Believe it or not, 95% of children are an absolute delight in our dental surgery. They usually look forward to attending for regular check- ups and we work hard to make their experience a positive one. We have a Wii machine and a chalk wall in our waiting room, we try hard to run on time and we make sure there is a reward for the child when departing the rooms. It is often an easy and enjoyable experience for them and they are keen to return.

When children require more serious treatment such as extractions or fillings, we must assess the tolerance level of the individual to determine what level of treatment we should be attempting. It is important to realize that injections are very rarely needed to treat baby teeth, so very rarely do children have the "bad experience" as was common in the "olden days". Most children, no matter how tiny, are just superb! They allow us to do our work and they get out of the chair happily at the end (much to the surprise of mum and dad!).

These children are a blessing to us and it is most important that we do not stress them in the slightest. After all, if it is a stressful experience they will not be happy to return. We use happy gas if needed, we work rapidly but gently, we treat only one tooth per appointment to keep appointments short and above all we are caring, soft and extremely patient.

We find these treatments particularly satisfying as they lift the moral of our entire team. I am continually amazed at how well children tolerate and accept treatment. They may start out timidly, but they adapt very quickly and cope amazingly well.

There is another small group of children who are unable to cope with dentistry. I may only see a dozen of these in a year. They can be identified immediately and we need to be sensible and practical with their treatment. If we know that the required treatment is difficult or that there are a number of teeth to be treated (which would require many return visits), it is very sensible to consider a general anaesthetic in the private hospital. All the treatment is completed simply, in one visit, and the child is not traumatised for future dental visits.

If there is only one tooth to be treated or if general anaesthetic is impractical, then we just start slowly and gently and see how we go. A specialist paediatric dentist is also available in Newcastle.


When the dentist is caring, gentle and kind, you will be surprised how well your precious child copes with and even enjoys their trip to the dentist.