Children’s Dentistry

1. Prevention by long term mentoring and instruction in dental health that is tailored to the patient’s age.
2. Encouragement for our patients as they become more mature and assume greater responsibility for their own dental health, without reminders from parents.
3. Care that is tailored to children’s need while maintaining the highest standard of clinical care.

Healthy primary teeth allow normal development of the jaw bones and muscles. They save space for the permanent teeth and guide them into place. If a baby tooth is lost too soon, permanent teeth may come in crooked. It’s important to remember, some primary molars are not replaced until age 10-14, so they must last for years.

Decayed baby teeth will often cause pain and infections that can spread to the permanent teeth. Teeth are connected to the health of the entire body which means your child’s general health can be affected if diseased baby teeth aren’t treated.

We would prefer to start seeing patients as young as two years old. This enables us to check for early signs of disorders, to advise parents on dental health and to establish good preventive habits at an early stage. For very young patients all that may be involved is a quick check and a ride in the chair to build familiarity. We also have a play area for younger children to enjoy on family visits.

• Regular maintenance visits to the Dentist – if there is decay we like to find it while it’s early.
• Supervise under-sevens with tooth brushing. If they want to do it themselves, let them, but still do a final brush for them when they’ve finished.
• Brush with fluoride toothpaste twice a day. Children over six can use an adult-strength formula.
• Don’t rinse with water after brushing – just spit.
• Only give juice or fizzy drinks with meals or snacks. Stick to milk or water at other times.
• Use a straw for sweet drinks. Drink as quickly as possible, rather than sipping them over a long period.
• Maintain a low sugar diet – don’t feed the bacteria.

The Government has announced that the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) will continue for 2017 and we look forward to continue to offer care under this initiative.

The CDBS provides access to government rebates for basic dental services to children aged 2-17 years. The total benefit entitlement is capped at $700 per child, over a two calendar year period. Children can access a range of services including examinations, x-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals and extractions.

The maximum benefit available to each eligible child has been reduced from $1000 to $700 over a two year period. However, any child who commenced treatment during 2016 will have access to the full original cap amount through the current two-year period. Benefits are not available for orthodontic or cosmetic dental work.

The CDBS is means tested, which requires receipt of Family Tax Benefit Part A (FTB-A) or a relevant Australian Government payment. Medicare sends out a letter to eligible families, however our friendly reception staff can call Medicare to check for eligibility if you are unsure. If your child is eligible, you are required to fill out a form on arrival and to bring your Medicare card. Payment will need to be made on the day, though you can take your receipt to the closest Medicare office or make you claim online and receive a full refund.

We believe that everyone deserves high quality dental care, so we do not charge further fees.