Pediatric Dentistry – Dental Care for Children
Our team are passionate about Dentistry, in particular working with children and dentally anxious patients. We enjoy helping patients overcome their anxieties, with compassion and patience, and we always encourage patients to come and say ‘Hi’. Our team are available for children’s emergency and after-hours dental appointments.
At Eumundi Dental we believe that it is very important that children understand the importance of brushing their teeth. We also like to show the kids the hard to reach places when they are brushing. To do this we use a disclosing tablet which stains the areas of plaque (bacteria on your teeth) bright pink. Then we go through the process of brushing away all the pink from their teeth and explain easy and effective techniques to do this. Disclosing tablets are a great way to allow your children to visualise the plaque which makes it easier for them to remove it. By instilling good oral hygiene techniques in children from an early age it is a lot easier for them to transfer these habits into adulthood.
Children’s Dental Treatments
The following are some of the childrens dental services that we provide:
- Examinations
- General Cleaning
- Fillings
- Stainless steel crowns
- Root Canal Therapy
- Extractions
- Mouthguards
Tips for Parents
How to help kids have a positive experience at the dentist
Dental anxiety affects 1 in 7 people. This fear normally stems from negative experiences in childhood. Luckily there are plenty of things that you can do that can help your child overcome this. Here are three simple tips:
- Put on a brave face – Children are very cognitive. They pick up on other people’s anxiety and this can result in a negative experience in the dental chair. If you can remain upbeat and confident, focussing on the positive outcomes of going to the dentist, this can help with your child’s anxiety.
- Build a good rapport – Let’s face it. Some people just aren’t good with kids. Find a dentist that has experience working with children. It may take a few visits before your child is comfortable and will sit in the chair. A good dentist will be patient and understanding
- Avoid making the dentist out to be the ‘bad guy’ – Although sometimes it is very tempting to say to your child, “If you don’t brush your teeth, the dentist will have to rip all your teeth out!”, this casts dentists in a negative light and can add to your child’s fear.
Regular visits to the dentist with a positive outcome will help ensure that your child will overcome their fears and start enjoying the experience. This will lead to a happy, healthy, dentally fit adult.
Have You Heard About the New Medicare Scheme For Children?
As some of you may have heard, the Australian Government has phased out the Medicare Teen Dental Voucher scheme. This scheme has been replaced by something bigger and better, referred to as the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS). The new scheme entitles your child to $1000 worth of general dental treatment over two calendar years, and will be available to Medicare eligible recipients of:
- Family Tax Benefit A
- Youth Allowance
- ABSTUDY
- Disability Support Pension
- Carers Payment/Parenting Payment
- Double Orphan Pension
- Veteran’s Children Education Scheme, if the child is 16 or over
- Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme, if the child is 16 or over
The new scheme will now be available to children aged between two and seventeen years to decrease the chances of children growing up with limited knowledge of dental hygiene practices, as instilling this information in young children is critical for oral health throughout their lives. Included in the CDBS are an increased range of both preventative and restorative services including:
- Examinations
- X-rays
- Cleaning
- Fissure sealing
- Fillings
- Root Canal Therapy
- Extraction
If you require more information regarding eligibility and services, contact Medicare general enquiries on 132 011. When booking an appointment with us, be sure to mention that you are CDBS eligible to ensure that you will be covered for the visit. Your dentist should discuss the treatment and associated costs thoroughly with you before asking you to sign the CDBS consent form. Some dentists require you to pay your child’s account upfront and claim it through Medicare, however, at Eumundi Dental we bulk bill all CDBS patients to save you the hassle. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to call me on (07) 5442 7556.
Everyone Can Afford The Dentist
At Eumundi Dental, we understand that dental treatment is expensive. So to make dental more accessible, we offer interest free payment plans through Denticare. We accept all health funds, credit cards, bank cards and cash. We also offer a 10% discount for Healthcare card holders, pension card holders and seniors (over 65).