At Upper Berkeley Dental Care, we are passionate about getting children used to visiting the dentist from an early age. We tailor our care to every child, making dentistry fun and giving the tools and knowledge needed for healthy teeth for life. The following page has been written for our younger patients, to give an idea of what treatment with us is like.
To book a family appointment, please call us on 020 7262 7652.
If you are older than three, we like to look at your teeth twice a year to make sure they are staying healthy and looking good. We also make sure your gums and inside your mouth is a beautiful healthy pink colour and that nowhere is hurting you.
When you arrive for your check-up, we say hello to you and your family, and might ask you to wait on the comfortable chairs in our waiting room if you are a little bit early. At the right time for your check-up, our lovely dentist, Jo, will ask you to come into her room. It is known as a surgery, but there is nothing to worry about.
To look at your teeth properly, you need to sit in the dentist chair. It is quite big and can seem scary, but don’t worry – it is very comfortable! Jo asks you to open your mouth wide and has a look inside your mouth. The check-up doesn’t take very long and our lovely nurse, Lucy, is ready with a sticker when you are done.
Once you are six, we may suggest that you see one of our hygienists for extra treatment to make sure your teeth are so healthy and bright that they sparkle! Our hygienists are called Jurate and Ciara, and they are very friendly.
At your hygiene visit, Jurate and Ciara show you the best way to brush your teeth when you are at home. They look closely at your teeth and gums to make sure everything is looking good and there are no problems. Sometimes, you might need a preventive treatment, called a fissure sealant. This is a white paste that is painted onto your teeth to stop damage, known as tooth decay.
If you have braces fitted as a pre-teen or teenager, it is really important to look after your teeth. Our lovely hygienists, Jurate and Ciara, will give you some tips and tricks to use, and show you how to use special small brushes, called interdental brushes, to clean between the brackets and wires on your teeth. We are here to help you keep your teeth healthy and strong during your braces treatment, so they are as beautiful and straight as can be when your braces come off!
It is important to get your child used to visiting the dentist from an early age. We suggest bringing them with you to your dental check-up appointments as soon as their first tooth appears, so they become more familiar with the practice surroundings. Once they turn three, we will begin giving your child their own check-up at the same time as yours. It is just a simple look inside their mouth at first, to make sure everything is developing as it should.
We recommend that your child visits the dentist for a check-up appointment every six months. This gives them the best chance at healthy teeth throughout childhood and lays the foundations for excellent oral health for life.
Your child’s first dental appointment is very friendly and relaxed, so they may not even realise what we are doing! We make it fun and enjoyable, and may ask your child to count along with us as we check the amount of teeth they have. At the end of their appointment, there is always a sticker to look forward to! We are passionate about making dentistry accessible for all patients with our calm and friendly approach.
The best way to help your child maintain good oral health is to instil a good regular brushing routine from an early age, and limit the amount of sugar in their diet. Begin brushing your baby’s teeth as soon as their first tooth appears, using a tiny smear of appropriate toothpaste for babies, and a pea-sized amount for children up to the age of seven. It is also important to take your child to the dentist for regular check-ups so we can make sure everything is developing properly and any problems can be spotted and treated early.
If your child has a dental emergency, please call us as soon as possible. We can provide urgent emergency dental treatment, and you can often be seen on the same day. We can also give advice over the phone to help until your child’s appointment. Please note that a lost baby tooth is not usually a dental emergency.
At Upper Berkeley Dental Care, we offer check-ups free of charge for children under 5 years old. Any additional treatment or hygiene treatment will incur an additional charge – please contact us for more information.
