Dental treatment on the NHS is free for everyone under 18, and for under 19s in full time education. There is no good reason for a child in England to go without a dental check up on cost grounds, so getting them registered somewhere is worth the effort even while adult places are scarce.
Start early
The advice is to take a child to the dentist when their first teeth come through, and by their first birthday. Early visits are mostly about getting the child used to the chair and catching problems before they hurt. It also helps you hold a place at a practice, because families are easier to keep together than to add later.
Finding a practice taking child NHS patients
Practices record "accepting new NHS patients" separately for adults and children, and a practice that is full for adults may still have room for children. So:
- Search the NHS find a dentist service and look specifically at the children's status.
- Phone and ask: "Are you taking new child NHS patients?" If you are already a private patient there, ask whether the children can be seen on the NHS even if you cannot.
- Ask at your GP surgery and health visitor; they often know which local practices are taking children.
If you genuinely cannot find one
- For pain or an accident, call NHS 111. Children get urgent care the same way adults do, and it is free.
- School and community dental services exist in many areas for children who cannot access a high street dentist. Your local Integrated Care Board or health visitor can point you to them.
- Keep checking. Child places open up more often than adult ones.
Looking after their teeth between visits
The things that keep children out of the dentist's chair are simple and free:
- Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, last thing at night and one other time, and help or supervise until they are about seven.
- Cut sugary drinks and snacks, especially between meals and before bed. It is the frequency of sugar, not just the amount, that causes decay.
- Water or plain milk between meals rather than juice or squash.
Free treatment plus a few habits keeps most children's dental care straightforward, even in areas where adult NHS places are hard to come by.