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Children's Dentistry
We see children from their first tooth. Visits start slowly, we explain each step to your child before we do it, and most of the work is prevention: check-ups, fluoride and sealants.
Children's dentistry, also called paediatric dentistry, looks after a child's teeth from the first milk tooth until the adult teeth are in. Most of it is prevention. A child who sees the dentist early and regularly usually needs less treatment, and learns that a dental visit is ordinary.
Dental bodies such as the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advise a first visit by the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth. At that age the visit is short. We look at the teeth and gums, check for early decay and talk to you about feeding, brushing and habits.
Milk teeth matter even though they fall out. They hold space for the adult teeth, help a child chew and speak, and a decayed milk tooth can hurt and become infected like any other tooth.
When children's dentistry can help
- White chalky lines or brown spots near the gum, often the first sign of decay
- Your child avoids chewing on one side or complains when eating sweets or cold food
- Swelling or a small pimple on the gum near a milk tooth
- A milk tooth knocked, chipped or darkened after a fall
- Bleeding gums when brushing
- Thumb sucking or bottle feeding at night that continues past the early years
- No dental check-up yet by age one
Your options
Check-ups and cleaning
Every six months we check each tooth, look at how the jaws and adult teeth are coming in, and clean away plaque. We show you and your child how to brush the places that get missed.
Fluoride varnish
A thin coat of fluoride painted on the teeth in a minute or two. It strengthens the enamel and helps stop early decay from turning into a hole. No drilling and no injection.
Pit and fissure sealants
A thin protective coating flowed into the deep grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, where food sticks and decay often starts. It is usually done once the first adult molars come in, around age six.
Fillings for milk teeth
Small cavities are cleaned and filled with tooth-coloured material, often in one short visit. Catching decay early keeps the filling small.
Space maintainers
If a milk tooth has to come out early, a small appliance holds the gap open so the adult tooth has room to come through in the right place.
What happens, step by step
- 1
Meeting the chair
On the first visit we let your child sit in the chair, ride it up and down and look at the mirror and light. Small children can sit on a parent's lap. Nothing is done that day if your child is not ready.
- 2
Tell, show, then do
Before each step we tell your child what will happen in simple words, show the instrument on a finger, then do it. Children are far less afraid of things they have already seen and touched.
- 3
Exam and advice
We count and check the teeth, and take a low-dose digital X-ray only when we need to see between teeth or below the gum. Then we talk to you about diet, brushing and any habit that is affecting the teeth.
- 4
Prevention or treatment
Most visits end with cleaning and fluoride. If a tooth needs a filling or more, we explain why and what it involves, and we numb the tooth first. We keep treatment visits short.
After treatment
- Brush twice a day from the first tooth, with a smear of fluoride toothpaste for under-threes and a pea-sized amount from age three. Spit, don't rinse
- Help with brushing until your child can tie their own shoelaces, usually around age seven or eight
- Keep sweets and sugary drinks to mealtimes rather than through the day
- Avoid putting a child to sleep with a bottle of milk or juice
- After fluoride varnish, avoid hot or hard food for the rest of the day and skip brushing until the next morning
- Book a check-up every six months
When we suggest something else
Some very young or very anxious children cannot sit for treatment, even with patience. For a small cavity we may hold it with fluoride and review it in a few weeks. When a lot of treatment is needed in a child who cannot cooperate, we advise you where it can be done safely under sedation.
Crooked teeth and bite problems are handled by our orthodontist, Dr. Ila Vyas, who sees children from age six. Our page on braces for children covers that in detail.
Cost
What changes the cost
- Whether the visit is a check-up and cleaning or includes treatment
- The number of teeth needing sealants or fillings
- Whether a space maintainer is needed
- Whether an X-ray is needed
- How many visits your child needs to be comfortable
Visit us for a detailed quote. We examine your teeth and give you a written estimate before any treatment starts.
Questions patients ask
When should my child first see a dentist?
By the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth coming through. The first visit is short and mostly about checking the teeth and advising you.
Why fix a milk tooth that will fall out anyway?
A decayed milk tooth can hurt, get infected and damage the adult tooth growing under it. Losing it early can also let neighbouring teeth drift into the space.
My child is scared of the dentist. What do you do?
We go slowly, explain and show each step before doing it, and never force treatment on the first visit. Telling your child it will be a quick look, rather than promising it will not hurt, helps too.
Are dental X-rays safe for children?
We use digital X-rays, which need a much lower dose than film, and take them only when the exam cannot show what we need to see.
Can parents stay in the room?
Yes. Small children often sit on a parent's lap. Older children sometimes do better on their own, and we follow what works for your child.
Typical Duration
First visit about 20 to 30 minutes; check-ups every 6 months
Visit Us in Malad West
A-102, Marve Link Appt., 1st Floor, Marve Road, Mith Chowky, Malad (W), Mumbai 400064
- Monday – Saturday: 10:30 AM – 8:00 PM
- Sunday: Closed