Experienced Children’s Dentistry Team

At Quality Dental @ Newton we understand that taking your child to the dentist can be a traumatic experience for you and your child. That’s why we take the time and extra care to be extra sensitive to you and your child’s anxiety.

We provide all dental services for children including examinations, gentle cleans and fillings.

We recommend that a child begin visiting the dentist at around 18 months of age. Examination & assessment at a very early age can help identify the potential development of dental & orthodontic problems, making their management easier & more effective.

We can help you to instill good oral hygiene habits in your children and maintain a regular schedule of dental visits as they grow up. Children who have adapted good oral health practices at a young age are more likely to maintain such practices later in life.

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Children's Dentistry Adelaide

What’s involved in your child’s dental appointment?

We like to see children in our office at approximately 3 years old. On your child’s first visit to Quality Dental @ Newton, they will meet with the dentist, one of our dental hygienists, or an oral therapist, (who has university training on treating kids).  We make sure it is a fun adventure for them, to keep them calm and happy in a new environment.

Your child may not sit in the chair on their first visit and that is OK. They may feel more secure on your lap where we count their teeth together. Some children bring a teddy to join them, to ensure your child has a positive association with the dentist and hygienist, especially on their first visit.

During their first appointment, we will be looking at the health of their gums, to make sure their teeth are coming through in the correct position. We will also look and monitor their jaw and facial bones growth and development as this can indicate possible crowding of teeth, which may indicate the potential needs of orthodontic treatment in the future.

We will also discuss sleep patterns, diet habits, and begin educating your child about ways to maintain and keep their smile healthy and clean for life.

It is recommended that your child should have their first set of x-rays to show between their teeth when the contacts between the baby teeth close, this is a hidden area where plaque collects and decay may start.

Caring for your child’s teeth

We believe that, the health of your child’s teeth is a team effort between Quality Dental @ Newton and what happens at home. A large part of their dental health involves actively encouraging positive dental habits at home. We understand that depending on their age this can be challenging; hence we will have a very detailed conversation with you at the end of the appointment, to guide you and give you tools so dental hygiene does not become a home battle.

We recommend teaching the importance of brushing twice a day, after breakfast, and before going to bed, also introducing flossing as soon as their teeth develop closely together this can happen at any age, (most of the time it occurs between the ages of 2 and 6). We advise a diet low in sugar and fizzy drinks as well reducing the amount of snacking during the day.

When your child is around 2 years old, you can begin using a “pea” size amount of children’s toothpaste when brushing their teeth, and when the gaps between your child’s teeth close, it is important to start flossing.

Serve as a good role model by practising good oral health care habits yourself and schedule frequent dental check-ups for your family. Remember that the bacteria which cause dental decay can be transmitted between family members so make sure everyone attends their appointment to prevent decay spreading through the family, and don’t share toothbrushes.

Check your child’s mouth regularly for signs of swollen, bleeding or reddened gums.

If your child has orthodontic braces, food and bacteria can become trapped a lot more easily, this may increase their risk of decay, and they will need to be especially thorough when cleaning. It is important that your child still see our hygienist every 3 months while they are undergoing orthodontic treatment to help maintain good oral hygiene and prevent decay during this time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Children’s Dentistry in Adelaide

We feel that it is best to start early to get them used to the dental environment, as well as learning the best methods to maintain their oral health & to create good habits from a young age. So we feel anytime from 2 years old or on wards.

The Child Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a Medicare organized benefits program that provides a maximum of $1,000 every two calendar years to help cover a variety of dental services for eligible children.

The two-year period begins once your child receives their first CDBS dental service. Any remaining amount after the first treatment can be used throughout the two-year period provided your child remains eligible.

You can apply for another two-year calendar period if your child remains eligible. This will reset the cycle, and you will have another $1,000 in dental benefits for your child to claim over the next two years.

Children between 2-17 years old who also receive at least one of the following benefits are eligible to receive benefits from the CDBS:

  • Family tax benefit part A
  • Carer payment
  • Disability support pension
  • Parenting payment
  • Special benefit
  • Youth allowance

Eligibility can be checked by the following options:

Always discuss your child’s treatment plan, cost, and if there are any item restrictions with your dentist before starting any treatment.

A variety of dental services are covered under the CDBS, including:

  • Examinations
  • X-rays
  • Cleaning
  • Fissure sealing
  • Fillings
  • Root canals
  • Extractions

Your first dental visit should be around your child’s first birthday. All dentists recommend something similar to this.

By 1 most of the baby teeth should be out or starting to come out, and having your baby go to the dentist when you go will bring familiarity with the smells, sounds, and process over time, to make their first real experience at the dentist easier.

Baby bottle tooth decay is a pattern of rapid decay associated with prolonged nursing. It happens when a child goes to sleep while breastfeeding and/or bottle-feeding. During sleep, the flow of saliva is reduced and the natural self-cleansing action of the mouth is diminished.

Avoid nursing children to sleep or putting anything other than water in their bedtime bottle. Encourage your child to drink from a cup as they approach their first birthday. He/she should be weaned from the bottle at 12-14 months of age.

Comfort your child, rinse his/her mouth with warm saltwater and apply a cold compress or ice wrapped in a cloth on your child’s face if it is swollen. Do not put heat or aspirin on the sore area, but you may give the child, children’s Panadol for pain. See us as soon as possible.

With contemporary safeguards, such as lead aprons and high-speed film, the amount of radiation received in a dental X-ray examination is extremely small. Even though there is very little risk, pediatric dentists are particularly careful to minimize the exposure of child patients to radiation. In fact, dental X-rays represent a far smaller risk than an undetected and untreated dental problem.

Primary, or “baby,” teeth are important for many reasons. Not only do they help children speak clearly and chew naturally, they also aid in forming a path those permanent teeth can follow when they are ready to erupt. Some of them are necessary until a child is 12 years old or longer.

Pain, infection of the gums and jaws, impairment of general health, and premature loss of teeth are just a few of the problems that can happen when baby teeth are neglected. Also, because tooth decay is really an infection and will spread, decay on baby teeth can cause decay on permanent teeth. Proper care of baby teeth is instrumental in enhancing the health of your child.

The CDBS does not cover the following services:

  • Orthodontic dental work (i.e. Braces or Invisalign)
  • Cosmetic dental work (i.e. Veneers or Dental crowns)
  • Any services occurring in a hospital

If you are unsure of what is or is not covered, always ask your dentist before undergoing any services.

To get dental services under the CDBS, you will need to:

1.   Make an appointment with a dentist of your choice, and notify them that you will be using the CDBS.

2.   Discuss with the dentist the child’s treatment, costs, and if there are any item restrictions before getting any services.

3.   Sign a consent form agreeing to the services and the cost. Your dentist will supply this form.

4.   Have your dentist perform the agreed upon services.

5.   Paying the bill:

If your dentist bulk bill you do not need to do anything, and the dentist will be directly paid from the CDBS. The amount will be deducted accordingly from your CDBS balance.

If your dentist does not bulk bill you must pay the bill and submit a claim.

If you need to submit a claim, you can choose of the following methods:

Firstly you want to use a toothbrush with verified soft bristles & a small brush head. You can find infant toothbrushes in your local chemist & in most supermarkets.

You should get in the habit of doing it once a day at night during bath time.

Start this as soon as teeth come through so your baby gets used to it early on to help create good habits.

The brushing itself should be soft.

Mouth guards are a top priority if your child is playing a sport. Mouth Guards protect the teeth, lips, gum from injury. We can custom fir the mouth guard as well so if you do want one please give us a call.

First of all, remain calm. If possible, find the tooth and hold it by the crown rather than the root.

Replace the tooth in the socket and hold it there with clean gauze or a washcloth. If you can’t put the tooth back in the socket, place the tooth in a clean container with milk and take your child and the glass immediately to the dentist.

The faster you act, the better your chances of saving the tooth.

Sore gums when teeth erupt are part of the normal eruption process in babies. The discomfort is eased for some children by use of a teething biscuit, a piece of toast or a frozen teething ring.

Your pharmacy should also have medications that can be rubbed on the gums to reduce the discomfort. One of the most recommended tooth gels in Adelaide is the “Women’s & Children’s Teething Gel”

Usually, the space between these teeth will close over time, but if you are finding there is no change bring you child in for us to have a look

Four things are necessary for cavities to form —

  • A tooth,
  • Bacteria
  • Sugars or other carbohydrates and

Dental plaque is a thin, sticky, colorless deposit of bacteria that constantly forms on everyone’s teeth.

When you eat, the sugars in your food cause the bacteria in plaque to produce acids that attack the tooth enamel.

With time and repeated acid attacks, the enamel breaks down and a cavity forms.

Diet & oral hygiene are the main drivers of tooth decay. If you do not brush often and eat foods with high sugar contents you will be at more risk.