses the space reserved for the tooth that follows.
- My child is very frightened, what can be done?
- Tell us when booking, so the first appointment can be short and without treatment. Avoid announcing that it will not hurt: that introduces the idea. For very anxious children, sedation can be discussed.
@estoriaclinic
Get in touch
Batna
Cité Bouzourene, Coopérative El Yasmine
Villa N° 15, à côté de la mosquée At-Taqwa
Daily except Friday — 08:30 to 16:30