Local health services

Unlike doctors, dentists do not have a list depending on their locality. You can choose to go to any dentist, as long as they have spare appointments.

If you do not have a dentist and need urgent dental care, contact NHS 111.

You can find an NHS dentist through the national NHS website. 

Protect your children's teeth

Tooth decay has a major impact on children’s health and wellbeing. Early Childhood Caries - often affects the upper front teeth spreading rapidly to other teeth and is related to the consumption of sugary drinks in baby bottles or sippy cups.

Find a local dentist

Diet

• reduce both the amount and how often sugary foods and drinks are given to children
• breast feeding provides the best nutrition for babies. The best drinks for young children aged 1 to 2 are full fat milk and water. From 2 years old, semi-skimmed milk and water are suitable as long as the child is a good eater.
• don’t add sugar to weaning foods or drinks 
• aim to introduce drinking from a free-flow cup from six months of age and stop feeding from a bottle from 12 months of age

Tooth brushing

• start brushing children’s teeth as soon as the first tooth appears and supervise their tooth brushing until they are seven or eight years old. 
• brush children’s teeth twice daily, including just before bed, using a fluoride toothpaste.
• from the age of three, use only a pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste, for younger children a smear
• brush for two minutes twice daily with fluoride toothpaste in order to remove plaque bacteria. Spit don’t rinse

Fluoride

• tap water in Rutland is not supplemented with fluoride
• children aged over 3 should have their teeth coated with fluoride varnish by their dentist every 6 months. This treatment is free and available to all children

Dental visits

• take a child to see the dentist as soon as the first tooth shows in the mouth
• children should be taken to the dentist regularly not just when in pain
• dental Care is free of charge up until the age of 18 if you attend an NHS dentist
• free NHS dental care for ALL pregnant mothers and for twelve months after birth
• use only sugar-free medicines