The NHS recommends taking your child to the dentist before their first birthday, or when their first teeth come through. The WHO says the same.
The GHA waiting list, however, has its own timeline. Children are often not called until they are three or four. Sometimes six. Which is fine, except it is not, because by then you have spent years crossing your fingers about a lot of tiny new teeth and absolutely no professional involvement.
If you have not heard from the GHA by the time your child turns four, it's worth contacting them directly.
When I rang to ask about getting my child seen sooner, the conversation was about as productive as explaining the concept of urgency to a traffic cone. An angry traffic cone, at that.
So. Private it is.
What does private actually cost?
A first appointment for a young child usually runs between £20 and £30. For what it is, that is manageable for most families, and worth doing early rather than waiting for a problem to introduce itself.
Where to go
A few names that come up consistently in Gibraltar parent circles:
Natalie at Earle Dental Clinic
Elizabeth at New Smile Dental Clinic
But the name that comes up time and time again, and has clearly earned a reputation among local parents, is Amy Mesilio at Midtown Dental / CityMed Gibraltar. You can find her on Instagram at @smileinmesilio.
Also worth knowing: across the border
If you are open to nipping into Spain, Lineadent in La Linea (near the Lidl, by the crematorium, which is a sentence I did not expect to write today) has been recommended. The dentist specialises in children and is reportedly very good, with prices that reflect it.
A note on why this matters
The GHA has seen multiple cases of children as young as five requiring up to eight teeth removed due to decay. Eight. Teeth. Before they have started school properly.
That is not a criticism of individual dentists working within the system, but it is an argument for not relying on the system to catch things early, when you have the option not to.
If your child is in pain
Do not wait for anything. Call 200 07809 or head to the GHA directly.
And make sure your GHA card is up to date, because that is always the thing nobody checks until they are standing at a reception desk.
Have you had a good or bad experience with a dentist in Gibraltar?
Tell us and help other parents find someone decent, or avoid someone they should not.