Pediatric dental success stories

Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan · 296 km

Two children. Five hours each way, for every visit.

1. Before

   The family had already seen more than one dentist for their two children. They still did not have a plan they felt sure about.

2. What we did

   Before any treatment, we sat down and talked through the plan, and the thinking behind it, until it made sense to them.

3. After

   They chose the clinic, and kept making the drive, five hours each way, visit after visit, for both children.

Sharjah, UAE · 2,214 km

Treated at 2½. Came back at 5½, with no fear.

1. Before

   At two and a half, decay in many of the milk teeth.

2. What we did

   Calming medicine by mouth kept the child relaxed. We stopped the decay, placed fillings without a drill, and fitted tooth-coloured caps.

3. After

   The family moved to Sharjah. Three years later the child walked back in, with no fear and no tears.

Austin, USA · 13,464 km

Told 8 to 12 caps. Flew in for a second opinion.

1. Before

   In Austin, the family was told their child needed 8 to 12 caps, with the child asleep. They wanted to know whether a smaller plan was possible.

2. What we did

   Online calls first, then a full check-up in person. The plan kept as much natural tooth as possible: a liquid that stops decay spreading, fillings without a drill, and fillings only where needed.

3. After

   The family went home with a daily routine, including flossing, and follow-ups with the clinic wherever they live.

Caps with the child asleep are the right plan for many children, and the clinic offers it. For this child, a smaller plan was possible.

3 years · Tooth removal

An anxious 3-year-old, and a milk tooth that had to come out.

1. Before

   A milk tooth had to come out. The child was anxious and restless, and did not look ready.

2. What we did

   We went slowly, with calm help at every step, and let the child cope in their own way.

3. After

   The child sat through the whole treatment. The tooth came out, and a small spacer (space maintainer) now holds the gap for the adult tooth.

A frightened child · Laughing gas

“I can’t do it.” With patience and laughing gas, they did.

1. Before

   Real fear of the dentist. The child cried and said so out loud.

2. What we did

   We took it slowly, with patience, and used laughing gas to help the child relax.

3. After

   The treatment went ahead, and the child found out they could do it after all.

2 years · Milk teeth decay

Milk teeth decay at 2, all treated in one short visit.

1. Before

   Early signs of decay in the milk teeth. The family wanted the gentlest care that would work.

2. What we did

   Everything in one visit: a liquid that stops decay spreading (silver diamine fluoride), small early fillings, and a protective varnish.

3. After

   One short visit. Now the child comes in for regular check-ups.

4½ years · Special needs

Special needs: all dental treatment done asleep, in under 90 minutes.

1. Before

   Slow development, seizures, a heart condition, and decay across the mouth. The parents had already seen more than one dentist.

2. What we did

   All the treatment in one session, with the child asleep (general anaesthesia) and an anaesthesia team. Teeth that could be saved were saved with silver caps. The rest were removed.

3. After

   Done in under 90 minutes. At the follow-up, the child was eating well again.

A teenager · Cavities

Back after years away: 16 fillings in one 45-minute visit.

1. Before

   Treated here as a young child, then years without a dentist. Not scared, it just stopped feeling important. By then there were cavities.

2. What we did

   We talked first, the way you talk with a teenager, until they wanted to look after their teeth. Then laughing gas kept the long visit relaxed.

3. After

   16 fillings and a protective coating on the back teeth, in one 45-minute visit. Next: clear aligners.

Check-up · Mouth breathing

Healthy teeth, but the check-up found mouth breathing.

1. Before

   A routine check-up. No pain, no cavities.

2. What we did

   A closer look found signs that do not hurt and are easy to miss: breathing through the mouth, a mouth that rests open, and teeth starting to crowd.

3. After

   The check-up became a two-hour talk with the family about breathing and daily habits, because left alone these can affect how the jaws grow and how a child sleeps.

5 years of care · Tooth decay

Five years of care: from tooth decay to mouth breathing.

1. Before

   A young child at high risk of tooth decay.

2. What we did

   We stopped the decay in small steps, with a liquid that stops decay spreading, and followed the child closely for years.

3. After

   Five years in, the teeth have stayed healthy. Now the care moves to mouth breathing and crooked teeth coming in, starting with exercises for the tongue and lips.

Two siblings · Braces for kids

Five years of care, and braces for both.

1. Before

   One family, two children, looked after at the same clinic for more than five years.

2. What we did

   Everyday dental care, then a removable brace that guides the growing jaw, then clear aligners, for both children.

3. After

   Regular check-ups, kept up for more than five years.

From toddler age · Regular check-ups

The doctors’ own niece: nine years of check-ups.

1. Before

   The doctors’ own niece, first seen as a toddler, and one of the clinic’s very first patients.

2. What we did

   Prevention first: regular check-ups, advice for the family, and small treatments only when needed.

3. After

   Nearly nine years of care so far. The aim all along: healthy teeth, and a child with no fear of the dentist.