Kids / Paediatric Dentist

A Kids’ Dentist Offers Safe, Gentle & Stress-Free Care for Children

If you are looking for a paediatric dentist in Hong Kong, then you can consider coming to Dr. Tong’s to care for all your child’s oral care needs. We pride ourselves in being a family-friendly and family-oriented practice, which is why we continually strive to provide the best treatment for children in Hong Kong.

Our paediatric dentist offers safe, gentle and stress-free care to children, and our state-of-the-art practice in Central, Hong Kong has books and toys for children to play with while waiting their turn to see the kids’ dentist.

Paediatric Dentist vs. A General One

Here at Dr. Tong’s, we call ourselves a family-oriented practice. This means that we can offer holistic treatment as an adult and kids’ dentist in Hong Kong. However, some of you may have come across the term “paediatric dentist” and may be wondering what the difference is between your usual surgeon and paediatric dentist in HK.

Firstly, a paediatric dentist is just like a general one, and has to undergo at least 5 years of professional schooling to be a licensed practitioner. Then, to become a specialist (ie: a kids’ dentist or paediatric dentist in Hong Kong), they will have to undergo an additional 2-3 years of training and residency to obtain their specialist title. These paediatric dentists will be trained mostly to perform advanced and complex diagnostic and surgical procedures, manage children’s dental psychology, oral pathology diagnosis and treatment, child-related pharmacology, radiology and special needs. The kids’ dentist would also be specially trained to perform treatment under conscious sedation and general anaesthesia. 

Just like the paediatric dentist, a “general” practitioner will also be able to offer treatment to children, and this may include general oral examinations, scaling and cleaning, fillings and extractions and all this may be done under conscious sedation at a general practice as well. Unlike a paediatric dentist though, a general practitioner would not be able to offer treatment under general anaesthesia. If it is noted that your child may require additional care or more complex treatment, then the general practitioner may recommend that you see a paediatric dentist in HK instead. 

Whilst treating adults is Dr. Tong’s forte, he does love treating well-behaved children as well as their kids’ dentist in Hong Kong. As a practitioner that treats both children and adults, Dr. Tong’s practice can provide an environment in which your child can see their parents visiting for a session, and learn how to behave properly in such a setting. Also, Dr. Tong always advocates that only necessary treatment is done at his practice, therefore you should not have to worry that extra treatment is done for your child when trusting him as your paediatric dentist in Hong Kong. 

Appropriate Treatments from Our Kids’ Dentist in Hong Kong for Different Age Groups

Our practice offers treatment for both you and your children by our general / kids’ dentist in Hong Kong. Typical treatments that may be offered to your children at our practice may include early childhood care, routine check-ups and cleaning, fluoride application, tooth sealant application or even fillings for children.

At Dr. David Tong practice, we welcome children and teenagers of all ages to start their smile journey with us as their paediatric dentist in Hong Kong.

Tooth development generally ends at the age of 12, and all your adult teeth would have normally come through by then. For good oral health and hygiene, our kids’ dentist in Hong Kong recommends that you brush your teeth twice a day with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and lessen the amounts of sugary foods or drinks you intake. Also, our kids’ dentist advises that smoking or vaping, alcohol and drugs can badly affect your oral health.

Due to hormonal changes and lifestyle changes you may encounter, your oral health may be altered and hence the risk for caries and gum diseases are increased. Therefore, a teenage care plan advised by our paediatric dentist in HK will include 6 monthly regular check-ups and possibly discussions on orthodontic treatment if this is desired or needed. This can all be discussed with our kids’ dentist in Hong Kong when you come in for a visit.

Specific Care & Treatments for Expecting Mothers

As both an adults’ and kids’ dentist in Hong Kong, Dr. Tong also offers specific treatment and care for expecting mothers.

Suggestions for how to maintain good oral health throughout the pregnancy, and keeping an eye out for any problems can be given at each appointment by our paediatric dentist in HK. It is recommended that more regular (3-monthly) cleaning is done at the kids’ dentist to prevent a condition called “Pregnancy Gingivitis” caused by changes in hormones. The risks associated in regards to the mother and baby’s health has been well researched and studies have shown that pregnant women with gum disease are at a higher risk for experiencing premature births, babies having low birth weight and pre-eclampsia etc.. For these reasons, ensure that you book your appointment to see a kids’ dentist in Hong Kong and don’t wait until it’s too late to have your teeth cleansed by our specialist. 

Also to note is that you should always inform our kids’ dentist if you are pregnant as well, and how far along you are in the pregnancy, because some forms of care and treatment may not be suitable for certain stages of pregnancy. Sometimes, it may be recommended by our paediatric dentist that elective treatments be delayed until the child is born to prevent unwanted situations from occurring at the appointment which may negatively affect the mother and the fetus. 

When Should You Go to a Paediatric Dentist in Hong Kong

Dr. Tong may recommend that your child goes to see a paediatric dentist if they need more complex treatment, or if he knows your child would benefit more by seeing a specialist who only treats children on a daily basis.

1. Kids’ dentist treatments are different to adults’:

Treatment for children by a paediatric dentist in Hong Kong can be very different to those for treating adults. The paediatric dentist will be more versed in treating complicated conditions that your child may be experiencing and the paediatric dentist in HK can also offer behaviour guidance techniques to ease your child during the treatment session. If your child has a severe condition or disease, such as 6 or more large cavities requiring local anaesthesia (a.k.a. an injection), it may be wise to refer to a paediatric dentist for specialised treatment under general anaesthesia.

Of course, this all depends on your child's tolerance level and behaviour in the chair while a paediatric dentist is performing the required treatment. For the least traumatic experience for a child needing multiple tooth extractions, a referral to a dedicated kids’ dentist would also be required.

2. Paediatric dentist can address special needs and/or behavioural issues:

If your child is under the age of 18, and requires special care or time to adjust to a clinical setting, then it would be best to choose a paediatric dentist to perform the treatment required.

A kids’ dentist in Hong Kong would be recommended if your child has special needs and behavioural issues, because the kids’ dentist is trained specially to tackle these situations, and will be able to have the techniques and tools to provide proper care to you and your child.

3. kids’ dentists can help reduce anxiety:

Anxiety in children during treatment is very common, and may also be a reason why Dr. Tong would recommend that your child see a paediatric dentist in HK. If you are aware that your child is suffering from treatment anxiety, and would like a referral letter to see a paediatric dentist in Hong Kong, please let us know beforehand so that we can make appropriate arrangements for you and your child.

Where to Find a Paediatric Dentist in HK

Many general practitioners, such as our kids’ dentist in Hong Kong, have the skills and expertise to treat children for general problems or maintenance care. However, only those with special registration and licensing in Hong Kong may refer to themselves as a paediatric dentist in Hong Kong. A kids’ dentist specialist, such as a paediatric dentist in HK which is registered with the Dental Council of Hong Kong (DCHK) Specialist Register, has to go through several years of training before they can become a paediatric dentist. 

Paediatric Dentistry available online:

There are currently 37 registered paediatric dentists in Hong Kong, and there are a few ones that Dr. Tong can recommend to you if needed. You can also find the list of registered paediatric dentists in HK online by looking up “Registered Dentists on the Specialist Register (Paediatric Dentistry)”.

Private paediatric dentists in Hong Kong:

More than half of the current paediatric dentists in HK work in the private sector. These paediatric dentists are trained specifically to treat children with special needs, which may include complicated medical histories, patients with autism or physical/mental disabilities.

Kids’ dentists performing sedation:

For those patients that need to have treatment under oral or deep sedation, this can be done with the paediatric dentist that has their practice registered with the “Private Healthcare Facilities Register”. If you are interested in or required to receive this sort of treatment, you may look up “Day Procedure Centres” in Hong Kong for registered private practices or registered paediatric dentists in Hong Kong that can offer treatment under sedation, deep sedation or general anaesthesia.

What to Expect During a Kids’ Dentist Hong Kong Visit

For a kids’ dentist visit in Hong Kong, your child will have a standard oral examination and may need to have x-rays taken as well to assess their tooth development and check for any cavities that are hard to detect only by looking into the mouth. A paediatric dentist would also provide advice on how to clean your child’s teeth, as well as answer any questions you have regarding oral health care at home. 

It would be best if the parents could prepare their children and give them a heads up in simple terms and in a positive manner of what to expect at the kids’ dentist appointment. Some examples of how to prepare them before the kids’ dentist visit could be:

  • Show them a video of what a paediatric dentist visit is like (there are cartoon versions available on YouTube).
  • Bring them along with you at your own visit, to demonstrate how to act appropriately while in the chair. This also gives them a chance to take in the environment, and hopefully feel like the kids’ dentist visit is not scary but is actually quite fun!

It is important for you and your family to arrive at the kids’ dentist Hong Kong appointment on time, so that we can utilize our session time efficiently for the treatment. Make sure to bring all ID for check in and any past records your child may have from previous paediatric dentists in HK.

For parents, we would recommend to also prepare yourself if you have any anxieties about visiting the paediatric dentist in Hong Kong. Please let the kids’ dentist know beforehand if you or your child do have any fears. Always be mindful that this would be your child’s first kids’ dentist visit, and their experience and feelings towards the paediatric dentist can be very different! It is important not to pass on any fears and anxieties onto your child while at the kids’ dentist Hong Kong practice. Parents can stay in the room with the kids’ dentist if they can provide emotional and moral support by being calm and collected. However, if you know that you have some anxieties while treatment is being performed on your child, then it may be wise to stay out of the room for your child to have their own kids’ dentist experience!

When you arrive at the kids’ dentist appointment, our staff will greet your child and introduce them to the paediatric dentist.

If it is your child’s first visit or if they are anxious about seeing the kids’ dentist, this may be all that can be achieved on the day but that is ok! Taking it step by step at the kids’ dentist in Hong Kong is what is most important and we will never push your child to do anything they are uncomfortable with. If it is your child’s first paediatric dentist Hong Kong appointment, the kids’ dentist will need to complete a thorough oral examination which will look at your child’s teeth, gums, and tooth development. During the paediatric dentist HK session, X-rays may be taken to check for any cavities and can also check if there are any developing teeth or impactions affecting the growth of some teeth. 

 

After a typical kids’ dentist visit, you and your child will be guided through ways to keep their teeth clean at home. Our paediatric dentist advises that aftercare is very important to maintain good oral hygiene and prevent any adverse conditions or diseases in children, because this can avoid cavity formation and gum disease. Specific aftercare instructions a paediatric dentist in Hong Kong will advise to beware include:

  • Do not rinse, eat or drink for at least 30 minutes after application of fluoride to the teeth to prevent ingestion and removal of the fluoride on the teeth after the kids’ dentist treatment, as we want to give the fluoride some time to work its magic before it is washed away! Our kids’ dentist can advise drinking water through a straw as a good alternative if you or your child really can’t wait any longer.
  • If your kids’ dentist gave your child an injection, always monitor your child’s behaviour and keep their hands away from touching their lips or mouth. No eating or drinking hot foods as lip and tongue biting is common in children and can lead to ulcer formation. 
  • Contact the paediatric dentist if you have any questions or concerns after the visit.

Depending on the type of treatment needed for your child and their behaviour in the chair, an assessment of both of these will determine whether or not your child needs a referral to a paediatric dentist in Hong Kong or not. 

Praise your child for going to see the kids’ dentist even if they didn’t do too well, or if they got upset during the visit! It is important that they process what was going on during the kids’ dentist appointment, and also talk about what made them upset so that the next time they come for a visit the same thing doesn’t happen again, and allows them to keep a positive impression of the paediatric dentist Hong Kong visit!

Keeping Children’s Teeth Clean

A paediatric dentist will advise, no matter how old your child is, it is of utmost importance to maintain good oral hygiene practices, and ideally, they want to start as early as 3 years old to start brushing their teeth. 

Brushing & fluoride toothpaste recommendations by kids’ dentists in HK:

Your kids’ dentist may recommend that you start to brush your baby’s teeth as soon as the first teeth come through.

For children 0-17 months old (0-1.5 years), you can try to brush their teeth by using a small baby toothbrush with water. For children 18 months (1.5 years) to 5 years old, paediatric dentists in Hong Kong may recommend using a small toothbrush and transitioning them onto a low-dosage fluoride toothpaste (500ppm). There are many flavours of children’s toothpaste to choose from, but if you are finding it difficult to choose one, you can consult the kids’ dentist as they will be able to give you suggestions for toothpaste and toothbrush choices.

Once your child reaches 6 years old, your paediatric dentist in Hong Kong will recommend using adult toothpaste (1000-1450) for brushing. If the paediatric dentist in HK believes that your child has a higher risk for developing caries, then a higher concentration of fluoride toothpaste may be used to prevent decay progression. 

It might be a bit difficult to brush your child’s teeth properly at first, but like what most kids’ dentists will say, it is better to get your child used to the feeling of the toothbrush and flavour of toothpaste by incorporating brushing early into their daily routine. Once they reach the age of 1.5-3 years old, children can start to want to do things independently. This is also known as the “Me Do It” stage, and paediatric dentists will advise parents that they can encourage this behaviour by guiding them on how to brush their teeth properly at home. 

 

Is fluoride safe for children:

Fluoride is found widely in nature and can be found in the air, soil, plants, fresh water and many foods. Paediatric dentists in HK can all assure you that fluoride is proven to be safe and is very effective to protect children and adults’ teeth from decay when used in appropriate doses. Kids’ dentists will remind that Fluoride would only cause unwanted health issues if ingested at very high doses (e.g. eating tubes of adult toothpaste) over a long period of time.

The potential effects of intaking excessive fluoride over a long period of time include fluorosis or more rarely, skeletal fluorosis. If your child has accidentally ingested a lot of high fluoride toothpaste, they may experience abdominal pain, nausea or vomit. Please contact your paediatric dentist in HK as soon as possible or bring your child to the hospital for urgent care. 

To prevent excessive fluoride intake in children, kids’ dentists in Hong Kong would advise to make sure:

  • Keep adult toothpaste separate from children’s toothpaste.
  • If the parent is using special high-fluoridated toothpaste, make sure to place the toothpaste in out of reach areas.

All in all, as long as your child follows the instructions and guidelines for fluoride intake given to you by your kids’ dentist, the fluoride’s benefits greatly outweigh the risks for excessive intake. 

Learn More About Paediatric / Kids’ Dentist Treatments – FAQs:

1. When should I bring my child to see the paediatric dentist?

Your kids’ dentist in Hong Kong would generally recommend that you bring your child for their first check-up within 6 months after the first baby teeth have come through, or by the age of 1 years old. Parents can also bring children with them to their own appointments to help them become familiar with the environment before their own paediatric dentist visit. This also gives us a chance to introduce staff members and the paediatric dentist to your child. At this kids’ dentist appointment, you can also ask any questions you have regarding early signs of tooth decay or methods for brushing children’s teeth.
As parents, you have the responsibility to bring your baby or child to their check-ups every 6-12 months with a kids’ dentist. The reason for regular check-ups is so that your kids’ dentist in Hong Kong can monitor your child’s development through yearly record taking, discover any deviations from normal early on so that appropriate treatment and referral to the paediatric dentist in Hong Kong can be made. Seeing the kids’ dentist on a regular basis helps to develop a good rapport and relationship between your child and the kids’ dentist so that good oral care habits can be formed at an early age. In the long term, this will prevent the development of diseases or conditions, and unexpected treatment can be avoided.

Eventually all baby teeth should fall out by themselves. But sometimes, you as a parent along with the kids’ dentist may have to decide whether or not to try to save the tooth or remove it. As recommended by paediatric dentists, below are some things to consider and why it is important to keep teeth clean in the mouth include:

  • Severely decayed teeth may need to be taken out and extracted by a paediatric dentist, and for some children this can be a frightening experience. It would be much better if paediatric dentists in HK can avoid having to take out the tooth by preventing tooth decay in the first instance. 
  • Your kids’ dentist in Hong Kong may highlight the importance of baby teeth, noting that children’s teeth help guide the path to where their adult teeth should erupt. Without proper guidance, the teeth may emerge in unwanted spaces or cause shifting or crowding which will require correction by braces in the future (much more costly!)
  • Children need healthy teeth to eat, chew and speak properly. Removing them prematurely due to decay can affect their confidence to smile. Therefore, paediatric dentists in Hong Kong will advise it is so important to maintain good oral hygiene and prevent caries!

To prepare your child for their first visit with a paediatric dentist, you can bring them along while on your own visit to the specialist. You can show them visit videos or cartoons that help visualise the setting as a warm and friendly environment while with the kids’ dentist. You can also introduce the paediatric dentist to your child, and talk to your child about the kids’ dentist in a positive manner and encourage them to have their teeth checked. 

It is important to bring your child to the kids’ dentist check-up appointment, because this ensures early detection and prevention of issues or conditions, such as cavities, gingivitis or even oral cancer. If a paediatric dentist in HK can detect these early, intervention can be made and healing will be easier. Kids’ dentists would advise that diseases such as early childhood caries develop very fast and can be related to underlying medical issues. Also, comprehensive monitoring of your children’s oral health by a professional paediatric dentist can identify early signs of diabetes or heart issues. 

When you are choosing a paediatric dentist for your child, you should choose a kids’ dentist with experience and a good reputation. Sometimes, it is easy to become distracted by beautifully decorated paediatric dentist practices, especially the toys! Here at Dr. Tong’s, we believe that toys are important but more importantly, value giving your children the best treatment with the least trauma possible. This might mean that treatment with a paediatric dentist in HK is not rushed, and all steps of the examination are completed when necessary. Patience is needed to guide your child throughout the check-up process, therefore it is important to bring them to the practice a little earlier than the appointed time to give your child enough time to get used to the environment. When choosing a paediatric dentist, always choose someone who is professional, patient and caring.