When should I start taking my child to the dentist? That’s a common question asked by many parents. At Harley Street Dental Clinic we believe that the answer is “the earlier the better.” We recommend bringing your child in as soon as their first teeth start to appear – on average from the age of 12 months. This has the dual benefits of helping your child establish good oral health habits from an early age, and also lessening their chances of developing dental phobia.
A bad experience during childhood is one of the most common reasons nervous and phobic patients cite for being afraid of the dentist. While it’s true that, just as in any profession, there were and may still be some dental professionals who are not naturals at working with children, at our Harley Street clinic we have a dedicated children’s dental team, led by Professor Raman Bedi, who is the chairman of the Global Child Dental Fund and co-chair of a global expert committee on caries management and prevention.
Professor Bedi and his team take the time to build a rapport and a relationship of trust with young patients, talking to them as well as to their parents and explaining everything in an age-appropriate manner. The idea is to help your child develop good oral health habits from a young age, which includes stringent home care as well as regular visits to the dentist.
Children’s dental health in the UK still has a lot of room for improvement. Young children still have high instances of tooth decay, which has been linked to general problems including heart disease and diabetes in later life.
By bringing your young child into our Harley Street dental practice, they will quickly learn to see the dentist as a friendly face, and are more likely to be interested in keeping their mouth healthy. Preventative measures such as fissure sealant and fluoride varnish can help prevent decay, and any problems that do arise can be tackled early.