Galway Child Dentist – What If…

My child is anxious / nervous?

Children come with different levels of coping skills, personalities and anxiety levels and we will take all these factors into consideration when planning your child’s dental care. Paediatric Dentists have many techniques to help make dental visits easy for you and your child.

It is best if you are relaxed about the visit also and don’t use any anxiety-provoking terms like “hurt”, “sore”, “tooth extraction” etc. Some parents delay seeking dental care for their child because of their own fears. Approaches to children’s dental care have improved greatly and you may be pleasantly surprised!

The more information you give us (in advance) about your child’s concerns/previous experience – the better. This will help us plan the best approach towards making the dental experience a pleasant one for you all.

My child has special needs?

Children with special needs are welcome at this practice. We look after many children with various syndromes, physical and intellectual disability and some with unusual dental conditions.

When you contact us, please give us as much information as possible so that we can schedule an appropriate appointment. In addition to our usual comprehensive preventive advice, we will assist you with any particular requirements for your child. For example, if your child takes frequent liquid medication – it is best for their dental health to take a “sugar-free” formulation (if available); this greatly reduces their risk of tooth decay.

For over 20 years Dympna has also worked closely with the HSE and provides dental care for children with Clefts (lips and palates) – many of whom are referred at approx. 1 year of age.

My child does not like the taste of toothpaste??

A number of children find the taste of some toothpastes too “strong” and this can hinder their cooperation for tooth brushing. We can advise you of flavourless toothpaste or pleasantly flavoured alternatives – which also work well.

We recommend that an adult should “dry brush” their child’s teeth first – this removes most of the plaque – then your child can brush briefly again with a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste.

My child grinds their teeth”? (Bruxism)

Grinding is very common in children. Parents are often concerned about the nocturnal grinding of teeth (bruxism). Often the first indication is the noise created by the child grinding on their teeth during sleep. Or parents may notice tooth wear (teeth getting shorter). One theory about tooth grinding is that it is caused by stress due to e.g. a new environment, divorce, changes at school / home; etc. Another theory relates to pressure in the inner ear at night. If there are pressure changes (like in an airplane during take-off and landing, when people are chewing gum, etc.) the child will grind their teeth by moving their jaw to equalise this pressure – this brings relief.

The majority of cases of paediatric bruxism do not require any treatment. If excessive wear of the teeth (attrition) is present, then a nightguard may be considered. However, the disadvantages of a nightguard for children are –

• Risk of dislodging and causing choking
• Interfering with growth of jaws / teeth

The good news is most children outgrow bruxism. It can come in episodes and then reduce or stop altogether.

If you are concerned about your child’s bruxism please talk to us.

My child has “two rows of teeth”?

This is not uncommon. If the baby tooth is loose, encourage your child to wiggle it so that it loosens further and falls out. The new adult incisor will continue to grow and the tongue usually pushes it forward into position. If the baby tooth is not loose, get us to check it. Sometimes teeth need a little help to come out.

My child has lost their first baby tooth and they are not 6 yet?

Most children lose their first baby tooth (usually bottom front) at approx. 6 years of age. However, some children especially those who get their baby teeth early, can lose their baby teeth early.

We consider the normal range for children to lose their first baby tooth is between 5-7 years of age – so please do not be too concerned if they seem a bit “early” or “late”.

Please contact us on 091 565181 if you have any concerns.

My child has an abscess (“gumboil”)?

You should contact us immediately on 091 565181, even if your child is non symptomatic as this requires attention from the dentist.

Timely dental treatment may prevent acute problems and even prevent damage to developing permanent teeth.

The Dentist recommends a General Anaesthetic (GA) for a Child’s Dental Treatment

If we have recommended that a child has their dental treatment completed under General Anaesthetic (GA) the usual reasons typically would be because:

• Extensive dental treatment needs to be completed
• The child is young and unable to happily tolerate multiple long appointments in the dental surgery
• Child is anxious – may have had difficult dental / medical experience in the past. Very often there is a combination of the above factors.

The decision to complete dental treatment under GA is made only after the dentist has assessed the child.

Treatment is completed by Dr. Dympna Daly and her staff plus a Consultant Anaesthetist and their team in the Galway Clinic, Doughiska, Galway.

All necessary dental treatment is completed at the one visit which is provided as a “Day Case Procedure”- i.e. the child does not stay overnight in the hospital. The duration of treatment under General Anaesthetic (GA) – varies depending on the amount of dental treatment to be completed but typically takes 1½ – 3+ hours. After the consultation the dentist will be able to advise about the approximate time for each child.

It is natural for parents to be anxious about their child having a General Anaesthetic (GA) – but remember this method of treatment is chosen so that the child can be restored to good oral health in a controlled environment.

The benefit of this type of treatment is that all necessary dental treatment is completed in one visit. The main side effect with full mouth GA dental treatment on young healthy children, is some nausea after the anaesthetic. If this occurs, it usually resolves within a few hours.

Costs: There are 3 parts to the fees for this service

Health Insurance

If you have Health Insurance, they may cover the cost of the Hospital fee, less the excess on your policy, and pay a small contribution of approx. €180 towards the Anaesthetist’s fee. We write to them on your behalf to secure this cover.

Dental Insurance

There are 2 Dental Insurance Providers available – VHI Dental and De-Care Dental

They provide immediate cover for dental visits in the dental practice – after 3 months, members are covered for a percentage of the dental costs.

Tax Relief

Med 2 Form – click here to download – also available from Tax office.

You can download your Med 2 Form above where it also explains which treatments qualify for tax relief. We complete Med 2 forms for all eligible treatment and give to parents when treatment is completed.