Treatments / Everyday dentistry
Paediatric Dentistry
Children need more than smaller instruments. They need patience, reassurance and time to feel safe before anything begins. Dr. Sonika Reddy, a paediatric dentist (pedodontist), attends the clinic for children, covering first check-ups, cavities, preventive care and keeping an eye on how teeth and jaws are developing. The aim is a child who is comfortable in the chair and a parent who knows exactly what is happening and why. The speciality is also written as pediatric dentistry, and parents often look for it as a kids dentist.
Who this is for
- A first dental visit, or a routine check-up
- Toothache, sensitivity or a cavity in a baby tooth
- A tooth broken or knocked about in a fall
- Preventive care: cleaning, fluoride and sealants
- Habits affecting the teeth, such as thumb sucking or tongue thrusting
- A child who is anxious or frightened of the dentist
What actually happens
- Time to get comfortable first. Nothing starts until the child has met the dentist and seen the room
- Examination, with the findings explained to the child and the parent in plain terms
- What needs doing and why, in language the child can follow, before it begins
- Treatment carried out gently, keeping as much healthy tooth as possible
- Guidance on brushing, diet and fluoride, and when to come back
When to bring a child for the first time
Around the time the first tooth comes through, and in any case by the first birthday. That first visit is short. It is mostly a look at the teeth and gums, a talk about feeding, brushing and fluoride, and a chance for the child to get used to the room before there is ever a problem.
Children whose first dental visit happens only when something already hurts can come to link the chair with pain. A few easy visits before that help.
Decay in baby teeth
Baby teeth have thinner enamel than adult teeth, so decay can spread through them quickly. The usual causes are frequent sweets, biscuits and sugary drinks between meals, a bottle of milk or juice at bedtime, and brushing that misses the back teeth.
A cavity in a baby tooth still needs treating. Left alone it can cause pain and infection, and losing a baby tooth too early can let the teeth beside it drift into the space the adult tooth needs. Depending on how deep the decay is, treatment may be a filling, a pulp treatment (the children's version of a root canal), a small crown or, if the tooth cannot be saved, removal and a space maintainer to hold the gap.
Fluoride, sealants and brushing at home
Start brushing as soon as the first tooth comes through, twice a day, in the morning and last thing at night. Check the pack says the toothpaste contains fluoride, because some children's and herbal pastes do not. A smear the size of a grain of rice is enough for a child under three, and a pea-sized amount from three to six. Help with brushing until about seven or eight, because younger children miss a lot, and encourage them to spit the toothpaste out rather than swallow it.
At the clinic, fluoride varnish can be painted on the teeth, and sealants, a thin coating over the grooves of the back teeth, can be placed. Both help prevent decay. Whether your child needs them depends on their teeth and how prone they are to cavities.
Habits, falls and a nervous child
Thumb sucking and pacifiers are common in young children and usually stop on their own. If the habit carries on once the adult front teeth are coming in, it can start to affect how the teeth and jaws develop, and that is worth a check.
If an adult tooth has been knocked out, do not wait for an appointment. Every minute counts, and the guide linked below says exactly what to do. For any other knocked or broken tooth, call the clinic the same day. If the child was knocked out even briefly, is vomiting, confused or unusually drowsy, has a fit, or has bleeding or clear fluid from the nose or ears after the fall, go to a hospital emergency department first, and call 108 if the child will not wake up properly.
A nervous child is not rushed. Nothing starts until the child has met the dentist and seen the room, and some children need more than one visit to get to that point. That is fine.
If your child has had a fall, what to do with a knocked-out or broken tooth covers the first hour, including why a baby tooth is never pushed back in.
Some children need a few short visits, and the clinic is open until 8:30 pm and on Sunday mornings, which helps around school. Coming from Gachibowli or Manikonda? The map and timings are on our contact page.
Questions people ask
At what age should my child first see a dentist?
When the first tooth comes through, or by the first birthday, whichever is sooner. The first visit is short and is mostly about getting used to the room and checking that the teeth are coming in well.
Do baby teeth need fillings if they will fall out anyway?
Usually, yes. Some baby back teeth stay until around eleven or twelve. A decayed one can cause pain and infection, and losing it early can crowd the space for the adult tooth.
How much toothpaste should a child use?
A smear the size of a grain of rice under the age of three, and a pea-sized amount from three to six, with a fluoride toothpaste. Help with brushing until about seven or eight.
My child is scared of the dentist. Can you still help?
Yes. Dr. Sonika Reddy, a specialist paediatric dentist, sees children at the clinic, and the visit goes at the child's pace. Some children need a visit or two just to get comfortable before any treatment starts.
