There’s no more satisfying part to my job than associating families in the local area, and it is a high honour to become someone’s ‘family dentist’. As a father myself to a now busy 4 ½ year old boy I have an idea of the challenges, especially when it comes to his teeth (trust me, it doesn’t count that I’m a dentist).

I’m asked often about the right age to start to bring kids to the dentist.  The correct answer is – when they have teeth to check.  Really anywhere from 2 onwards.  By then, usually most of the baby teeth are through.  Don’t let this stop you from ‘lifting the lip’ earlier to check for discolouring or chalky enamel.   Bringing your little ones along just to watch Mum and Dad is an excellent idea.  Our practice has toys and very accommodating kid-friendly staff.  Especially for first visits, the appointment is very introductory in nature.

Amongst the things we check for in kids are normal jaw and teeth development, the effect of habits (thumbs and dummies), issues with ‘mouth breathing’, diet and decay, oral hygiene, injuries, speech, orthodontic needs and the list goes on.   Early intervention and preventative treatments like professional cleaning, fissure sealants and sports mouthguards count for a lot in the long run, as does tailored oral hygiene and dietary advise.

At Dental on Metro, kid’s check-ups are gap-free to the age of 16 years for all health insurance customers.   We are also bulk billing on the new Medicare Child Dental Benefits Scheme (eligible kids get $1000 of coverage on this scheme).