When Should We Start Cleaning Our Baby's Teeth?

Start cleaning with a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste when the first tooth appears. CLeaning should be twice a day, with no food or drinks after the night clean

What Toothpaste Should We Use?

Most kids don't like minty (spicy) toothpastes. However, the infant/young children toothpastes in Australia do not have enough fluoride to stop decay. The toothpastes we find most kids accept include; Maclean's Little Teeth and Big Teeth Toothpastes and the Colgate 6+ Toothpastes. For children less than 3 years only use a grain of rice amount and STRICT supervision. DOn;t be worrie if they can's spit, the amount they will swallow will not cause any harm.

When Do Baby Teeth Come Through?

The first baby teeth generally start coming through at 6 months with all 20 teeth there by 2 years. There is a lot of variation, but if you are worried, please call us

When Should My Child Have Their First Check-Up?

Seeing a dentist when the first tooth erupts, or before they turn 1, will reduce the chance your child will need fillings and extraction throughout their life. It may seem quite early but we are going to have heaps to talk to you about!

Does My Child Need A Fluoride Application?

We will talk to you about putting fluroide varnish on your child's teeth. We paint it on with a small brush and it is very safe. Did you know by doing this early it reduces the amount of decay in your child's teeth by 40% (WOW)

Is A Pacifier / Dummy / Thumb or Finger Sucking OK?

Sucking is a basic instinct of infants. The benefits of pacifiers before 2 years of age outweigh any possible risks for children younger than 2. After 2 years of age if your child is still sucking a dummy or their fingers/thumbs this can cause changes in their teeth and jaws. Ideally, we want this to stop before 5 years of age to prevent damage to their permanent teeth

They Are Just Baby Teeth, Won't They Get New Ones Soon?

The importance of baby teeth has been underrated for many years. Your child will have baby teeth in their mouth until they are around 11 or 12 years of age! They help your child talk, eat and smile. They are also VERY IMPORTANT to allow their mouth and jaws to develop properly. We need to make sure that your chhild's teeth are healthy to give them the best chance at having healthy teeth for life!

Do We Need To Floss Teeth?

If your child's teeth are tightly together food and bacteria can get stuck between them. If left for too long, this can result in decay which is hard to treat. By flossing, you are removing the bacteria and food and helping your child have healthy teeth for life

Does My Child Need X-Rays?

X-rays help us to see if their are holes between teeth (50% of all decay occurs between teeth). If we can't see the holes, we can't prevent them from getting worse. If a child has had cavities recently, or if there are no spaces between the teeth to check them directly, the dentist may recommend x-rays as frequently as every 6 months. There are other factors that may influence the decision to take x-rays. If a child has had fillings in the past, we may need to x-ray to follow-up on them. If other children in the family have cavities it is more likely we need x-rays to check for cavities in all children. X-rays are very safe and we have the most modern technology to reduce the amount of radiation. It is similar to spending a few minutes outside in the sun!

I Was Told My Child Needs a Filling. Is This Really Necessary?

When a tooth has a cavity, it is unable to be cleaned and will get worse. Eventually it will result in lots of pain and possibly severe infections. When you have a filling, it removes the bacteria and fills the hole. This will help your child keep their tooth until it needs to fall out.

But I Hate Getting Fillings, Won't It Be Bad For My Child?

Any dentist can do a filling, but we need to make sure your child has a positive experience of the dentist. Nowdays we are much better at making a denta visit enjoyable and something that your child can view positively. We have spent many extra years on behaviour management so we can make your child's dental visit the best it can be

My Child Needs A General Anaesthetic To Have Their Teeth Fixed. Is This Safe?

Australia has some of the safest hospitals in the world. We also have excellent medical and dental professionals and would not do a procedure on your child that has a high risk of a major complication. Modern medicine is amazing and if your child needs a general anaesthetic to have their teeth fixed, we will talk to you about the risks of the procedure and how we can make it as safe as possible. We will assess each child for the safety of the procedure. We have had several years of extra-training when treating children that are under general anaesthetic. This means we provide the most successful treatment and are very efficient at this to make sure they are 'under' for the least amount of time. If you have any questions about this surgery, please call us