Dental Therapist

At Smile Style Dental, we believe that visiting the dentist from an early age allows children to build the confidence to tolerate dental treatment, and to become responsible for their own dental health into adulthood.

When a child is seen at a young age, it gives us the chance to educate them about the importance of a healthy diet and good oral hygiene habits, and these measures often prevent future dental problems from occurring. For this reason, we recommend parents introduce their child to professional dental care from as young as 12 months of age. These appointments may involve simply sitting on a parent’s lap in our dental chair or having the baby teeth counted and polished with a soft brush.

Although the baby (or primary) teeth are only present during childhood, they play an important role in the development of your child’s smile and long-term oral health. Early loss of baby teeth due to tooth decay can lead to teeth shifting and crowding, thereby increasing the need for future orthodontic treatment.

Our aim is to introduce a positive dental experience to our young patients in a fun way, so they feel safe, comfortable and special. This gentle process of familiarisation allows your child to visit us with minimal anxiety, and will help your child develop a good understanding about the benefits of preventative dental care.

At Smile Style Dental we are very fortunate to have two passionate and dedicated Oral Health Therapists (OHTs), who will build rapport and trust with your child. They utilise the latest advances in dentistry, including low-radiation digital radiographs and the minimally invasive air abrasion technique, to help optimize the oral health of your child.

Mouthguards

Our general advice is that anyone engaged in sports should adopt a “No mouthguard no play” policy. For best protection, a well fitting mouthguard made by a dentist from models of your teeth, should be worn. Mouthguards are made of a rubber material and fit over your teeth and gums and there are 3 main types:

1. Custom Fitted

These offer the best comfort, fit and protection

They are more expensive than the other types

They are made by a dental technicain to an exact mould taken by your dentist

They may be made in various colours with pictures and writing in some designs

In growing children these may need to be replaced regularly

2. Non-Mouldable

These do not provide enough protection

They are a cheap alternative to custom made mouthguard if wearing braces until brace treatment finished

They are usually larger than boil and bite types to allow for different jaw sizes

They are used straight from the packet and do not require moulding

3. Boil & Bite

These are NOT recommended as they do not provide enough protection

Standard types are sold in sports shops and on the internet

They must be placed in hot water to make soft then moulded to your mouth

They represent many different styles ranging in price

Fissure Sealants

The chewing surfaces of the molar and premolar teeth have grooves – “fissures” — that make them susceptible to decay. These fissures can be deep, and are narrower than a single toothbrush bristle, making them very difficult to clean. When plaque accumulates in these grooves, the acid from bacteria in the plaque attacks the enamel, forming a cavity.

Dental sealants provide extra protection against decay in teeth by providing a smooth surface covering over the fissures. They are a minimally-invasive procedure, do not require the administration of local anaesthetic (ie. are “needle-free”), and you are able to eat straight afterwards and resume your normal daily activities.

The material used to seal the fissures is biocompatible and tooth coloured, so they are also aesthetically very pleasing.

Orthodontics

Orthodontics can be done at any age including during adulthood, but it is often much easier when children are young. So as not to miss the opportunity to begin treatment at the right time, the earlier we see your child the better, preferably before the age of 7 years. This allows us to pick up any problems that may be impacting on your child’s dental development and facial growth, and often involves referral to allied health professionals such our speech pathologist or ENT surgeon for an assessment.

At Smile Style Dental, we believe that early orthodontic intervention can reduce the need for braces, or at the very least, make braces treatment simpler, faster and less costly, due to the adult teeth being in better alignment following the early intervention treatment.

Using our early intervention technique, we can usually avoid the extraction of healthy adult teeth that often accompanies the use of traditional braces.

Extraction of teeth can result in a narrower smile, as the teeth are retracted backwards into the excess space that is created by the extractions. Our treatment aims to increase space in the arches, thereby improving the balance and aesthetic harmony between the teeth, jaws and face. This typically leads to a broader and more attractive smile, and is achieved, in most cases, by expansion of the upper and lower arches using removable orthodontic appliances.

If you are interested in considering an alternative to braces, or are keen to start your child’s orthodontic treatment before they start high school, contact us for an ORTHODONTIC CONSULTATION.

Child Dental Benefits Schedule

Eligibility basics for CDBS

  1. Aged between 2 and 17 years on any one day of the calendar year
  2. Getting certain government benefits such as Family Tax Benefit Part A for at least part of the calendar year
  3. Eligible for Medicare

For more information about the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) click on the link below.

Child Dental Benefits Schedule Government Link

Childhood is one of the most important times for achieving and maintaining oral health. Healthy teeth and gums throughout childhood can lead to long-term health in adulthood. At Smile Style, we are big believers in preventive dentistry, including seeing your children every six months for a check-up to ensure that their oral health is in optimal condition.

To ensure your child receives the dental treatment they need when they need it, the federal government has introduced The Child Dental Benefits Schedule.

This is a dental benefits program for eligible children aged 2-17 years, whose family is currently receiving a government payment such as Family Tax Benefit Part A. It provides up to $1,000 in benefits over two consecutive years and contributes towards the costs of the most commonly required general dental services, including examinations, x-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing and fillings, plus other treatments.

Eligibility commences on 1 January each year and lasts the entire calendar year.

For more comprehensive information and to check your eligibility, schedule an appointment with the team at Smile Style and put your child on the path to a healthy and happy smile for life.

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule is a terrific initiative by the government to ensure each and every child has an opportunity to maintain good oral health. We embrace this initiative and recommend you do too.

Smile Style Dental does bulk bill all services provided under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.