Paediatric dentistry in Katowice: a dentist for children at NL Clinic

Paediatric dentistry: care for milk and permanent teeth

When should a child's first dental visit take place?

The first visit should take place within about six months of the first tooth erupting, and no later than the child's first birthday. Early contact with the surgery serves to assess caries risk, discuss hygiene and diet, and let the child get to know the practice while free of symptoms.

A child's first dental visit: how it goes

1. A conversation with the parent: hygiene so far, diet, past illnesses, medication taken and any symptoms the child has.
2. Examination of the mouth: milk and permanent teeth, mucosa, gums and erupting teeth.
3. Assessment of caries risk based on the condition of the dentition, habits and the way the teeth are cleaned.
4. Observation of the developing bite and of habits such as mouth breathing or dummy sucking.
5. Hygiene instruction for parent and child: brushing technique, amount and type of toothpaste, flossing.
6. A plan for what comes next: home recommendations, the procedures needed and the date of the next check-up.

If the child is calm and the situation calls for it, a simple procedure can be carried out during the same visit. This is not a rule, however, and depends on the child's readiness to cooperate.

An acclimatisation visit: what it involves

An acclimatisation visit is an appointment whose purpose is to make the child familiar with the surgery, not to carry out a procedure. The child gets to know the chair, the mirror, the lamp and the people who will be caring for them, and sees what the examination itself looks like.

How to prepare a child for the first visit

• Say what will happen, concretely and calmly: "The dentist will look at your teeth and show you how the chair works."
• Avoid reassurances such as "don't be afraid, nothing will hurt", and stories about your own bad experiences. Mentioning pain introduces a subject the child would not have raised.
• Do not use the visit as a punishment, and do not promise a reward conditional on "behaving well".
• Read a picture book about going to the dentist, or play at checking a toy's teeth.
• Choose a time when the child is rested, not just before a nap or after a long day.
• Bring a favourite cuddly toy and, if the child has their own toothbrush, that too.
• In the surgery, let the dentist lead the conversation. Brief, calm support helps more than explanations and questions during the examination.

You will find more practical advice on hygiene at home in our guide on how to care for your child's teeth.

A child afraid of the dentist: how we reduce stress

Fear of dental treatment is common in children and usually stems from an unfamiliar situation rather than from pain. That is why we work in stages and announce each step, instead of starting with the most difficult element.

• Gradual familiarisation: first a conversation and looking, then the examination, and treatment last.
• A scope of treatment matched to the level of cooperation on the day, with the option of stopping.
• No treatment by force: coercion entrenches fear and makes later visits harder.
• Where treatment is more extensive or fear is strong, the dentist may consider inhalation sedation with nitrous oxide, provided there are no contraindications.
• Postponing treatment when there is no urgent indication and the child is not ready. The exception is conditions that require prompt action, such as an infection.

Procedures we carry out in children

• Check-ups and diagnosis of the condition of the dentition, together with an assessment of caries risk.
• Prevention: hygiene instruction, fluoride application and fissure sealing.
• Treatment of caries in milk and permanent teeth, including coloured fillings.
• Pulp treatment in milk teeth, when the lesion reaches deeper.
• Extraction of milk teeth, if a tooth cannot be saved or does not come out on its own.
• Local anaesthesia chosen for the child's age and body weight, described in more detail on the page about anaesthesia at the dentist.
• Inhalation sedation with nitrous oxide, following medical qualification.
• Observation of the developing bite and referral for an orthodontic consultation where indicated.

The scope of procedures for a particular child is decided by the dentist after the examination, and more extensive treatment is divided into stages.

Treating caries in children

Dental prevention in children

• Brushing twice a day: for younger children the parent does it, for older ones supervises. Adult supervision is usually needed until school age, and often longer.
• Fluoride toothpaste in an amount and concentration suited to the child's age. Recommendations differ for children under three and older ones, so it is worth confirming them with the dentist.
• Diet: what matters is not only the amount of sugar, but above all how often snacks and sweet drinks are consumed during the day.
• Fluoride application in the surgery as a supplement to home hygiene, repeated at intervals set by the dentist.
• Fissure sealing of molars, usually after they erupt, where the fissures are deep and hard to clean.
• Check-ups: often every six months, and more frequently where caries risk is higher. The schedule is set by the dentist.

First teeth, milk teeth and tooth replacement

The first milk teeth usually appear at around six months of age, and a child most often has the full milk dentition of 20 teeth at around the age of three. Replacement usually begins around the age of six, when the first incisors fall out and the first permanent molars erupt.

These timings are approximate and may differ from child to child. It is worth having the bite assessed when permanent teeth erupt in the wrong place, when a milk tooth does not fall out despite a visible permanent tooth, or when changes in the way of biting and breathing are apparent.

When a child needs to see a dentist promptly

• Severe or increasing toothache, including at night.
• Swelling of the gum, cheek or face.
• Injury to a tooth: fracture, displacement or loosening after a blow.
• A knocked-out permanent tooth: time matters. Do not clean the tooth with a brush, keep it in milk or saline and contact the surgery as soon as possible. A knocked-out milk tooth is not put back into the socket.
• Fever and signs of infection in the mouth.

In such situations call reception on 32 250 48 28 during opening hours and you will be told the earliest available appointment. The practice does not run a night service, so outside opening hours you may need to contact the out-of-hours health service or a hospital emergency department.

Paediatric dentistry at NL Clinic in Katowice

Children are looked after by dentists in our team who carry out conservative treatment and prevention in younger patients. The qualifications, scope of work and experience of each person are described on the page listing the dentists at NL Clinic, and reception will help choose a dentist and a type of visit at first contact.

• We run the visit at the child's pace, announcing each step.
• Imaging is carried out only where it is clinically justified.
• The parent is informed about the treatment plan, its stages and the alternatives before it begins.
• The practice is at ul. Obroki 68 in Katowice, near the Witosa and Obroki housing estates. Travel details and facilities are described on the contact and directions page.

Prices in paediatric dentistry

Prices for an acclimatisation visit, a check-up, prevention and the treatment of milk teeth are kept in one place, in the NL Clinic price list, so that no discrepancies arise between pages. The total cost depends on the scope of treatment agreed after the examination, the number of teeth requiring treatment and the imaging needed. The cost of more extensive treatment can be spread over instalments and other payment methods.

Frequently asked questions about a child's dental visit

Published: 26 July 2026. The scope of services, the age of patients accepted and the availability of sedation are confirmed by the practice reception.