Children's Dentistry
Fillings & Cavities
Show, tell, then do — and never begun without the child's agreement.
What it is
A painful baby tooth is still a painful tooth, and losing one early can let the adult tooth erupt out of position. That is the argument for treating decay in teeth that are going to fall out anyway.
Every step is shown before it is used. The child meets the numbing gel, the water squirter and the little brush, in that order, with their own names for them. Where a tooth can be managed without drilling — a preventive resin, a fluoride approach for early decay, or a crown placed over the tooth without removing much of it — we take that route.
If a child says stop, we stop. That is not a courtesy, it is the mechanism that makes the next appointment possible, and it is worth far more over their lifetime than finishing today's filling.
Included
What this
involves
Everything below is carried out here, by the clinician who planned it. Anything not on this list is either not needed or will be discussed with you before it is booked.
- Tooth-coloured fillings
- Preventive resin restorations
- Stainless steel crowns where needed
- Topical numbing before any injection
- An agreed stop signal
- Extraction only as a last resort
The aim for a six-year-old is simple: that the dentist is somewhere boring rather than somewhere frightening.
Common questions
Good To Know
- Do baby teeth really need filling?
- Sometimes — a painful baby tooth is still a painful tooth, and a lost one can let the adult tooth erupt out of position. But not always, and we will explain the reasoning either way.
- Will my child need an injection?
- Only where the filling requires it, and always with numbing gel first. Shallow decay is often treated without any anaesthetic at all.
- My child is frightened. Can you still see them?
- Yes, and please tell us when you book so we can allow more time. Anxious first visits are often nothing more than a chat and a look in the mirror, and we are happy for that to be the whole appointment.
More in this area
Children's Dentistry
First Dental Visit
A short, friendly appointment that usually involves nothing more than counting.
Learn MoreSealants & Fluoride
Sealing the grooves of new adult molars and strengthening enamel as it comes through.
Learn MoreSpace Maintainers
Holding the gap when a baby tooth is lost early, so the adult tooth has somewhere to come.
Learn More
Considering fillings & cavities?
Come in for a consultation. We will examine, explain and give you a written plan with a price against every item — then you decide, in your own time.