Kid’s Dentistry

How will I be able to tell if I am eligible for the CDBS?

The CDBS has a means test, which requires receipt of Family Tax Benefit Part A (FTB-A) or a relevant Australian Government payment including:

• Parenting Payment
• ABSTUDY
• Disability Support Pension
• Parenting Payment
• Special Benefit
• Youth Allowance
• Double Orphan Pension
• Veteran’s Children Education Scheme, if the child is 16 or over
• Carer Payment
• Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme, if the child is 16 or over

What Treatments are included under the CDBS?

The CDBS provides individual benefits for a range of services including examinations, x-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals and extractions. Benefits are not available for orthodontic or cosmetic dental work and cannot be paid for any services provided in a hospital.

Get them comfortable at the dentist

We understand that not everyone may like visiting the dentist; however, it is vital that children get used to coming in to see the dentist while they are young to help them form good lifelong associations. Our approachable, down-to-earth, and easy going team are here to put your family at ease and to ensure your children always have a pleasant experience when they visit us. Their dental comfort is key in ensuring they develop a good association with visiting the dentist.

While children are growing, we monitor their facial growth and dental development closely. This will help avoid crowding of teeth and jaw issues. We also assess and address factors such as large tonsils, sleep apnoea or snoring, mouth breathing, and thumb sucking.

Bring your children to see us so that we can diagnose any problems early and your child can develop a happy, healthy, trusting relationship with our children’s dentist.

Toothache

A toothache may not sound like a dental emergency until you have one. Pain associated with a toothache can be quite intense. It is important to clean out the area where the pain is coming from as soon as possible. Use a combination of brushing, rinsing with mouthwash, and flossing to remove any debris from around your teeth and gums that may be causing the problem. Contact us immediately.

Chipped or Cracked Tooth

If you have a chipped or cracked tooth, rinse your mouth out with warm water. If there is any bleeding, apply pressure using a clean gauze or cloth. An ice pack to the affected area may also be used to reduce swelling. See the dentist as soon as possible for an examination, especially if you chipped or cracked your tooth through an injury.

Knocked Out Tooth

It may be possible to restore a knocked out tooth if you can keep the tooth in good condition and get to a dental office within 60 minutes. You should rinse your mouth out with warm water. If possible, try to place the tooth back into your mouth in the right direction and hold it there until you can get to the dentist. If you cannot get your tooth to fit back into the space, then place the tooth in a cup of milk or warm water with salt in it to preserve it. You can also use a cold compress to reduce swelling.

Tooth Abscess

An abscessed tooth is a sign of a serious infection in your mouth. If you have severe swelling of your gums or cheek, it is important to contact us immediately or seek treatment at the local hospital emergency room. A medical professional can give you a shot or prescribe medication to fight the infection.

Emergency Appointments

Emergency appointments are available and we are dedicated to seeing you as soon as possible. Whether you are at home or on holiday when your emergency arises, you can rest assured that you will receive the same exceptional experience from one Totally Smiles centre to another.

What is a mouthguard?

A mouthguard is a clear or coloured plastic device that fits over your teeth to protect them from any type of impact. If you or your child plays sport, a mouthguard may be a compulsory requirement before stepping up to play. If a mouthguard is not compulsory, you should still consider whether the use of one would be in the best interests of you and your family’s health and safety.

Who needs a mouthguard?

Mouthguards are typically required when playing contact sports such as football, hockey, soccer, basketball, boxing, and lacrosse. However, experts are now suggesting that mouthguards be worn even by athletes playing non-contact sports such as tennis and gymnastics. This is because playing sports puts you at a higher risk of damaging your teeth. Whether another player hits you, you fall, or a ball or piece of equipment hits you in the face, just one small accident can cause major tooth damage or even knock out one or more teeth. Using a mouthguard can prevent these types of injuries.

Types of mouthguards

There are several types of mouthguards available on the market today, including:

• boil-and-bite
• ready-made
• custom-made

Boil-and-bite mouthguards are the cheapest style available. They can be found in chemists or sporting goods stores and they only take a few minutes to form. The ready-made types are ready to be used as soon as you purchase them, but may need to be cut to fit your mouth size. Both styles of mouthguard can be extremely uncomfortable to wear and often players will discard them during play.

Custom-fitted mouthguards

Custom-made mouthguards offer the most comfort and protection because we mould them to fit the specific contours of your mouth.

The safety provided by custom-fitted guards precisely made for a player’s unique mouth is superior to any off-the-shelf sports mouthguard.

To get you started, we recommend:

• Brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes using a soft toothbrush to gently clean the teeth and along the gum lines, focusing on only a couple of teeth at a time.
• Flossing daily using traditional floss, a curved floss pick or a water flosser to clean between the teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach.
• Keeping your breath fresh by cleaning your tongue. Brush your tongue from back to front, to remove food debris that collects after meals.

What is tooth decay?

Tooth decay is the general name for the damage that is done when the bacteria that occur naturally in the mouth create acid that erodes teeth. It can happen when foods containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches) are left on the teeth. Such foods include milk, soda, raisins, candy, cake, fruit juices, cereals, and bread

Every tooth has three layers:

• The hard enamel on the outside
• The middle layer of dentin
• The pulp at the centre of the tooth that contains the nerves and blood vessels

The longer tooth decay is left untreated, the more layers are affected and the worse the damage will be.

What causes tooth decay?

All children have bacteria in their mouth. So all children are at risk for tooth decay. Dry mouth causes 30% of all tooth decay. This is because saliva helps to wash away food debris and reduce plaque, which forms on teeth and gums. Plaque contains the bacteria that feed on sugars from food that remain on teeth. As the bacteria feed, they produce acids that erode tooth enamel over time, causing decay and tooth cavities.

How do I know if I have tooth cavities?

Unless your child visits the dentist for regular six-monthly check-ups, you may not know your child has tooth decay until you have a cavity or even an infected tooth. If this happens, you may experience:

• A toothache
• Swelling in your gums near a painful tooth
• Bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth
• White, grey, brown, or black spots on your teeth

How is it treated?

Regular check-ups help detect decay before a cavity forms and fluoride treatments may be sufficient. However, if the decay has eaten through the enamel, you may need:

• A filling, when the dentist will fill the hole and restore the tooth to its original shape.
• A crown if the decay has been left longer and you need a replacement for part of a tooth.
• Root canal therapy if the pulp of the tooth becomes infected.
• Extraction if the root of the tooth is severely damaged. The tooth may need to be removed and replaced with a bridge or an implant.

How to prevent tooth decay in your child

At Totally Smiles, we want to help you prevent tooth decay before it starts. Here’s how:

• Make sure they brush their teeth twice a day, after breakfast and before going to bed.
• Use fluoride toothpaste.
• Floss twice a day after the age of 2
• Avoid foods and drinks that are high in sugar, especially soft drinks, sweet cereal, desserts, and sticky foods.
• Don’t let them snack before bedtime. Food left on the teeth overnight is more likely to cause cavities.
• See the team at Totally Smiles for regular check-ups so that any early problems can be treated before major, expensive treatments are needed.