Children's Dentist in Edinburgh

Good dental care for a child is the kind that means they rarely need treatment: early visits, fluoride varnish, and habits that stick. At City Dental Care on Earl Grey Street in Tollcross, children are seen on the NHS — free for under-26s in Scotland — as part of the national Childsmile programme, by a team that takes first visits at a child's pace.

When to Register Your Baby or Child With a Dentist

We register children at any age, including babies whose first teeth haven't come through yet. That matches NHS inform, which says you can register your baby with a dentist as soon as they're born, and suggests registering your child at the same time as you register yourself. Childsmile advises registering soon after birth or by six months, because early visits help a baby get used to the sights, sounds and smells of a dental practice.

There are no forms to complete before you book: registration happens as part of the first visit, and parents and children can register with us together. If you need an NHS dentist in Edinburgh for yourself, our adult list is open too. Bring a note of any medicines your child takes.

Nervous Children (and Nervous Parents)

A child who has a calm first visit tends to stay calm for life; one who is rushed tends not to. So the first appointment is about looking, counting and having a go in the chair — nothing more unless the child is happy. We use plain words, never bring out an instrument by surprise, and stop for a break whenever it's needed. If you were a nervous patient yourself, tell us — it helps to know, and our guide for anxious patients explains how we work. We don't offer sedation: if a child needs treatment under sedation or a general anaesthetic, we refer them to the Edinburgh Dental Institute or the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.

What Childsmile Offers Your Child

Childsmile is aimed at children from birth. Your health visitor will introduce it and give you a free dental pack with a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, and every three- and four-year-old at nursery is eligible to be offered free daily supervised toothbrushing.

At the dentist, Childsmile says children should be offered fluoride varnish at least twice a year from the age of two, and fissure sealants can be placed on the back teeth once the permanent molars have come through. If your child has recently had varnish at nursery or school, let us know so the applications can be spaced out. Our head nurse has further training in Childsmile.

At home, start brushing your child's teeth and gums as soon as the first tooth appears. Brush at least twice a day, in the morning and last thing at night, with toothpaste containing at least 1,000ppm fluoride: a smear for under-threes and a pea-sized amount from three. Spit, don't rinse, so the toothpaste has time to work, and keep supervising your child's brushing until they are at least seven.

Our look at the latest figures on children's teeth in Scotland includes what the research says about Childsmile.

What's Free on the NHS for Children, and What Isn't

NHS treatment is free for everyone under 26 in Scotland, and NHS examinations are free at any age. Under-26s also pay nothing for an NHS emergency visit: these are for patients registered with us and can't be booked online, so call 0131 228 2442. Booking your child's NHS appointment online takes a refundable £10 holding fee. We take it only because of our Failure to Attend policy, to protect the dentist's time if an appointment is missed, and because under-26s pay nothing for NHS treatment, it is refunded in full when your child attends. Booking by phone carries no holding fee. Invisalign is not covered: it is always private, at any age. We'll always tell you before any treatment whether it's NHS or private, and what it costs.