Children’s Dentistry at Officer Dental Care
The Officer Dental Care team believe in providing gentle and caring dental treatment to patients of all ages, especially when it comes to children.
We love assisting children from the very beginning of their oral health care journey to ensure they achieve and maintain beautiful smiles and healthy mouths.
Our friendly team are also passionate about providing a vibrant and friendly atmosphere for young patients, ensuring that they will love coming to visit the dentist.
We do this through offering free rides in the chair, brushing lessons, and goodie bags with oral health care gifts.
Dental Care You Can Trust
Just some of the gentle and helpful dental services we provide for your children include:
- General checkups
- Preventative care (including fluoride treatments in flavours your kids will love)
- Emergency care
- Assessment of jaw malocclusion
- Assessment and identification of teeth grinding
- Assessment of development of teeth
- Assessment of thumb sucking/tongue thrust and mouth breathing
- Early intervention orthodontic treatment
- Custom designed mouth guards (available in a variety of styles to keep their teeth protected whilst playing sport)
Creating Healthy Teeth and Gums for Little Ones
Looking after your child’s teeth from an early age is very important for their future health and wellbeing. Developing healthy habits from a young age also helps to prevent them from having extensive dental work as adults.
Our professional dentists recommend that you bring your child into our practice for their first dental checkup as soon as their baby teeth begin to emerge (usually between 6 and 18 months). At your child’s first visit we will be checking your child’s teeth, gums and development patterns. We will also educate you and your child on brushing, flossing and healthy food for healthy teeth (but promise to make it fun!).
Additionally, it’s always a good idea to bring your young child along to either your own appointments or those for their siblings, as this allows them to familiarise themselves with our practice, team, and the various equipment we use, helping to alleviate dental anxiety down the track.
Kinder with Kerry Workshops
Officer Dental Care run regular workshops at schools and childcare centres to educate children on the importance of good oral heath habits. Learn more >
FAQ
A pediatric dentist focuses exclusively on children’s dental needs, including baby teeth and mixed dentition. They receive specialized training and have experience with kids. In contrast, a general dentist treats patients of all ages
Pediatric dentists perform surgeries that include implants, tooth extractions, gum surgery, and tissue grafts. If your child has been recommended for oral surgery, and the surgery required is not a common surgery done by your pediatric dentist, they will refer you to an oral surgeon.
Although there is no exact age when a child should get braces, it is recommended that children visit an orthodontist for the first time no later than age seven. Corrective treatment like braces is one way of ensuring proper alignment and straightening of permanent teeth when they start erupting. However, the time when permanent teeth start erupting is when it is considered ideal to be going in for corrective treatment like braces. If one is considering braces for their children, it is best to go in for advice from an orthodontist as early as possible and do the necessary checks and detect any abnormalities. Some habit-breaking braces are given as young as four years to help the jaw grow better.
The first dental visit is recommended by 12 months of age, or within 6 months of the first tooth coming in. The first visit often lasts 30 to 45 minutes. Depending on your child’s age, the visit may include a full exam of the teeth, jaws, bite, gums, and oral tissues to check growth and development.
Wisdom tooth removal techniques include simple extractions for fully erupted teeth and surgical extractions for impacted teeth, typically performed under local anesthesia with sedation to minimize discomfort and anxiety.Things to keep in mind:
- You shouldn’t feel any pain during the procedure due to the anesthesia. If you do experience discomfort, let your dentist know right away.
- The entire procedure can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on the complexity of the extraction. It’s normal to experience some swelling, discomfort, and bleeding after the procedure.
- Your dentist will provide you with specific instructions on post-operative care, including pain medication and how to manage swelling. If you’re considering wisdom teeth removal, consulting with your dentist or oral surgeon is the best course of action. They can assess your individual situation, explain the specific techniques they might use, and answer any questions you may have.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
Depending on your health insurance policy, we can often bulk-bill children’s checkup appointments on-the-spot. Additionally, your child may be eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, which provides financial support of up to $1000 for basic dental services for children between 2 and 17 years of age.
If you’re unsure whether your child is eligible, please get in touch, as we can look this up for you. To schedule an appointment for your child, please call 03 8608 7974 today!