We are passionate about giving your child the best chance of having healthy teeth for life. We carefully examine your child’s individual risk factors and recommend a tailored approach to preventing future dental disease. We are able to offer preventive advice in regards to oral hygiene, diet and fluoride use, as well as providing preventive and protective treatments including fissure sealants, remineralisation therapy and mouthguards.

The Australasian Academy of Paediatric Dentistry recommends children have their first dental visit at one year of age. Our Specialist Paediatric Dentists are specifically trained to provide comprehensive dental care for your child from infancy right through to adulthood, in an environment that is child-focused and friendly.

FAQs

Why are baby teeth important?

Maintaining healthy Primary dentition is more important than just aesthetics, speech and function.  The primary teeth are strategically important in guiding the permanent teeth into the correct position.  When primary teeth are lost due to advanced tooth decay, space maintenance is often considered.  This involves the placement of passive orthodontic appliances (space maintainer) to assist in guiding the adult teeth as they erupt.  Preventing severe crowding due to early tooth loss is a common part of Specialist Paediatric Dentistry.

Why treat tooth decay in baby teeth?

Restoring your child’s Primary Dentition is important for a number of reasons. Untreated tooth decay will progressively get worse and ultimately result in pain and infection (dental abscess).  This in turn can affect the development and position of the growing adult tooth.  Untreated tooth decay and space loss from the extraction of primary teeth can result in dental crowding and significant future orthodontic problems.  The presence of untreated tooth decay results in higher bacterial counts within the mouth that also leads to a high risk of recurrent decay of adjacent teeth and future permanent teeth.  Treating dental decay in primary teeth in combination with a customised preventive approach will have positive long term effects on your child’s dental health.

Why do I need a mouthguard?

Sporting accidents are one of the most common causes of dental injury.  These dental injuries may include fractured, displaced or knocked out teeth and broken jaws.  Wearing a custom-fitted mouthguard helps to absorb and spread the impact of a blow to your face, which might otherwise result in an injury to your mouth or jaw.

Which type of mouthguard should I wear?

We strongly recommend wearing a custom-fitted mouthguard to ensure maximum protection. These mouthguards are well-fitted, comfortable and will not fall out.  They will also allow you to speak clearly, and will not restrict your breathing.

Over-the-counter (boil and bite) mouthguards are far less effective than those that are custom fitted.  They may be indicated when children are wearing orthodontic appliances.  Please clarify with your paediatric dentist, which mouthguard is suitable for your child.

What are fissure sealants?

Fissure sealants are a preventive form of dental treatment.  The technique involves the placement of a low viscosity filling material that is applied to the fissures (grooves) which are regarded as potential high risk surfaces for dental caries.

This technique is non-invasive and does not require any drilling of the tooth or administration of local anaesthesia.  They are commonly applied to permanent molars which have deep fissures, early signs of demineralisation, staining or plaque retention.