Specialist Paediatric Dentist London
Expert children's dental care for families across London
Comprehensive, advanced and compassionate paediatric dental care for children from across London with Dr Saroj Prajapati - an extensively experienced paediatric dentist and former Specialty Paediatric Dentist at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
18+ years
providing dental care for children
Great Ormond Street
previous paediatric dental role
Advanced care
sedation & complex treatment
Child-centred
anxiety & additional needs
Paediatric dentistry is about much more than treating small teeth
Children deserve a different approach
Every child deserves dental care that takes account of their age, development, confidence, medical history and individual needs.
Based at Dulwich Dental Office in East Dulwich and welcoming families from across London, our paediatric dental service has been developed for children who may require additional time, expertise or a different approach to treatment – whether because they are very young, anxious about dentistry, have complex dental needs, have additional or special needs, or have previously found dental treatment difficult.
Our paediatric service is led by Dr Saroj Prajapati, BDS, MClinDent (Paeds), MFDS RCS Ed, a highly experienced paediatric dentist with more than 18 years of providing holistic dental care for children.
The service covers the full spectrum of children’s dentistry: routine examinations and prevention, treatment of dental decay and fillings, crowns, pulp therapy, extractions and dental trauma, through to MIH, anxiety management, children with additional needs and treatment under sedation where appropriate.
Although our practice is located in East Dulwich, this is designed as a London-wide paediatric dental service. Families are welcome to attend from anywhere in London, particularly when they are looking for a clinician with extensive experience focused on children or when their child has found routine dental care difficult elsewhere.
A particularly important part of Dr Saroj’s clinical background is her previous position as a Specialty Paediatric Dentist at the world-renowned Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where her work involved providing dental care for medically complex children and children with a wide range of additional needs, liaising with numerous other medical specialties.
Our aim isn’t simply to complete a procedure.
We want to understand the child, the problem and the most appropriate way to deliver treatment while helping them develop confidence in dental care.
When can paediatric-focused care help?
- Children who are frightened or extremely anxious about dental treatment
- Children who have previously been unable to complete treatment
- Complex decay or multiple treatment needs
- Dental injuries and trauma
- Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation (MIH)
- Pulp treatment or children’s crowns
- Children who may require sedation
- Autism, ADHD, sensory sensitivities or other additional needs
- Underlying or complex medical conditions
- Children needing time to acclimatise to the dental environment
- Parents seeking a second opinion about a complicated dental problem
Dr Saroj Prajapati
Paediatric/Childrens Dentist (Practice Limited to Children Only)
BDS, MClinDent (Paeds), MFDS RCSEd
Saroj is an experienced paediatric dentist with over 18 years of experience providing compassionate and holistic dental care for children.
She has a particular interest in helping anxious children feel comfortable and confident at the dentist. Her gentle and patient approach allows her to build trust with young patients, including children with additional needs, neurodivergent children and those who may find dental treatment particularly challenging.
Saroj completed her Master’s in Paediatric Dentistry (MClinDent) at the University of Sheffield and subsequently gained Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (MFDS RCS Ed).
Her extensive experience includes working in Special Care Dentistry at King’s College Hospital and as a Speciality Paediatric Dentist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, where she worked alongside medical teams in the dental management of children with complex medical conditions, special needs and more challenging treatment requirements.
Saroj provides a wide range of paediatric dental care, including treatment for anxious children and, where appropriate, treatment under conscious sedation. She is also experienced in adapting dental care for neurodivergent children using bespoke techniques and aids to make their visits as comfortable and positive as possible.
Alongside her clinical work, Saroj is passionate about improving children’s oral health within the wider community. She has volunteered with Dentaid, provided oral-health education to local nurseries through her Teeth-Talks© programme, and founded a not-for-profit initiative providing free dental care for children with disabilities in Mumbai, India.
Outside dentistry, Saroj enjoys basketball, badminton, table tennis and scuba diving and is a PADI-certified open-water diver.
Complete children's dental care - from everyday fillings to complex treatment
Comprehensive paediatric care
Our paediatric service is not only for unusual or highly complex cases. We provide comprehensive care for common childhood dental problems as well as advanced treatment, anxiety management, trauma care, additional needs and sedation where appropriate.
Dental decay & tooth-coloured fillings
Assessment and treatment of caries in baby and permanent teeth, including tooth-coloured composite restorations where appropriate. We also look at why decay has developed and how the risk of further cavities can be reduced.
Check-ups & prevention
Age-appropriate examinations, prevention, brushing and dietary advice, fluoride guidance and monitoring of the developing dentition – helping problems to be identified as early as possible.
Anxious children
Gentle, patient appointments for children who are worried about dentistry or have struggled with treatment before, using acclimatisation and behaviour-management techniques to build confidence.
Additional & special needs
Individualised care for neurodivergent children and children with additional, sensory, behavioural or medical needs, including bespoke aids and gradual acclimatisation where appropriate.
Paediatric sedation
Assessment for inhalation or intravenous sedation in appropriate cases when necessary treatment cannot comfortably be completed with behavioural techniques alone.
Dental trauma
Assessment and management following accidents involving baby or permanent teeth, including chipped, fractured, displaced and traumatised teeth and pulp involvement.
MIH & enamel defects
Management of Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation and affected enamel, including microabrasion, ICON and composite bonding where clinically appropriate.
Children’s crowns
Stainless-steel crowns using Hall or conventional techniques, together with white Ceramir crown options for appropriate teeth and cases.
Pulpotomy & pulpectomy
Pulp therapy for selected baby teeth affected by deep decay or trauma, with the aim of managing infection, relieving symptoms and preserving an appropriate tooth where clinically indicated.
Children’s extractions
Careful assessment and extraction of teeth when they cannot or should not be restored, with particular attention to the child’s comfort, anxiety and developing dentition.
Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF)
A minimally invasive option that may be used to help arrest decay in carefully selected teeth and children when clinically appropriate, with the benefits and colour change explained beforehand.
Myobrace & oral habits
Assessment of selected children during growth, including concerns such as mouth breathing, thumb sucking and grinding, with Myobrace or myofunctional approaches considered where appropriate.
Helping anxious children feel comfortable at the dentist
Anxiety & confidence
Dental anxiety in children is extremely common. Sometimes there is an obvious reason: a child may previously have experienced toothache, an emergency appointment or a difficult dental procedure. For others, simply entering an unfamiliar clinical environment can be overwhelming.
Our approach is deliberately child-centred. We allow children time to become familiar with us and with the dental environment wherever clinically appropriate. Treatment can be introduced gradually, and explanations are adapted to the child's age and individual needs.
The aim is to build trust rather than simply demand cooperation.
A frightened toddler or anxious school-age child does not have to remain a nervous dental patient for life. Positive experiences, patience and appropriate behavioural techniques can gradually help a child become increasingly confident about receiving care.
Has your child previously refused dental treatment?
That does not necessarily mean treatment is impossible. There may be several options depending on their age, anxiety, treatment required and individual circumstances.
The initial appointment may be about meeting your child, understanding what has happened previously and developing an appropriate plan - not forcing treatment on day one.
Paediatric dentistry for children with special and additional needs
Additional needs
Finding appropriate dental care can be particularly challenging for parents of children with additional needs. A conventional appointment may be difficult for a child with sensory sensitivities, communication difficulties, anxiety around unfamiliar environments or difficulty tolerating examination or treatment.
Dr Saroj's background includes Special Care Dentistry at King's College Hospital and the treatment of children with special needs and complex medical care during her time at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Her current clinical work also includes supporting neurodivergent children using bespoke aids and techniques. Where appropriate, visits may concentrate initially on acclimatisation rather than attempting extensive treatment immediately.
Small achievements matter: sitting in the dental chair, becoming familiar with instruments, allowing an examination or gradually tolerating different stages of treatment can all form part of a longer-term plan.
When reassurance alone isn't enough
Sedation
Some children remain unable to tolerate necessary dental treatment despite careful behavioural management. In appropriate circumstances, sedation may be considered.
Dr Saroj's paediatric service includes sedation for a range of paediatric dental procedures, and her professional development includes formal sedation training. Her referral portfolio includes inhalation and intravenous sedation for appropriate cases.
Depending upon clinical assessment and suitability, sedation can potentially assist with restorative treatment, extractions, pulp treatment and other necessary procedures. It may also be valuable for selected children with additional needs.
Sedation is not automatically required simply because a child is nervous. Every child is assessed individually and parents are given an explanation of the appropriate options, alternatives, benefits and limitations.
Worried about your child's teeth?
Whether the problem is anxiety, decay, pain, trauma, MIH, additional needs or difficulty completing treatment elsewhere, the first step is a careful paediatric assessment.
Advanced children's dental care explained
Specific conditions & treatments
Dental decay and fillings for children
Dental caries is one of the most common reasons children need treatment. Decay can affect both baby teeth and newly erupted permanent teeth, and treatment should take account of much more than simply the size of the cavity. We consider the child’s age, symptoms, decay risk, cooperation, how close the decay is to the pulp, the importance and expected lifespan of the tooth, and the stage of the developing dentition.
Where a tooth is restorable, treatment may include a tooth-coloured filling or another restorative approach selected for that particular tooth. For deeper or more extensively broken-down baby teeth, pulp treatment or a crown may sometimes provide a more appropriate solution than a conventional filling. In selected cases a minimally invasive approach such as SDF may also be discussed.
Just as importantly, we want to reduce the chance of another cavity developing. A paediatric appointment therefore considers prevention alongside treatment – including brushing, fluoride exposure, dietary and snacking habits, and an appropriate recall programme.
Routine examinations and preventive paediatric dentistry
Children do not need to have a complex problem to see us. Routine paediatric care provides an opportunity to monitor tooth eruption and development, identify early decay or enamel defects, assess oral hygiene and dietary risk, and help a child become comfortable with dentistry before treatment is ever needed.
Early, positive visits can be especially valuable for younger children. They allow us to introduce the dental environment gradually, reinforce good habits with parents and children, and identify developing concerns at a stage when management may be simpler.
Children’s dental trauma and broken teeth
A fall in the playground, a collision during sport or a bicycle accident can cause a dental injury without warning. Trauma to baby or adult teeth may result in broken or chipped teeth, loose teeth, displaced teeth, knocked-out teeth, damage to the dental pulp or injury to the gums and supporting tissues.
Children with dental trauma require careful assessment because the immediate appearance of the tooth does not always tell the whole story. The appropriate treatment depends on which tooth has been injured, the child’s age, the stage of root development and the nature and extent of the injury. Dr Saroj’s paediatric service includes dental trauma assessment and treatment, including appropriate pulp therapy.
Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation (MIH)
Some children’s adult molars and incisors develop with enamel that is weaker or less well mineralised than normal. This is known as Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation. Affected teeth can appear cream, yellow or brown and may sometimes be extremely sensitive. Cold drinks, tooth brushing or even cold air can become uncomfortable.
Treatment needs to be tailored to the severity of the condition and individual tooth. Dr Saroj’s treatment portfolio includes management of MIH using approaches including microabrasion, ICON and composite bonding, where clinically appropriate. If you notice unusual patches or discolouration on newly erupted adult teeth, or new molars are unusually sensitive, arrange an assessment.
Children’s crowns – including white crown options
When a baby tooth is badly broken down or affected by significant decay, a simple filling is not always the most predictable solution. In selected cases, protecting the remaining tooth with a crown may provide a more durable restoration.
Our paediatric service includes stainless-steel crowns, including Hall and conventional techniques, together with white paediatric crown options for appropriate cases. Dr Saroj will assess the tooth and discuss the different possibilities before recommending treatment.
Pulpotomy and pulpectomy for children
Deep decay or trauma can sometimes reach or irritate the pulp – the living tissue inside a tooth. Simply placing a filling may then be insufficient. Depending on the diagnosis and tooth involved, pulpotomy or pulpectomy may be considered as part of treatment.
The decision to treat or extract a tooth is never made in isolation. The child’s age, symptoms, remaining tooth structure, dental development and long-term prognosis all need to be considered.
Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF)
For certain children and particular types of decay, conventional drilling and filling is not always the only option. Silver Diamine Fluoride is one of the treatments available within Dr Saroj’s paediatric service and can be considered in selected circumstances as part of a minimally invasive strategy.
It is not suitable for every tooth or every child, and an important consideration is that treated decay can become dark in colour. Where SDF may be appropriate, its advantages, limitations and alternatives will be discussed with parents before treatment.
Myobrace and developing oral habits
A child’s developing mouth is influenced not only by teeth but also by oral habits and muscle function. Dr Saroj’s service includes Myobrace treatment for selected children, typically during the years in which the jaws and habits are still developing. Potential signs warranting assessment can include mouth breathing, thumb sucking and grinding.
Not every child showing these behaviours requires treatment, so the first step is appropriate assessment rather than assuming an appliance is necessary.
The best children's dentistry starts before there is a problem
Prevention
Expert paediatric dentistry isn't only about treating difficult problems. The best outcome is preventing many of them from developing in the first place.
We encourage parents to bring children to the dentist from an early age so dental visits become normal rather than something associated with pain. Preventive appointments can include advice on tooth brushing, fluoride, diet and sugar frequency, early decay, dental development, oral habits, thumb sucking, eruption of adult teeth and preventive treatment where appropriate.
Dr Saroj also supports oral-health education in the wider community through her Teeth-Talks© programme and has volunteered providing dental care through Dentaid.
A genuinely child-centred approach
Our philosophy
Parents sometimes arrive apologising because their child is frightened, won't open their mouth or previously couldn't tolerate treatment. There is no need to apologise.
Some children walk straight into the surgery and jump into the chair. Others need considerably more time. The measure of a successful paediatric appointment isn't necessarily how much treatment can be completed that day. Sometimes the most valuable achievement is establishing enough trust that treatment becomes possible later.
We combine clinical experience, patience, prevention, behaviour management, modern paediatric techniques, sedation where appropriate and an understanding of additional needs.
Most importantly, we want children to feel they are participants in their dental care rather than simply having dentistry done to them
Paediatric referrals welcome
For dentists
We welcome paediatric dental referrals from general dental practitioners for children whose treatment may benefit from Dr Saroj’s experience.
- Dental anxiety and difficulty accepting treatment
- Complex restorative needs
- Dental trauma
- MIH
- Pulpotomy or pulpectomy
- Stainless-steel or white paediatric crowns
- Extractions
- Sedation assessment
- Children with additional needs
- Acclimatisation
- Myobrace assessment
A comprehensive paediatric referral service in Dulwich
Dr Saroj's objectives at Dulwich Dental Office include holistic paediatric dental care, sedation, dental trauma pathways, community engagement and paediatric innovation projects.
Referring dentists are welcome to contact the practice to discuss a potential case.
Paediatric dentistry FAQs
Frequently asked questions
We encourage children to become familiar with dentistry from a very early age rather than waiting until they develop toothache. Early visits allow prevention, dietary and brushing advice to begin while helping children become accustomed to the dental environment.
Yes. Anxious children are an important part of paediatric dental care. The initial appointment may concentrate on meeting your child, assessing their needs and deciding upon the most appropriate way forward rather than attempting extensive treatment immediately.
Yes. Dr Saroj has experience treating children with special needs and complex medical needs, including from her previous work at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and her current clinical interests include bespoke approaches for neurodivergent children.
Sedation may be appropriate for selected children who cannot comfortably receive necessary treatment using behavioural techniques alone. Suitability needs to be assessed individually. Dr Saroj’s service includes sedation for a range of paediatric dental treatments.
Yes. Dental trauma forms part of Dr Saroj’s paediatric service. If your child has injured a tooth, contact us promptly on 020 8693 3339.
Yes. We welcome referrals from dentists for children requiring paediatric-focused assessment or treatment.
No. Dulwich Dental Office is our physical location, but our paediatric service welcomes children and families from across London. Parents may choose to travel to see Dr Saroj for her breadth of paediatric experience, including anxiety management, additional needs, dental trauma, sedation assessment and more complex paediatric dental care.
Give your child expert, compassionate dental care
Book a paediatric consultation
Whether your child is nervous about dentistry, has been unable to tolerate treatment elsewhere, has suffered a dental injury, requires treatment for decay or MIH, has additional needs, or simply needs an experienced paediatric dental opinion, our team is here to help.
