Services

The initial comprehensive examination involves a complete assessment of relevant medical and dietary history, along with any history of dental trauma. This assessment may include radiographs (x-rays) and intraoral photo records.

Radiographs or x-rays are used for different purposes in diagnosing dental or dentally related conditions. We take the exposure of low-dose digital radiographs seriously and only use when absolutely required.  Parental consent is always required prior to any x-rays being taken.

We are all about preventive care! We encourage excellent oral hygiene and work closely with our patients and their families to set up effective, fun, and personalised home dental care routines.  We also offer great advice about products, technique modifications and maintenance schedules.

We recommend reviews every 6 months to reduce dental decay and monitor growth and development of teeth and jaws.

Preventive care services involve;

• Prophylactic polishing and plaque removal
• Removal of calculus as necessary and topical fluoride application

Our priority is the safety, strength and longevity of each restoration.

Where possible, we use composite resin, which is a highly aesthetic tooth coloured filling material.  Composite resin is, however, not ideal for every tooth or cavity as they work best as small fillings in low stress areas.

A stainless steel crown is recommended when the natural tooth surface has been significantly broken down by decay, malformation or injury.  In these situations a normal resin filling is not strong enough to support the remaining tooth structure. They are also used whenever a tooth has undergone a pulpotomy or nerve treatment.  Stainless steel crowns are the gold standard in paediatric dental restorations for strength and durability as they act to protect the entire tooth from future breakdown.

Extensive decay may be deep enough reach the nerve or pulp chamber of a tooth and this often causes pain. To save the tooth a pulpotomy may be recommended. A pulpotomy is a procedure that involves removing the inflamed part of the nerve inside a tooth to prevent the formation of an abscess. A medicated dressing is placed over the remaining nerve and the tooth is then restored with a stainless steel crown. 

A tooth will require extraction where extensive decay or infection has rendered it unrestorable, or as the result of trauma.

Space maintainers may be necessary when a primary tooth (baby tooth) has been lost prematurely. A space maintainer is a small stainless steel ring or loop attached to a tooth adjacent to a missing tooth.  It functions to hold open the space and avoid shifting of the neigbouring teeth until the permanent tooth erupts.

We offer nitrous oxide (happy gas) sedation in our rooms which is a safe means of reducing pain and anxiety during dental treatment. Your child will still be aware of what is happening around them but will feel more relaxed, comfortable, dreamy and floaty and treatment can be carried out in the usual manner..  Children usually recover quickly from the effects of the gas and may not be able to remember the procedure.  Our paediatric dentists will offer nitrous oxide if they feel it is suitable and beneficial for your child.

Most commonly, general anaesthesia is required when a child is very young, very fearful, requires a large amount of dental treatment or has special health care needs or circumstances that will not allow them to tolerate multiple visits of treatment performed in the chair.

General anaesthesia is never suggested without due consideration, however it is always our goal to provide safe, high quality care and a non-traumatic experience for our young patients.  Sometimes, this is only possible through the use of general anaesthesia.  The anaesthetists we work with have a wealth of paediatric experience and they have been a part of our team for over 10 years.