Children’s Dentistry

Shire Dental is a family-oriented dental clinic. We especially love seeing children and work hard to build a dental home where they feel safe and secure receiving treatment. 

We recommend that children begin seeing a dentist regularly around age three. While this might sound very young, it is the perfect time to begin a preventative dental care regime.

The Importance of Preventative Paediatric Dentistry

We offer a range of carefully selected children’s dental care services designed to prevent disease and protect children’s teeth. 

A good preventative dentistry routine can help avoid many common problems, especially tooth decay, and helps ensure your child can grow up with a healthy, attractive smile. 

They will grow up seeing dental care as routine and nothing to be afraid of, so they are far less likely to develop dental fears and phobias.

Your Child's First Visit

Our entire team go out of their way to ensure these visits are as relaxing and enjoyable as possible and are a positive experience. 

We like to see children every six months for regular check-ups and cleanings, but some children who are more at risk of tooth decay may benefit from more frequent check-ups. 

We can discuss how frequently your child will benefit from dental check-ups during your first visit.

What to Expect During Your Child's First Visit?

We recommend booking your child’s first dental visit in the morning when they are less likely to feel tired, but it is best to schedule the appointment, so it doesn’t interfere with their normal routine.

It can be helpful to bring along their favourite toy to hold onto while they sit in the dental chair. Our dental team are very gentle with young children, treating them as if they were our own, and this first visit is usually just a visual inspection of their teeth and gums.

Our dentist will count your child’s teeth using a dental mirror, a process most children find fascinating.

Receive Useful Help and Advice

We regard patient education as an important part of our practice and want to ensure you have all the knowledge necessary to look after your child’s teeth at home. 

After examining your child’s teeth and gums, we can identify potential risk factors for tooth decay and discuss how best to reduce these risks. Our dental team can provide useful tips on the best toothbrush and toothpaste to buy, and we can demonstrate easy techniques for brushing and flossing your little one’s teeth. 

Diet can make a huge difference to dental health, so we can also talk about which foods and drinks will help keep their teeth healthy and strong and which foods are best avoided or kept as a very occasional treat.

As your child gets older, they will want to begin brushing on their own, and at this stage, we can gently explain the importance of good oral care and work directly with your child showing them the best way to brush and floss their teeth thoroughly.

Initially, you will need to supervise their toothbrushing, and children generally need assistance flossing their teeth until age ten. Before this age, they don’t have enough dexterity to complete this task independently.

By working together, we can ensure your child grows up with strong, healthy teeth and the knowledge required to look after them.

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