Family Friendly & Specialty Dentists in London, UK
General anaesthesia means your child is fully asleep while extensive dental work is completed in one session. It is a hospital pathway: we assess and plan the treatment at the practice, then refer your child to a hospital anaesthetic team, who provide the anaesthetic in a hospital setting. We discuss the clinical need and the timeline at your first consultation.
Our dentists carry out the assessment and planning at our Primrose Hill practice.
It is stressful when your child needs several treatments but cannot sit through any of them, and an untreated infection makes the situation more urgent. We use dental x-rays to diagnose the full extent of the problem and plan all the necessary care. Our paediatric dentistry in London covers the planning, the referral, and the ongoing care afterwards, from paediatric crowns that protect treated teeth to fluoride treatments and cleanings.
General anaesthesia is the last resort, not the first. Children's care is provided by our dentists, with the practice led by Dr Ope Sodeinde, GDC-registered specialist periodontist (GDC No. 104071), and we decide together whether a hospital referral is needed or whether a less invasive option would work. For mild anxiety we offer nitrous oxide for mild anxiety in the practice. More complex needs may be met with IV sedation for longer treatments, and The Wand computer-assisted numbing makes injections easier. The consultation gives you an itemised plan for our part of the treatment before anything is finalised.
Leave your number and we will call you back. Nothing is booked until you say so.
Children who need extensive work and cannot have it awake: very young children with many decayed teeth, children with severe dental phobia, and some children with complex medical or additional needs. General anaesthesia removes the distress of repeated difficult appointments and lets the whole course of treatment be completed in one session. You can see how it compares with other children's dental treatments and which option fits.
Our dentists assess each child to decide whether referral is right. We know the idea of anaesthesia is daunting for parents, and we go through the reasons and the alternatives with you at the consultation.
We examine your child, map out the work required, and discuss the risks and benefits with you. We also consider first whether care for anxious children with another method would allow the treatment to be done awake.
If general anaesthesia is the right route, we refer your child to a hospital anaesthetic team with the treatment plan and x-rays. The hospital carries out its own pre-assessment and gives you instructions for the day, including fasting.
The anaesthetic is given and monitored by the hospital's anaesthetic team in a hospital setting, with your child fully asleep and their breathing and circulation continuously monitored.
Because your child is asleep, the planned dental treatment can be completed in a single session, avoiding repeated visits.
Your child wakes and recovers under the hospital team's care before going home the same day in most cases. We see your child afterwards at the practice to check healing and set up prevention so the same problems do not return.
Our preventive services for children include children's dental exams and cleanings, fluoride treatments, and dental hygiene for children and teens at our Primrose Hill practice.
Our clinical team repairs damaged teeth with tooth-coloured composite resin or conservative dental bonding, and uses a diode laser for tongue-tie division.
We give honest options in a calm, unhurried way, and we do not refer a child for general anaesthesia unless the alternatives have been considered with you.
It is provided by a hospital anaesthetic team with a pre-assessment and full monitoring throughout. We only recommend it where the treatment cannot be done safely another way.
All of the extensive treatment is completed in one session, with no memory of it, which avoids repeated distressing appointments. It is especially useful for children who cannot sit still and children with special needs.
Some children need work that cannot be done safely or precisely while they are awake, even with sedation. Referral avoids distress and lets the dentist work properly. A consultation confirms whether your child is a candidate.
Our assessment and planning fees are itemised at the clinical assessment. The hospital sets out its own charges for the anaesthetic and facilities separately.
Our dentists decide whether your child needs referral for general anaesthesia at a consultation, and give you a written assessment of the work required so you understand its scope before anything proceeds.
Read what happens at your child's dental consultation and how to book to begin.
020 7589 7792
Most children do not need general anaesthesia. In the practice we provide The Wand computer-assisted numbing and nitrous oxide for mild anxiety, and IV sedation for longer treatments. Our dentists decide the right approach at the initial consultation.
After the assessment you receive a written plan and an itemised quote for your child's treatment, which is yours to keep. Arrange your assessment with the team to plan the next steps for your child.
020 7589 7792
Real, verified Google reviews from patients of London Dental Specialists.
Your details are used to arrange your appointment and for nothing else.
111 Regent's Park Road, Primrose Hill, London NW1 8UR
Use our contact page if you would rather ask something than book.
