Children’s Dentistry
We welcome patients of all ages at Barbour Dental Care and our philosophy is that you can never start too young with introducing your children to the dental surgery environment and to the idea of looking after their gums and teeth, when they eventually start growing!
All our child patients under 18 years are seen under the NHS at no charge. We also screen all our child patients for any orthodontic problems at an early age and refer children to a specialist practice if necessary, to ensure a healthy, beautiful smile into adulthood.
There have been some alarming statistics recently about the number of children who are admitted to hospital for tooth extraction as a result of cavities caused by consuming sugary food and drink and inadequate oral hygiene. We believe that prevention is the key to making sure your children grow up with a strong set of healthy teeth and good oral hygiene practices.
Good oral health
As soon as the first baby tooth appears, you should start brushing your child’s teeth using toothpaste which has been formulated with low fluoride especially for young children (as children tend to swallow a lot of their toothpaste), and a soft baby toothbrush.
Children should be supervised while brushing their teeth up to the age of around 8 years old and, like adults, they should brush their teeth twice a day in the morning and before bed for two minutes, making sure they clean every surface of the tooth. If you’re struggling to keep them at it for 2 minutes, there are some fun apps that can make the activity a bit more engaging.
The recommended age to bring children to the dentist for a check-up is as soon as their first baby tooth appears and no later than their 1st birthday. However, if you’re coming to the dentist for a check-up, feel free to bring your baby with you to start getting them used to the dentist environment.
Extra help with protecting your child’s teeth
As part of the regular check-ups we perform for children here at Barbour Dental Care, we offer quick treatments to help protect their growing teeth. Fluoride varnish applied to the teeth boosts the amount of fluoride coming into direct contact with the child’s teeth and fissure sealants can be applied as a coating on the teeth to prevent decay.
As your child gets older and their adult teeth start to come through, we will monitor how they are forming and pick up any issues there might be in their placement. By identifying any issues early, we can take action to correct it and avoid more established problems later down the line.
We’re always happy to see children in our surgery and our friendly staff will put them at their ease. Let us help you instil a positive attitude to their oral health and, in doing so, give them the gift of a lifetime habit of good oral hygiene and happy, healthy teeth!