Questions parents ask us

The first teeth usually push through around six months, normally the two at the bottom front, and a full set of twenty baby teeth is generally in place by about age three. From around six the front ones start to loosen and the adult teeth take over, finishing in the early teens. Children keep their own timetable though, and a few months either side of any of that is completely ordinary — it is worth mentioning if your child is a long way off, but far more often it is just their own pace.

Yes, and it is the single thing parents most often get caught out by. The first adult molars arrive right at the back around age six, and because no baby tooth falls out to make room, nothing announces them. Plenty of parents assume they are baby teeth that will be replaced later. They will not be, so those molars are worth protecting from the week they appear — they are usually the first teeth we suggest sealing.

Cold and pressure. A chilled teething ring, a clean cold flannel to chew on, or a gentle rub along the gum with a clean finger all give a baby something to bite against, which is what they are looking for. Skip amber or beaded teething necklaces — they are a choking and strangulation risk. Ask your pharmacist or doctor before using any gel or pain relief. And if your baby seems genuinely unwell rather than just miserable, that is worth a call to your doctor rather than putting it down to teeth.

Usually not. It is normal and comforting, and most children give it up by themselves during the preschool years. It only really starts to matter if it is still going strong once the adult front teeth are through, because years of steady pressure can change how those teeth meet. If your child is still sucking at that point, tell us and we will look at the bite and talk through gentle ways to help. Nagging tends to backfire; noticing when they do it and offering something else to hold works better.

Around age seven is a sensible first look. Enough adult teeth have arrived by then to show where the bite is heading, and there is still plenty of jaw growth left if guiding it early would help. Most children need nothing done at seven, and the honest answer is often simply to watch and check again in a year. We would rather tell you that than start something for the sake of starting it.

From the first tooth, you do all of it — twice a day, soft brush, a smear of fluoride toothpaste about the size of a grain of rice. From around three, let your child start and then take over to finish properly, with a pea-sized blob. From six to eight they can brush while you supervise and check the back teeth afterwards. Somewhere around seven or eight most children can do a thorough job alone. Whatever the age, encourage spitting rather than rinsing with water, so a little fluoride stays on the teeth.

As soon as two teeth are touching each other, because that is the point where a brush can no longer reach the whole surface. For most children the back teeth touch first. Floss sticks are far easier in a small mouth than a length of floss wound round your fingers, and once a day at bedtime is plenty. If it turns into a nightly fight, tell us — there are easier ways to reach those spots and a fight every night is not worth it.

It is less about how much sugar and more about how often. Each time something sugary or starchy passes over the teeth the mouth turns acidic for a while and the enamel softens slightly, and in between, saliva repairs it. A dessert eaten in ten minutes leaves a long stretch to recover; the same amount sipped or nibbled across an afternoon does not. So juice at a mealtime in an open cup is very different from juice carried around in a bottle all day, and dried fruit or crackers linger far longer than most parents expect. None of this means banning treats, just clustering them.

A sealant is a thin coating painted into the grooves on the chewing surface of a back tooth, sealing off the narrow pits where a brush cannot reach. It takes a few minutes per tooth, needs no drilling and no numbing, and your child can eat straight afterwards. Most cavities in school-age children start in exactly those grooves, so we usually suggest one soon after a permanent molar comes through. Not every tooth needs one, and we check the ones we place at each visit because sealants do wear.

Used in the right amount for the right age, yes, and it is one of the few things that genuinely strengthens the enamel surface and can help very early damage repair itself before it becomes a hole. The amount is the part that matters, which is why we talk about toothpaste quantities by age rather than giving every family the same answer. If you would rather not use it, say so and we will talk through what else we can do — it is your decision to make.

That is completely normal, and we plan for it. We move at your child’s pace using a tell-show-do approach, keep parents in the room, and never force a treatment in a single visit. For many anxious children, a few low-pressure visits build all the confidence they need.

Then we do not open it. We will try coaxing, counting, letting them hold the mirror and going first on a toy — and if none of that works, we call it a day and book them back in. Nobody is held down, and no appointment is pushed through tears to get it finished. Children who are allowed to say no on the first visit are usually far easier on the second.

When it is appropriate, options like nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) are widely used and wear off quickly. We only recommend comfort or sedation options after reviewing your child’s health history with you, and we explain the what, why and how before anything is decided together.

Often, yes, but tell us when you book so we can plan for it properly. We will usually start with a visit where nothing is done at all, and build from there over several short appointments. It takes longer, and it is worth it — the alternative tends to be an adult who avoids the dentist for twenty years.

Modern pediatric x-rays use very low doses of radiation, and we only take them when there is a clear reason — like checking between teeth or watching how adult teeth are developing. We use protective shielding and always talk you through why an image is needed.

We work with many common dental plans and are happy to help you understand your coverage before treatment. Bring your insurance details to your first visit (or share them when you book) and our front-desk team will walk you through estimated costs and any out-of-pocket amounts.

Yes. Anything beyond a routine check-up comes with a written plan and a price before you agree to it. You should never be surprised by a bill, and you should never feel pushed into deciding at the front desk — take the plan home and think about it if you would rather.

Usually, yes. Baby teeth hold the space for the adult teeth coming behind them, and an infected or badly decayed one can be genuinely painful as well as affecting how the adult tooth comes through. That said, it is not automatic: sometimes a tooth that is close to falling out on its own is better watched than treated, and we will say so when that is the case.

Call us the same day for real pain, facial swelling, bleeding that will not stop, or a tooth that has been knocked out or badly broken. If you are not sure, phone anyway and describe what you are seeing — we would much rather triage it over the phone than have you sit at home wondering. We keep room in the schedule for urgent cases.

Phone us first, and keep this in mind while you do. If it is an adult tooth, pick it up by the crown rather than the root, and if it is dirty rinse it briefly in milk without scrubbing it. If you can manage it, put it back in the socket the right way round and have your child hold it there, biting gently on a clean cloth; if you cannot, put it in a cup of milk and bring it. With an adult tooth the first hour matters more than anything else. A baby tooth is the opposite: do not push it back in, because that can damage the adult tooth developing underneath. If a tooth is chipped rather than out, find the piece and keep it in milk, as it can sometimes be bonded back on.