Paediatric dentistry in the south of Tenerife

Children's dentist in Los Cristianos: calm first visits and early prevention

Name: Clínica Dental Los Cristianos — Smile Tenerife
Address: Calle Barranquillo, 2, Los Cristianos, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 38650, ES
Telephone: +34 654 58 55 53
Price range: €€

The first visit is recommended when the first tooth appears and, at the latest, by age one —and it's not to treat anything: it's so that the dentist stops being a stranger. On this page: the right toothpaste for every age, why baby teeth do matter, and what to do if your child falls and breaks a tooth.

Treatments with flexible financing — detailed conditions in writing at the clinic.

Book their first visit Call: +34 654 58 55 53

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Nothing by surprise and nothing by force
Evidence-based prevention: fluoride and sealants
We serve in Spanish and English

Dentist examining a child's mouth in the clinic

Quick summary

The most important thing before deciding

1 of 3children under 6 years old in Spain have cavities in their baby teeth — and 7 out of 10 of those cavities are untreated (2020 Oral Health Survey)

1 yearat the latest for the first visit — or sooner, when the first tooth appears. It's not for treatment: it's to get to know each other

1.000ppm of fluoride from the first tooth, in the amount of a grain of rice. "Fluoride-free" toothpaste for babies is an outdated recommendation

6–7years: the recommended age for the first orthodontic check-up. Looking doesn't mean getting braces

How we work: tell–show–do. It is explained in your own words, the instrument is shown, and only then is it done. If one day it doesn't work out, you stop and come back another day.
The myth to retire: "They're milk teeth, they'll fall out anyway". The last baby molar doesn't fall out until ages 11–12 — a cavity at age 5 has years ahead of it.
Prevention that works: fluoride varnish and sealants on the 6-year molars, with the evidence told as it is.
If there is a knock: Baby teeth and permanent teeth are treated the opposite way. The box below makes it clear in a minute.

The first visit: at the first tooth or before one year of age

It sounds early, and it is on purpose. Both the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry and the General Council of Dentists recommend the first check-up When does the first tooth come in and, at the latest, by the time they turn one year old. That appointment is not to treat anything: the mouth is examined, the risk of tooth decay is assessed, and—above all—parents' questions are answered while habits can still be changed: baby bottle, pacifier, sugar, brushing.

With older children, the first visit is for familiarisation: they get in the chair, touch the instruments, hear the "wind" and the "vacuum," and go home with the feeling that nothing weird happens here. The ideal first visit is one where nothing needs to be done — that's why we insist on coming before anything hurts, not after.

From then on, check-ups every six months As a rule, and even more often if there is a high caries risk: in a growing mouth, six months is a long time. Everything in Spanish or English — including explanations to the child.

The myth to be retired

Why baby teeth also need treatment

It's the phrase we hear the most, and the problem is the calendar: The last primary molar does not fall out until 11 or 12 years of age.. A cavity at age five doesn't have three months ahead of it—it has six or seven years. In that time, it can hurt, it can become infected, and it can affect the permanent tooth that is forming right underneath.

Baby teeth also do a silent job: they hold the space of the permanent one that's coming. When someone is lost ahead of time, the neighbours tend to close in over the gap, and the permanent one finds the spot taken — crowding and orthodontics that perhaps were avoidable. For this reason, if a baby tooth must be extracted, a space maintainer is sometimes placed: a small guardian of the gap.

That said, the other half of honesty: we don't just fill everything routinely either. A tooth about to fall out, which is not causing discomfort and poses no risk of infection, is sometimes monitored and left alone. We explain the reasoning behind each decision beforehand, not afterwards—with the X-ray right in front of us, if there is one.

Teething and falling out chart: when they come in and when they fall out

Every child develops at their own pace and the ranges are wide — a year above or below is usually normal. This chart is meant as a guide, not a cause for concern.

Indicative ages. If something falls well outside the range, it is looked into — almost always without further consequence.
Teeth	Eruption (baby teeth)	They are falling	Permanent tooth erupts
Incisors (the front ones)	6–12 months	6–8 years	6–8 years
Canines (eye teeth)	16–23 months	Ages 9–12	Ages 9–12
Milk molars	13-33 months	Ages 9–12	Premolars: 10–12 years
Six-year molar	—	—	~6 years old, behind the baby teeth, without any falling out
Permanent second molar	—	—	~12 years

Two things on this table are worth a visit: the 6-year molar erupts at the back without replacing any sealant. And double row of teeth (the permanent one comes in behind the baby one that doesn't fall out — "shark teeth") is very scary and is almost never serious: it's evaluated, and often resolves on its own.

Early childhood caries: sugar counts by frequency, not by quantity

Spanish data is clear: according to the 2020 Oral Health Survey in Spain, one in three children under six years old has cavities in milk teeth, and Seven out of ten of those cavities are untreated.. We aren't sharing this to scare you: we are sharing it because childhood tooth decay is so common that it's best to catch it early—not because your child is a rare case.

And the fact that surprises parents the most: It matters more how many times a day sugar enters the mouth than how much. Eating a bag of gummy candies in one sitting does less damage than the same bag spread out over six different times—each exposure restarts the acid attack. Sticky sugars are worse than liquids, and the worst time is right before bed, because at night there is less saliva defending.

Hence the three practical rules of this house: sugar is better with meals and all at once; never a baby bottle of milk or juice for sleeping, nor a pacifier dipped in anything sweet (the bottle is phased out around 12–16 months and the pacifier before age two); and the nighttime brushing is the non-negotiable. When decay still arrives, it is treated: the fillings on small teeth they are fast and with properly administered local anaesthesia.

How childhood cavities are treated

First, play it down: finding a cavity during a check-up is not a failed exam—it is exactly what check-ups are for. And in a child, the toolbox is broader than most parents imagine, organised—like everything in this house— from the most conservative step to the least.

An incipient cavity sometimes only it is monitored and remineralised with fluoride and targeted hygiene. If there is already a cavity, the filling in a baby tooth It is a short procedure, with well-administered local anaesthesia — and with the behaviour management technique from the following section doing half the work. If the cavity reached the nerve of the baby tooth, there is a pulpotomythe affected part of the nerve is removed and the tooth is preserved until its natural replacement — the child and abbreviated version of a root canal. And for severely damaged baby molars that still have years of service ahead of them, the preformed crowns they keep them running until it's time to crash.

Extraction is the last step, not the first — and when it is unavoidable in a tooth with a distant replacement, it enters the space maintainer whom you already met upstairs: the guardian of the cavity. In all cases, the logic is explained to you beforehand with the x-ray in front of you, with a written quotation, and with a question we always ask ourselves: What does this tooth really need, given the years it has left in this mouth?

The table that nobody publishes

The right toothpaste for every age — with current recommendations

You have probably read that up to the age of two, toothpaste should be "fluoride-free" or contain 250 ppm. That recommendation existed—and is still posted in old documents. The current one in Europe is different: the key is not removing the fluoride, it is controlling the amount of toothpaste.

Current European recommendation (EAPD 2019, endorsed by PrevInfad/AEPap and the General Council of Dentists).
Age	Fluoride concentration	Quantity	Who brushes
From the first tooth to 2 years old	1,000 ppm	A grain of rice	The parents
Ages 2 to 6	1,000 ppm (more if caries risk is high)	A pea	The child, with the parents' review
Ages 6 and up	1.450 ppm	1–2 cm above the brush	The boy, supervised until at least 7

Two details that multiply the effect: twice a day, always before sleeping, for more than a minute — and upon finishing, spit without rinsing with plenty of water, so that the fluoride keeps working. Quantity matters because during the first three years the enamel of the permanent teeth is formed: toothpaste at the correct dose, yes; tube at discretion, no.

Fluoride varnish and sealants: Evidence-based prevention

Fluoride varnish

It is applied to the teeth in less than a minute, quietly and without anaesthesia. Systematic reviews attribute a reduction in cavities of around 40 % to it—with wide intervals: it is a useful measure, not a shield. It is applied from two to four times a year depending on the risk of each child, and then neither eating nor drinking for half an hour. A safety note that almost nobody mentions: fluorinated gels and mouthwashes are not used in children under six due to the risk of swallowing them — the varnish is.

Pit and fissure sealants

A thin layer that covers the grooves of permanent molars — right where the toothbrush cannot reach. They are placed without a drill and without anaesthesia, in minutes, when the six-year molar comes in. The evidence clearly supports this during the early years, which is why they are checked at every visit: a sealant that has come loose no longer provides protection. The General Council of Dentists attributes up to 80 % of protection to sealed surfaces.

Fear of the dentist is prevented — and it is also learned at home

We work with the paediatric dentistry behavioural guide: tell-show-do. First it is explained in words the child understands, then they are shown the instrument — they can touch it, hear it, smell it — and only afterwards is it done. Nothing by surprise and nothing by force. And if one day it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out: we prefer to stop and come back another day rather than force it and lose their trust.

What is said at home influences just as much as what we do here.
At home, it helps to	At home, best to avoid
"Let's go get your teeth counted"	"It won't hurt" — she just introduced the word pain
Read a story about the dentist, play at being one at home	Sharing your own bad experience in front of the child
Come at a time when I am rested	Using the dentist as a threat or punishment
Let the team lead the conversation in the consultation	Over-explaining ("you're going to get a prick") or promising huge prizes

What we look at in each stage: the 0 to 16 roadmap

From 0 to 2 years old

First visit with the first tooth. Gentle check-up, advice on bottles, pacifiers, and sugars, and brushing done by the parents using a rice-grain amount of 1,000 ppm toothpaste. We monitor sucking habits—at this age, their effects usually reverse on their own once stopped.

Ages 2 to 6

The habit consolidation stage: brushing twice a day with parental supervision, biannual check-ups, and fluoride varnish based on risk. This is also when the baby bottle and pacifier are left behind — and when a cavity caught early is resolved with minimal intervention.

From 6 to 12 years old

The transition years: the 6-year molar comes in (sealers all around), the incisors wiggle, and around ages 6–7 it's time for the first orthodontic check-up. Toothpaste with 1,450 ppm from age 6, supervision until at least age 7, and a mouthguard for contact sports — the golden age of impacts.

Adolescence

Almost adult mouth, own habits, and — let's be frank — irregular hygiene. Check-ups that reinforce autonomy, orthodontics if needed (the aligners fit well at this age), and radar tuned to gums and liquid sugars: soft drinks make a killing here.

The parent box

What to do if a child breaks or loses a tooth

Most of these blows resolve well. The question that decides everything else is just one: Is it a baby tooth or a permanent one? Permanent teeth usually start to come in around age six and are noticeably larger.

If it is a baby tooth and it has come out whole: do not put it back in, even though instinct tells you otherwise. The permanent one is forming underneath, and re-implanting it can damage it—as well as the risk of the child inhaling it. Control the bleeding with gauze and gentle pressure, and come in for a check-up anyway: what needs to be checked is that the incoming tooth is fine.

If it is definitive and has come out completely, it is one of the few true dental emergencies. Hold it by the crown — never by the root —, rinse it for a few seconds with milk or serum if it is dirty (without rubbing), and put it back in its socket if you feel up to it. If not, in a glass of milk — never in water, never dry — and call us on the way: after half an hour dry, most of the root cells are no longer viable. And if what there is is a broken piece, save it in milk: sometimes it can be glued back together — we tell the whole story in the broken teeth and bonding page.

One last tooth-saving warning: even if the hit doesn't hurt, it gets checked —the nerve can be affected weeks later without warning. And if you play contact sports, ask us about a mouthguard: at this age, dental trauma is very common. Protocol based on the 2020 IADT guidelines and the AEPap Child Health Programme.

Orthodontics: looking at 6–7 years old does not mean getting braces

The recommendation of the orthodontic associations is to have an initial check-up around six or seven years old, when baby teeth and permanent teeth coexist together. At that age, it is possible to see how the dental arches are fitting together while the bone is still growing, and to decide whether it is advisable to intercept something now — or simply wait and monitor. In most cases, the answer is to wait, and we say that too.

What has been monitored for much longer are habits: finger sucking, prolonged pacifier use, mouth breathing. Before ages 2–3, their effects usually reverse on their own once the habit is stopped; maintained for years, they shape the bite. It is one of the things we look at during every check-up—and one of the reasons why that early first visit is so worthwhile.

These cases are assessed here by Dr. Lissett Rodríguez, orthodontist and member of the American Association of Orthodontists — and if the time for braces arrives in adolescence, the conversation continues in the Invisalign page.

PADICAN: what the Canarian children's programme covers — and what it doesn't

If your child is between 6 and 14 years old and has a Canary Islands Health Service card, the programme PADICAN It covers an annual check-up, sealants, fluoride, and fillings for permanent teeth. It is useful to know where it ends: it does not cover the treatment of milk teeth — only its extraction —, neither orthodontics nor space maintainers. And under six years of age, it covers check-ups, fluoride varnish, and extractions.

It is a good programme and it is worth taking advantage of. Our role is in the two areas it leaves out: the baby teeth that are indeed worth treating (you already know why), the youngest ones of six years old, and the orthodontics and space maintenance part. At the first visit we tell you clearly what the public programme covers and what would make sense to do here — Written quotation before starting anything, and flexible financing if needed.

Clear pricing for families

Paediatric dentistry price

Paediatric dentistry

Quotation after the first visit

The price depends on the age, the treatment, and the cooperation required. As a general reference for the clinic: fillings from €70, cleanings from €60, and extractions from €90. We always confirm the amount in writing before treatment.

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Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions from parents

At what age should my child go to the dentist for the first time?

When the first tooth appears and, at the latest, by the age of one. That first appointment is not for treatment: the mouth is examined, the risk of cavities is assessed, and parents' questions are answered while habits can still be changed.

How often should I bring them in for a check-up?

Every six months as a general rule, and more frequently if we detect a high risk of cavities. In a child, the mouth changes quickly, and six months are enough for a small lesion to stop being small.

Since when has fluoride toothpaste been used, and at what concentration?

From the eruption of the first tooth, use toothpaste with 1,000 ppm and an amount the size of a grain of rice. From 2 to 6 years old, a pea-sized amount; from age 6 on, 1,450 ppm toothpaste. If you were told no fluoride until age two or to use 250 ppm, that recommendation is outdated — the key is the amount of toothpaste, not eliminating the fluoride.

Is it worth filling a baby tooth if it is going to fall out anyway?

It depends on how much time it has left in the mouth. The last primary molar doesn't fall out until 11 or 12 years of age, so a cavity at age five has years ahead of it to hurt, get infected, or affect the permanent tooth. If the tooth is about to fall out and there is no risk of infection, sometimes the right thing to do is monitor it and leave it alone — and we're telling you that just as clearly.

My son is very scared of the dentist. What do you do?

We work with a code of conduct: it is explained in words the child can understand, they are shown the instrument — they can touch and hear it — and only then is it done. Nothing by surprise and nothing by force. If one day it doesn't work out, we stop and come back another day: trust is worth more than an appointment.

It fell out from a blow and a tooth chipped off. Should I put it back in?

If it is a baby tooth, no: it is not reimplanted, because it can damage the permanent one underneath and there is a risk of aspiration. If it is a permanent tooth, yes — and every minute counts: hold it by the crown, do not scrub the root, rinse it gently with milk or saline solution, put it back in place if you dare, and come immediately. If not, bring it in a glass of milk.

At what age is the first orthodontic check-up recommended?

Around the age of six or seven, when baby and permanent teeth coexist. Looking does not mean getting braces: in most cases the conclusion is to wait and check — and when there is something to intercept, doing it on time usually simplifies everything that comes after.

Do you need X-rays? Are they safe?

They are only done if they provide information that cannot be seen during the examination, and the frequency depends on each child's risk. Protection and the lowest possible parameters for their age are used. If they are not needed, they are not done.

First visit

Schedule your first visit in Los Cristianos

Take your time: check-up, caries risk assessment, and all your questions answered — in Spanish or English. If any treatment is needed, a written quotation before starting. Write to us and we will call you to schedule an appointment.

AddressCalle Barranquillo, 2
38650 Los Cristianos, Arona (Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
Phone and WhatsApp+34 654 58 55 53
Emailinfo@smiletenerife.com
Opening hoursMonday and Wednesday: 10:00 – 19:00
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 10:00 – 17:00
Saturdays and Sundays: closed

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