We love caring for kids!
Geelong Smile Studio is your family dentist. We are acutely aware that early childhood experiences have a profound effect on future adult dental behaviours (just ask Mum and Dad if this is true!).
It is for this reason that our primary aim when caring for kids is to make the visit as much fun as it can be.
We will be extremely thorough in explaining what we are about to do, using language appropriate for the age of the child. It is not until we feel confident that your child is at ease, that we will commence an assessment.
We will play games, provide rewards and attempt to make the visit as much fun as it can be.
We have found that with dentistry for children, the earlier we see the kids, the better chance we have to educate and prevent problems.
The ideal age to introduce kids to our practice is two to four years of age.
We believe preventing problems is the best way to treat children. Our preventive program provides oral hygiene instruction and coaching, as well as fissure sealants and fluoride treatments where necessary. Our dentists work with dental therapists to provide the very best in dental care for your children.
When restorations and extractions are required, we know the most important thing is that your child is comfortable. We utilise great communication, great techniques, nitrous oxide or "happy gas" and have access to the hospital when sedation is required.
When is the earliest a parent should start bringing their child to the dentist?
Most dental books say when your child begins to have teeth, but in practice this doesn’t work out so well. Parents these days are looking in their children’s mouths and keeping a good eye on things. Unless there is a concern it seems to work best to have our first meeting when the child is about 2½ to 3. At this first meeting we treat it more as a social visit. They sit in the dental chair and have a ride up and down. We lean them back. If they let me look in their mouth and count their teeth, we will. If they let me polish their teeth we will.
Most kids enjoy the experience. We use our judgment as to how much or how little to do. Sometimes we have a parent in the chair with the child on their lap. Other times we have all the siblings in the chair at the same time. Sometimes it is more of a play with the chair. We do as much as we can always within the comfort zone of the child.
Problems arise when the child has not been in from a young age and they are not familiar with the surroundings. They then have pain and come in because they need work. The experience starts negatively and it is then hard to make it fun.
Our philosophy is to teach the children to enjoy being at the dentist, so if they need something done, they know us, they have been in the chair before and they feel comfortable. If the child feels comfortable and can trust us we can talk them through anything. For example when we give local anaesthetic we never tell the child it is needle, we tell them to close their eyes, take them on an imaginary journey and it is just a little mossie bite. Happy gas helps us a lot with children. Kids have sworn to their parents they didn’t have a needle it was just a bite!
Child Dental Benefits Schedule
As of January 1st 2014, Medicare will provide financial support for basic dental services for children aged 0–17. The Schedule provides eligible children with up to $1,095 in benefits capped over two consecutive calendar years.
Geelong Smile Studio will bulk-bill all services provided under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
Eligibility basics
- Children aged between 0 –17 years on any one day of the calendar year.
- Receive, or their family, guardian or carer receives, certain government benefits such as Family Tax Benefit Part A for at any one day of the calendar year.
- Are eligible for Medicare.
To check your child’s eligibility for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule telephone the Medicare General Enquiries on 13 20 11.
You can find more information on Medicare's website.
