Children's Dentist
How to register your child, what a first visit looks like for a baby or toddler, the free preventive care Scottish children are entitled to, and how we help children who are wary of the chair.
Where Can I Find a Children's Dentist in Hamilton?
Hamilton Smile Studios, on 20–22 Brandon Street in Hamilton town centre, takes children as NHS patients. Children are registered and treated on the NHS straight away. NHS dentistry costs nothing for anyone under 26 in Scotland, so your child's dental examinations, fluoride varnish, fissure sealants and any fillings are free. Bring them in once the first tooth shows, and before their first birthday if you can.
Registering Your Child with Us
Children don't have to wait for an NHS place here. Fill in the call back form and pick the NHS option, phone 01698 767220, or send us a WhatsApp on 07904 504756, and we'll book the first examination. If you have your child's CHI number to hand, bring it, but don't worry if you don't.
Brothers and sisters can usually be seen one after another, which saves a second trip. You don't need to live in the town centre to register: the same applies to families in Burnbank, Earnock or Eddlewood, or further out in Blantyre and Larkhall. Your child will usually see Dr Karanveer Singh or Dr Lee Min Ning, who both see children.
If you'd prefer private care for your child, that's available too, and a private child examination is £38. 1 Most families stay with the NHS, which covers everything a child needs to keep their teeth healthy. Our NHS dentistry page explains how adults in the family can register too.
The Right Age for a First Visit
As soon as the first tooth appears, which for most babies is somewhere around six months, and ideally before their first birthday. There's no need to wait until they have a full set or can sit in the chair by themselves.
The point of going early is that nothing needs doing. Your baby gets used to the room, the light and a friendly face, while you get advice at the stage when habits around bottles, bedtime and snacks are still being set. Children whose first visit happens because of toothache tend to remember the dentist as the place where it hurt, and that memory can follow them for years.
Ready to Register Your Child?
Ask for a call back and we'll find a first appointment that suits you both.
What the First Appointment Involves
For a baby or toddler, the first appointment is mostly a conversation with you. Your child sits on your knee, or lies back on your lap facing the dentist, while we count their teeth with a small mirror and look at the gums. That might take a minute. If they cry, that's normal and still useful, because a crying baby opens wide.
We'll then talk about teething, dummies and thumb sucking, how much toothpaste to use, and which drinks are safe between meals. Bring any questions you've been saving up. X-rays aren't part of a first visit and are only taken later if there's a reason, such as a suspected cavity between the back teeth.
Older children who are new to us get a fuller check: how the adult teeth are coming through, whether the bite is developing normally, and any early signs of decay or wear.
Childsmile: Varnish and Sealants
Scotland's Childsmile programme gives every child free preventive care through their dental practice, nursery and school. At the practice, the two treatments that matter most are fluoride varnish and fissure sealants, and neither involves an injection or a drill.
| Treatment | What it is | When |
|---|---|---|
| Fluoride varnish | A sticky, fluoride-rich coating brushed onto the teeth in under a minute. It hardens the enamel and makes early decay less likely to progress | From age 2, usually twice a year |
| Fissure sealants | A thin, flowable coating run into the deep grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back adult teeth, where brushes struggle to reach | Usually once the first adult molars come through, at around 6 or 7, and again for the second molars at around 12 |
After varnish, your child shouldn't eat or drink anything except water for about half an hour, and brushing is best left until the next morning. Sealants are checked at each visit and topped up if a piece wears away. Both are free on the NHS.
Brushing and Sugar at Home
Most decay in children is preventable, and almost all of the prevention happens in your bathroom and kitchen rather than in our surgery.
- Start brushing as soon as the first tooth appears, twice a day, and make the bedtime brush the one that never gets skipped
- Look for a toothpaste with at least 1,000 ppm fluoride. The strength is printed on the tube. A smear is enough for under-threes, and a pea-sized blob from three
- Encourage them to spit out the foam afterwards rather than rinse with water, so the fluoride stays on the teeth
- Keep doing the brushing yourself, or finishing it off, until about seven. Young children simply can't reach the back teeth well
- Only water or plain milk between meals. Sugary drinks, squash and juice belong at mealtimes
- Never put a child to bed with a bottle of anything except water
- Swap bottles for an open or free-flow cup from about six months, and stop bottles altogether by around one
It's how often sugar arrives, not the total, that causes cavities. A pudding after tea does far less harm than a carton of juice sipped through an afternoon. Raisins, cereal bars and "no added sugar" smoothies all count as sugary snacks, so read the labels.
If Your Child Is Anxious
Some children are wary of anyone in a mask, and some pick up on a parent's own nerves. Neither is a problem. We explain each step before we do it, let children hold the mirror or press the button that moves the chair, and stop the moment they ask. A first visit that ends with nothing more than a ride up and down in the chair still counts as a success.
- Book for a time when your child is usually rested, not just before a nap or straight after school
- Keep the build-up low-key. "The dentist is going to count your teeth" is plenty
- Avoid words like hurt, needle or jag, even to reassure. They plant the idea
- If you feel anxious yourself, tell us. A calm parent in the corner helps more than you'd think
- Let us know about additional support needs when you book, so we can give a longer slot or a quieter time of day
For children who need treatment and find it very difficult, we take things in short steps over more than one visit. If a child needs care that can't be given safely in a high street practice, we'll refer them to the NHS Lanarkshire Public Dental Service. Our nervous patients page covers how we help adults too.
Problems That Shouldn't Wait
Book an appointment rather than waiting for the next dental examination if you spot any of the following:
- Chalky white lines or brown patches near the gum, which are often the first signs of decay
- A tooth that hurts with cold drinks or sweets, or wakes your child at night
- A spot or swelling on the gum, or a puffy face
- Gums that bleed easily when brushed
- An adult tooth coming in behind a baby tooth that hasn't fallen out
- Any knock or fall that hits the mouth, even if the tooth looks fine
For knocks, call us the same day. A baby tooth that's knocked out shouldn't be pushed back in, because it can harm the adult tooth developing above it. An adult tooth that's knocked out should go back in the socket, or be kept in milk, and your child brought straight to us. We keep same-day emergency appointments in our opening hours. Our dental emergencies guide explains what to do first.
Teenagers: Sport, Braces and Fizzy Drinks
Teenagers stay on our NHS list until they're adults, and NHS dentistry stays free for them until they turn 26. Between about 11 and 13, the last baby teeth go and crowding or bite problems become obvious. If your child would benefit from braces, we'll explain why and refer them for an NHS orthodontic assessment when they meet the criteria.
Anyone playing rugby, hockey, football or boxing should wear a mouthguard made from a scan of their teeth. It fits closely, stays put and doesn't make speaking difficult. A custom sports mouthguard is £190, and it'll need remaking as the mouth grows. 1
Fizzy juice and energy drinks are the main cause of erosion we see in teenagers, along with sipping sweet coffee drinks through the day. A straw, a glass of water afterwards and keeping them to mealtimes all help. Our hygienist, Simra Ashraf, can go over brushing technique with teenagers who've started to let it slide.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.