FAQs

The Australasian, American and International Academies of Paediatric Dentistry recommend a child's first dental visit should be conducted within 6 months of the eruption of the first tooth and no later than 1 year of age. At this visit, parents will be provided with anticipatory guidance regarding their child's oral health.

Seeing the dentist at an early age will help create a positive experience at the dentist. Waiting until a child has a dental problem before visiting the dentist may result in the requirement of extensive dental treatment and increased anxiety around dental visits.

It’s a good habit to clean teeth twice a day throughout life. We will make personalised recommendations of toothpaste based on your child’s age, development, risk factors and taste preferences.

Again, based on age and development, we may recommend an electric toothbrush around the age of 4 years. We do not sell them but we can recommend one best suited for your child and suggest the best place to buy one.

As parents ourselves, we understand how difficult this important task can be. We suggest a parent stays involved with brushing and flossing until the age of 10 or until your child has the dexterity to complete brushing and flossing satisfactorily. There are many ideas to make brushing fun and effective. We are happy to share ideas personalised to your child.

We recommend any brand of floss because they all reach where the toothbrush cannot. There are many tools including floss wands, flossettes and floss handles that can aid flossing. Once a child has adequate dexterity, they can floss on their own.

Most commonly, once the baby tooth root is resorbed by the replacement adult tooth, the baby tooth becomes very loose and falls out on its own, or with a little help from the child. Every once in a while, the adult tooth will push its way into the mouth, but won’t completely resorb the baby tooth root. When this happens, the baby tooth doesn’t get quite loose enough to fall out at the normal time. On rare occasions, we may be concerned that keeping the baby tooth will affect the overall health of the mouth and we will recommend the extraction of the baby tooth. We also extract these teeth if they cause a problem with cleaning, eating or appearance.

Treatment under a general anaesthetic can be recommended as the best option for the safety of a child based on their age, behaviour, nature and amount of treatment required. A general anaesthetic may be scheduled following your child’s initial consultation.

Dental treatment under general anaesthesia is completed at Southbank Day Hospital. Our staff will support you through scheduling and how to prepare for the day. We can use HICAPS on the day of your consultation to help obtain an approximate rebate or provide you with a treatment plan so you can obtain this information. Most children return to normal activities the day after a general anaesthetic.

An extraction of a tooth is recommended when the tooth is unable to be restored with normal filling materials or crowns due to advanced tooth decay, dental trauma or as a result of infection.

Extracting a tooth is the last resort after all other treatment options have been considered.

Extraction of teeth may also be required as part of an orthodontic problem where there is insufficient space in the jaws to accommodate all of the teeth.

After an extraction, pressure is applied to the area with a soft sterile gauze pack to stop the bleeding. The area should heal within a few days. Soft foods and gentle tooth brushing are recommended until the area has healed. Mild pain relief can be given after the procedure to manage any discomfort. Our team will give you instructions on how to care for your child after an extraction.

The living centre of a tooth contains nerves and blood vessels and is called the dental pulp. A pulpotomy is recommended when the tooth decay reaches the pulp of the tooth. A pulpotomy is a procedure where all of the crown's dental pulp is removed and the remaining pulpal tissue is covered with a special dressing that promotes healing. The tooth is then restored with a crown.

A fissure sealant is a strong resin-based or glass ionomer cement material that is applied to the deep grooves or fissures. Tooth preparation is not often necessary before a fissure sealant is placed. A fissure sealant provides a protective barrier against tooth decay and can prevent the need for fillings.

A fissure sealant may require modification over time due to wear and tear on the biting surfaces of the teeth which may be caused by grinding or dietary choices.

An adhesive restoration is a tooth-coloured filling that is placed in a primary or permanent tooth. It may cover one or more surfaces of the tooth. It is also known as a filling.

Adhesive restorations are required when a tooth has formed a cavity or where the tooth may not have formed properly. The decay or soft part of the tooth is removed, the tooth thoroughly cleaned and an adhesive restoration placed to restore the shape and contour of the tooth.

A composite resin crown is used to repair front teeth that have been damaged by decay, malformation, discolouration or injury. Because the tooth-coloured material wraps around the entire tooth surface, it is much stronger and longer lasting than normal fillings which only cover part of a tooth.

Composite resin crowns are carefully colour matched to the other teeth in the mouth and look pretty much like a real tooth. Composite resin crowns can be performed on primary and permanent (secondary) teeth. When a composite resin crown is performed on a primary tooth, in most cases, it will stay in place until the tooth falls out naturally.

For a growing child, stainless steel crowns are recommended. To date, research has shown that stainless steel crowns have the best long-term results.

Yes, it is important that the tooth is looked at even if your child isn’t in any discomfort. We will screen for any soft or hard tissue damage caused by the trauma, provide advice for healing and cleaning and discuss what needs to be monitored.

It will help if you can explain to your child that we will be looking at their teeth. We may take some pictures or brush their teeth. We have a variety of methods to make your child feel at ease. Always use positive language when talking about the dentist. Do not use the dentist as a punishment!

Please feel free to browse our website, Facebook and Instagram pages to meet our staff and view pictures of our rooms. We also have social stories available if this will assist in preparing for your child’s visit to the dentist.

No, you do not need a referral but if you have one please bring this along.

Nitrous oxide, sometimes called “laughing gas” or “happy air” is one option that may be offered to help your child feel more comfortable during certain dental procedures. Nitrous oxide is safe and effective when mixed with oxygen and inhaled through a small mask that fits over your child’s nose. Within a few short minutes of breathing through their nose your child should start to feel the relaxing effects of the nitrous oxide. Your child will be awake and able to hear and respond to any requests the dentist may have.

Fluoride is not an artificial compound or some sort of medication, but rather a naturally-occurring mineral that’s found in rocks and soil, vegetables and grains, as well as in fresh and saltwater.

Fluoride is an important aid in combating tooth decay. It gives teeth extra strength so they’re better able to resist the bacterial acid attack that causes tooth decay and it slows the growth of bacteria in your mouth, known as plaque which leads to tooth decay. Its use has resulted in a significant decrease in dental decay.

The benefits of radiographs are well known. They help dentists diagnose common problems, such as cavities and some types of infections before they are visible in the mouth. Radiographs allow dentists to see inside a tooth and beneath the gums to assess the health of the bone and supporting tissues that hold teeth in place.

There are a number of radiographs a dental professional can request. The type of radiograph needed will depend greatly on the type of care the patient needs to receive. The most common radiographs taken at Prime Children’s Dental Care are

Bitewing – This radiograph offers a visual of both the lower and upper posterior teeth. This type of radiograph shows how the teeth touch one another and helps to determine if decay is present in or between back teeth.

Occlusal – Offers a clear view of the front of the upper or lower jaw. This kind of radiograph highlights children’s tooth development to show the primary and permanent front teeth and possible pathology.

Panoramic – This shows a view of the teeth, jaws, nasal area, sinuses and the joints of the jaw, and is usually taken when a patient may need orthodontic treatment to correct displacement of teeth.

X-rays taken by an orthodontist are great for the purpose of orthodontic treatment, but not for cavity detection.

We use digital radiography and our machines are one of the fastest and safest on the market. The radiation doses are minimal – 1 set of bitewing radiographs is equal to 1 average day of background radiation and 1 panoramic radiograph is equal to the radiation exposure on a flight from Perth to Melbourne.

There are several reasons we will not affiliate with a health fund at this time. Most importantly, our goal is for the relationship to remain between our dentists and our patients, regardless of their health fund. This means we do not discriminate treatment codes, costs or services according to health funds, but provide each and every patient with individualised care. We are proud to maintain a high level of care and products and this would not be possible with the “no-gap” rebates provided by some health funds. We hope this gives you a little insight as to our choice to remain independent at this time.

For most health funds, we are able to use Hicaps on the day of your consultation to obtain an approximate rebate. Check your health insurance provider’s website to see if a rebate is available.

We accept payment via credit card, Afterpay and cash.

We can use the predetermined Medicare schedule to advise you of rebate amounts.

We are open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

You will find us at:

Wembley on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Joondalup on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday

Southbank Day Surgery on Monday, Wednesday and alternate Fridays

At Prime Children’s Dental Care we pride ourselves on the consistent and high quality of work we perform. Dr Lobo, Dr Wong and Dr Manchanda are Specialist Paediatric Dentists and complete extensive and ongoing training in paediatric dentistry. We also allow you to choose which Dentist you want to see and when you want to see them.

Primary teeth help children chew, speak and smile with confidence. They also hold space in the jaws for permanent teeth and guide them as they grow under the gums. When a baby tooth is lost too early, the permanent teeth can drift into the empty space and make it difficult for other teeth to find room when they come in. This can make teeth crooked or crowded.

If a tooth has decayed and is left untreated it can spread to the nerve of the tooth. This can cause pain, infection and difficulty eating, sleeping or concentrating at school. The infection can spread outside of the tooth and poses a systemic risk. Starting infants off with good oral care can help protect their teeth and bodies for decades to come.

Please visit http://www.ada.org.au/Find-a-Dentist