Your first visit
7 questionsWhen should my child first see a dentist?
When the first tooth comes in, and no later than the first birthday. That is the guidance from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
An early first visit is short and easy. It is about checking how the teeth are coming in, catching decay while it is still small, and showing you how to clean a baby’s mouth.
What happens at the first visit?
We check your child’s teeth, bite and gums, and talk you through what we found. You leave with a plan you can take home.
First check-ups are booked into longer, quieter slots, so nobody is rushed, least of all your child.
How long is an appointment?
At least 40 minutes, every time. We do not book 10-minute treatments.
Children who feel rushed find it harder to cope, and a visit that ends in tears makes the next one harder. The extra time lets your child settle and go at their own pace, and lets us explain things to you properly.
Can I stay with my child?
Yes. Parents are welcome to stay with their child during the visit.
What should we bring, and should my child eat first?
Bring any earlier dental X-rays or reports, and a list of any medicines your child takes.
A light meal a couple of hours before is usually fine. If laughing gas is planned, keep that meal light, because feeling sick is more likely after a heavy one.
My child is scared of dentists. What do you do differently?
We give them time. Every session is at least 40 minutes, so nothing has to be rushed, and your child goes at their own pace.
The clinic has a jungle room, an aqua room and a play area to settle in first. If fear still gets in the way, laughing gas is available, and your child stays awake throughout.
After the first visit, how often should we come?
Every six months for most children, and more often if decay has already started or there is something specific to watch.
Most check-ups find nothing, which is the point of coming. Small problems caught early usually need small treatment.
Teething, and milk teeth falling out
6 questionsWhen does teething start, and when are all the milk teeth in?
The first teeth usually come through between 6 and 10 months, most often the two bottom front teeth.
The last milk teeth, the back molars, arrive by about two and a half to three years, which makes 20 milk teeth in all. If no tooth has come through by the first birthday, mention it at your child’s first visit.
Can teething cause fever or loose motions?
No. The American Academy of Pediatrics says studies show fever is not a real sign of teething, and teething does not change the way a baby’s gut works.
So if your baby has a fever or loose motions, it has another cause. Check with your child’s doctor rather than putting it down to teeth.
How can I soothe my baby’s teething pain?
Gently rub the gums with a clean finger, or give a soft teething toy or a damp washcloth chilled in the freezer to chew on.
Avoid numbing gels that contain benzocaine or lidocaine, homeopathic teething tablets and teething necklaces: the American Academy of Pediatrics warns against all three. Ask your child’s doctor before giving any medicine.
My baby was born with a tooth. Is that a problem?
Usually not. A tooth at birth is uncommon, and most are simply milk teeth that arrived early.
It needs a check if it is very loose, because a loose tooth could be swallowed or breathed in, or if it makes feeding sore for your baby or for you. Dr. Shivika Agarwal sees newborns for feeding and early teeth.
When do milk teeth fall out?
The front teeth usually go first, at about 6 to 7 years. The last back teeth fall out between about 10 and 12.
They come out in roughly the order they came in, as the adult teeth push up underneath. A milk tooth lost much earlier, through decay or an accident, is worth a check, because the space it held can close before the adult tooth is ready.
An adult tooth is coming in behind a milk tooth. What should we do?
This is common with the bottom front teeth, and it often sorts itself out. The milk tooth loosens and falls out, and the adult tooth moves forward into place.
If the milk tooth is still not loose a few weeks after the adult tooth appears, book a check. Sometimes the milk tooth needs a little help to come out.
Choosing a children’s dentist
5 questionsWhat is the difference between a pediatric dentist and a general dentist?
Training. A pediatric dentist has an MDS in Pediatric Dentistry: three more years on children’s dentistry alone, after the five it takes to become a dentist at all.
That time goes on growing jaws, milk teeth, how children behave in the chair, sedation, and children with special needs. A general dentist is trained to treat every age.
Does my child need a children’s dentist, or can our family dentist do it?
For a routine check-up on a calm child, a good family dentist is fine.
A children’s dentist makes the biggest difference when a child is very young, frightened, has special needs, might need sedation, or has been turned away somewhere else. If you are unsure, one visit will tell you which group your child is in.
Who will treat my child?
Dr. Sanchit Paul or Dr. Shivika Agarwal, with the clinic team.
Dr. Sanchit Paul has an MDS in Pediatric Dentistry and is one of 14 fellows named in India by the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry. Dr. Shivika Agarwal (BDS) is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and has been releasing tongue and lip ties since 2018.
Until what age do you see children?
From day one to around 16. Dr. Shivika Agarwal sees newborns for feeding and tongue tie, and Dr. Sanchit Paul looks after children through to their teens.
The idea is one clinic for the whole of childhood, so the people who saw your child’s first tooth are still there for braces.
Do you treat adults?
Only in one case. The clinic treats children, with one exception: people with special needs, at any age.
Children are seen at the clinic, and adults are treated in a hospital setting rather than at our Phi II clinic.
Milk teeth and cavities
8 questionsWhy do children get cavities?
Tooth decay is driven by sugar. Germs in the film on the teeth turn sugar into acid, and over time the acid makes holes.
How often sugar reaches the teeth matters. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry counts sugary snacks or drinks between meals more than 3 times a day, and plaque left on the teeth, as risks for decay. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste helps protect against it.
Do milk teeth matter if they fall out anyway?
Yes. The back milk teeth stay until around 10 to 12, so a decayed one can mean years of pain, trouble eating, and infection that can reach the adult tooth forming underneath.
Milk teeth also hold the space the adult teeth need. That does not mean every small cavity needs a drill, which is the next question.
Why are my child’s teeth turning black?
Usually it is decay, and the sooner it is seen, the smaller the fix.
Sometimes it is a stain rather than a hole, for example after silver diamine fluoride, a liquid that stops decay and leaves it dark on purpose. A quick look tells which, so book a check rather than waiting to see if it spreads.
Does every cavity in a milk tooth need a filling?
No. It depends on how deep the cavity is, whether it is growing, and how long the tooth has before it falls out.
Some can be stopped and watched, some need a filling, and some do better with a cap. We tell you which, and why, before anything is done.
Can early tooth decay be reversed?
The earliest stage often can be stopped. Before there is a hole, decay shows as a chalky white patch, and fluoride plus changes at home can stop it there.
Once a hole has formed, the tooth cannot grow it back, but it can often be sealed or treated without a drill.
How do you decide what treatment my child needs?
With you. In the clinic’s own words: we do not make the decision alone, and we do not leave parents to decide alone either.
You hear the options, including waiting where waiting is safe, and what each one costs, before anything starts. If you want time to think, take it.
Can a milk tooth need a root canal?
Yes, sometimes. When decay reaches the nerve of a milk tooth, a smaller version of a root canal can save the tooth instead of taking it out.
Keeping the tooth holds the space for the adult tooth. Whether it is the right choice depends on how deep the decay is and how long the tooth still has to stay, and we explain both options before anything is done.
Are dental X-rays safe for children?
The risk is very small. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry says there is very little risk in dental X-rays, and pediatric dentists take care to keep the dose low.
X-rays show what looking cannot, such as decay between the back teeth or adult teeth still forming, so they are taken when that would change your child’s care.
Brushing and care at home
5 questionsWhen should I start brushing my baby’s teeth?
Before the first tooth. From birth, wipe your baby’s gums with a soft, clean cloth or a soft infant toothbrush and water.
Once the first tooth comes through, brush twice a day with a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste. The next question covers how much to use as your child grows.
How much toothpaste should my child use, and should it have fluoride?
Yes, use a fluoride toothpaste. Until 3 years old, use a tiny smear. From 3 to 6, use a pea-sized amount.
That is the guidance of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry: twice a day, from the first tooth, with a parent helping or watching. If your child has had a lot of decay, ask us whether anything more is needed.
Is milk at bedtime bad for my child’s teeth?
It can be. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advises against a bedtime bottle with anything other than water.
If your child feeds to sleep, wipe or brush the teeth afterwards where you can. Breastfeeding at night is a different conversation, and Dr. Shivika Agarwal, a lactation consultant, can help you weigh it.
Why does my child have bad breath?
Most often it is food and plaque left on the teeth and the back of the tongue, so gentle brushing of both usually helps.
Breathing through the mouth, a blocked nose or a decayed tooth can also cause it. If it lasts even with good brushing, book a check and we will look for the cause.
Why are my child’s teeth yellow?
Adult teeth often look more yellow than milk teeth, so new front teeth can look darker next to the milk teeth beside them. That on its own is normal.
Yellow along the gum line is usually plaque that brushing is missing. Spots or patches are worth a check, because they can be the first sign of decay.
Fear, laughing gas and sedation
3 questionsIs laughing gas safe for children?
Laughing gas is the mildest form of sedation used in dentistry. Nitrous oxide is its medical name. At the clinic we call it Happy Gas, which is what your child will hear.
Your child stays awake, breathes on their own and can answer you throughout, with oxygen given alongside it. It wears off within minutes of the mask coming off. The clinic has given it more than 5,000 times.
Will my child be put to sleep?
Usually not. Most visits need no medicine at all. If a child needs help to relax, laughing gas comes first, and your child stays awake.
Stronger steps exist, and each one is used only if the gentler one has not worked, after talking it through with you.
Is general anaesthesia safe for dental work?
General anaesthesia is for children who cannot have treatment any other way, usually because a lot of work is needed or a child cannot cope even with sedation. It happens in a hospital, with an anaesthetist.
Before agreeing, ask what was tried first and what would happen if you waited. We will answer both.
Special needs
2 questionsDo you treat children with special needs?
Yes, and it is a large part of what we do. More than 1,000 children with special needs have been treated here, including children with autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder and intellectual disability.
Every session is at least 40 minutes, so there is time for a child who needs it. Adults with special needs are treated too, in a hospital setting.
Can my child visit before treatment, just to get used to the clinic?
Yes. For many children with special needs, a first visit that is only about meeting the team and seeing the rooms makes the treatment visit easier. Ask for it when you book.
Tongue tie and feeding
3 questionsCan a children’s dentist check for tongue tie?
Yes. Dr. Shivika Agarwal has been checking and releasing tongue and lip ties since 2018, and is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
That matters because the question is how the tongue moves and how feeding goes, not how it looks. A proper check includes watching a feed, not just a photo.
Does every tongue tie need to be cut?
No. A tie that does not affect feeding, speech or comfort can be left alone.
The decision rests on how your baby feeds and how the tongue moves, and some feeding problems improve with support alone. If a release is not needed, we will tell you.
Can you help with breastfeeding problems that are not tongue tie?
Yes. Dr. Shivika Agarwal has offered lactation support since 2019 and holds the IBCLC, the international qualification for lactation consultants.
Latch, pain while feeding, supply worries and going back to work can all be talked through, whether or not there is a tie.
Breathing, grinding and braces
4 questionsMy child grinds their teeth at night. Should I worry?
Teeth grinding is common in children, and many grow out of it.
It is worth a check if your child’s teeth look worn, their jaw hurts, or they also snore or sleep with their mouth open, because grinding can go together with breathing problems during sleep.
My child snores or sleeps with their mouth open. Is that a dental problem?
It can be. Breathing through the mouth at night can affect how the jaw and teeth grow, and the cause is often in the nose or throat.
That is why we check it together with ENT specialists rather than alone. A check tells you whether it needs anything at all.
Should milk teeth have gaps?
Yes. Gaps between milk teeth are normal and a good sign, because adult teeth are bigger and the gaps leave room for them.
Milk teeth that sit tightly together with no gaps at all can mean crowding later, which is worth a check around the time the front adult teeth arrive.
When should my child be checked for braces?
A check comes before braces, and it can come early. Some problems are easier to guide while the jaw is still growing, and many need nothing until the adult teeth are in.
We offer braces, and certified Invisalign treatment for children. The page below explains when starting early helps and when waiting is better.
Cost, hours and booking
4 questionsWill I know the cost before treatment starts?
Yes. Anything beyond the check-up is quoted before we begin, never during treatment.
If there is more than one way to treat something, you hear the cost of each, so you can choose with the full picture.
What if my child is in pain or has knocked out a tooth?
Call us on +91 97171 06083. Pain and injuries are treated as urgent and fitted in the same day wherever possible.
If an adult tooth is knocked out, hold it by the top, not the root, put it back in if you can or keep it in milk, and come straight in. Do not push a milk tooth back in.
Where are you, and when are you open?
First Floor, House No. D-2, Sector P-3, Phi II, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201315.
Open 10:30 AM to 7 PM, Monday to Saturday.
How do I book?
Call or WhatsApp +91 97171 06083, or use the form at the end of this page and we will call you back to fix a time.
Tell us what the visit is for, and reception will book the right doctor and a long enough slot.
Did not find your question?
Ask the clinic. Call or WhatsApp between 10:30 AM and 7 PM, Monday to Saturday, or leave your number in the form below and we will call you back.