“See you again in six months.”

For years, that's what many of us expected to hear after a dental check-up.

So it's understandable that parents can wonder whether their child is overdue if another appointment hasn't been booked six months later.

But six months isn't an automatic rule for every child.

How often should children have a check-up?

NICE guidance says the interval between routine dental examinations should be based on an individual's oral health and risk of dental disease.

For patients under 18, the longest recommended recall interval is 12 months.

At the other end of the scale, a dentist can recommend a much shorter interval where there's a greater risk of problems.

So one child might be asked back sooner while another may not need another routine examination for considerably longer.

The important bit is that the interval should reflect the child's needs, rather than everybody automatically receiving the same six-month timetable.

NHS dental treatment for children is free

This is something worth making very clear.

NHS dental treatment is free for anyone under 18, or under 19 and in qualifying full-time education.

That includes NHS dental examinations and NHS treatment considered clinically necessary.

Check who gets free NHS dental treatment

When should the first visit be?

The NHS recommends taking children to the dentist when their first milk teeth appear, so they become familiar with visiting from an early age.

Parents can also start brushing as soon as that first tooth appears.

For babies and young children, the appointment isn't simply about finding cavities.

It gives parents a chance to talk about brushing, fluoride, diet and how to look after teeth as they develop.

Don't wait for toothache

This is perhaps the biggest distinction.

A routine dental appointment and an urgent dental problem aren't the same thing.

If a child develops pain, swelling, trauma or another dental problem, don't think:

“Their check-up isn't due for another four months.”

Contact a dentist for advice.

For urgent dental care when you cannot contact a dentist, NHS 111 can advise on what to do next.

NHS advice on urgent dental care

But what if you can't find an NHS dentist?

That's the part many families are likely to recognise.

Being entitled to NHS dental care doesn't automatically mean there's a practice nearby accepting new NHS patients.

The NHS provides a search service where you can look for dental practices in your area and see the information they have supplied about accepting NHS patients.

It's still worth contacting practices directly because availability can change.

Find an NHS dentist

The question to ask at the appointment

Instead of assuming the next check-up should be in six months, ask:

“When should my child come back — and why?”

If it's three months, six months, nine months or a year, you then know the interval has been chosen for that child.

And put the date or reminder in your phone before leaving.

Because remembering something a dentist told you eight months ago while simultaneously trying to get a child, coat and school bag out of the building is perhaps expecting too much of anybody.