Said upfront
There is no MDS paediatric dentist at Redefine Dental. Children are seen by Dr. Dhanya Saxena, BDS, MHA, FMC, FAOI, an oro-dental surgeon whose clinical focus is implantology and full mouth reconstruction. Our kids dentistry is general dental care for children. If your child's case looks like one that needs a paediatric dentist, you will be told at the assessment. This page explains where that line sits so you can decide for yourself.
What a paediatric dentist actually is
In India, every dentist qualifies with a BDS. A paediatric dentist (pedodontist) has then completed a three-year postgraduate MDS in Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, and spends their working life on children's teeth, growth and behaviour. The guide to what a paediatric dentist does goes through the training and the role.
A general dentist may legally and competently treat children, and most children in the country are treated by general dentists. The honest framing is not that one is allowed and the other is not. It is that the specialist sees far more of the difficult cases, and the gap between the two widens as the case gets harder.
Cases that genuinely warrant a paediatric dentist
Sedation or general anaesthesia for dental treatment
Some children cannot be treated safely awake, because of age, the amount of treatment needed or a medical condition. Sedation and general anaesthesia are a specialist decision made with an anaesthetist, in a setting equipped for it.
Severe dental anxiety or fear that has not eased
Ordinary nervousness settles with a gentle, unhurried first visit. A child who cannot cooperate even then, or who has had a frightening experience, benefits from someone who works with behaviour management every day.
Special healthcare needs
Children with a medical, developmental or physical condition may need adapted positioning, a different pace and a plan coordinated with their doctor. This is a core part of paediatric dentistry training.
Complex trauma to a young tooth
A knocked-out, displaced or broken tooth in a child whose roots are still forming is treated differently from an adult injury. Specialist input is usually appropriate, and the first hours matter.
Many teeth affected at a young age
Early childhood caries across several milk teeth in a very young child can mean a long treatment plan and a child who cannot sit through it. Specialist planning helps decide how to proceed.
Care a general dentist handles routinely
The first visit, check-ups and prevention
A look, a count, advice on brushing and diet, and professional cleaning are routine general dental care for children. The aim is familiarity and prevention rather than treatment.
Fluoride, sealants and a straightforward filling
Topical fluoride, sealants on newly erupted molars and a filling in a milk tooth for a cooperative child are everyday work for a general dentist.
Space maintainers and habit advice
A space maintainer after a milk tooth is lost early, and advice on thumb sucking, mouth breathing or tongue thrust, are routine and are part of general care for children.
Children's care at Redefine Dental
Our kids dentistry covers the first dental visit, cavities in milk teeth, fluoride application and sealants for high-risk children, thumb sucking, mouth breathing and tongue thrust habits, and space maintainers when a milk tooth is lost early. Treatment, when it is needed, can include fillings, pulpectomy or a crown for a badly decayed milk tooth.
How to tell which one your child needs
Start with the child. A calm child with a few small cavities and no medical complications is a routine case. A child who is very frightened, has a medical or developmental condition, or has needed treatment under sedation before points to a specialist. The guide to your child's first dental visit explains how a gentle first appointment works, and when milk teeth appear and fall out helps you know what to expect at each age.
You cannot judge this from symptoms alone. Pain, a swollen gum or a broken tooth in a child is a reason to be examined rather than to wait. Spreading facial swelling, fever, or difficulty swallowing or breathing always means same-day care, and a hospital emergency department if breathing or swallowing is affected.
Prevention comes first
Most of what keeps a child out of a specialist's chair is prevention. Early treatment of cavities in milk teeth stops them spreading, a space maintainer protects room for the permanent tooth after an early loss, and fluoride treatment for children strengthens enamel in children at higher risk of decay.
What to ask any dentist who treats your child
Which qualification do you hold, and what is your Dental Council registration number? How do you approach a nervous child? Is the treatment needed now, or can it wait and be watched? Will it be done awake, and what happens if my child cannot cooperate? If a case is beyond what you would do, who would you send us to?
Questions patients ask
Questions patients ask about children's teeth
- What is the best age for braces?
- When should a child have their first dental visit?
- Do cavities in milk teeth need treatment?
- What is a pulpectomy (a root canal for a milk tooth)?
- What are pit and fissure sealants, and does my child need them?
- What are normal teething symptoms?
- What is the milk teeth falling age, and in what order do they fall out?
- Is fluoride treatment safe for children?
- What is the right way of brushing children's teeth?
- Why do some adults still have milk teeth?
- What should you do about a broken milk tooth?
- What causes childhood tooth decay, and how can it be prevented?
- What are primary teeth (milk teeth), and why do they matter?
- What is the milk teeth schedule, and when does each tooth come in?
- What is a pediatric dentist and when should my child see one?
- What is a space maintainer and does my child need one?
- Does thumb sucking damage a child's teeth?
- What should I do if a tooth is knocked out?
- Why is my tooth loose and what should I do?
- Tooth Extraction Cost in Lucknow
Common questions
What is the difference between a dentist and a paediatric dentist?
A paediatric dentist, also called a pedodontist, is a dentist who has completed a three-year postgraduate MDS in Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry. A general dentist can legally and competently treat children and does most of it. The distinction matters most for sedation or general anaesthesia, severe anxiety, special healthcare needs and complex trauma.
Does my child need a paediatric dentist or will a general dentist do?
For a first visit, check-ups, fluoride, sealants and a straightforward filling, a general dentist who is good with children is usually appropriate. For sedation or general anaesthesia, severe anxiety, special healthcare needs or complex trauma, see a paediatric dentist. An examination tells you which category your child is in.
Is there a paediatric dentist at Redefine Dental?
No. Children are seen by Dr. Dhanya Saxena, who holds BDS, MHA, FMC and FAOI. She is an oro-dental surgeon and aesthetic physician, not an MDS paediatric dentist (pedodontist). If your child's case looks like one that needs a paediatric dentist, you will be told so at the assessment.
When should my child first see a dentist?
Guidance is around the eruption of the first tooth or the first birthday, whichever is earlier. The purpose is prevention and familiarity, not treatment.
How do I check whether a dentist is a paediatric dentist?
Ask for the qualification and the State Dental Council registration number. A paediatric dentist holds an MDS in Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry. Registration is a matter of public record.
About this page
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Whether your child needs a paediatric dentist is determined after an examination, not from a description. For questions about your own case, call +91 83036 12717.