FAQs

A fissure seal or sealant is a thin plastic coating that is placed on the back molars to prevent bacteria from getting into hard to reach crevices and causing cavities. It is a safe and pain free way of protecting your child’s teeth from tooth decay.

If your dental therapist considers your child to be at high risk of decay, they may recommend sealing as a preventative measure.

A baby tooth typically doesn’t loosen until the permanent tooth below pushes it up to take its place. But it is possible for kids to lose a baby tooth before the permanent tooth is ready to erupt, especially because of an accident or dental disease. When this happens, the adjacent teeth may drift into the space left, meaning there is insufficient space for alignment of the upcoming adult tooth. In some cases, a paediatric dentist or specialist orthodontist will advise that a custom fit plastic place holder is inserted until the adult tooth is ready to emerge. Spacers can be fixed or removable depending on the individual case.

The less sugar your child eats, the better, but there will always be special occasions where they’ll eat treats. It’s best to consume any sweets in one intake after meal times only, rather than having them graze or snack on sweet foods throughout the day. Rinsing with water after they’ve finished will help remove any residual sugar and chewing sugar free gum will help clean the teeth.

• Limit the intake of sugary foods that your child eats. Sugars weaken the enamel on teeth, making the teeth vulnerable to decay. Encourage your child to eat foods high in calcium, whole grains, fibres and fruits by cutting these foods into fun shapes.
• As your child gets older, find out which healthy ingredients they like and regularly incorporate these into their lunchboxes and dinners.
• Make teeth cleaning fun by buying a toothbrush with their favourite character on it or in their favourite colour, or keep a reward chart where each child gets a star every time they’ve finished brushing their teeth.
• Most children do not have the manual dexterity to brush teeth properly until they reach the age of seven, so help them clean their teeth twice a day and floss before they go to bed.

Ask your dental therapist for the relevant item codes, then contact your health insurance provider for the rebates. Depending on the level of cover, your child’s visit could be fully covered by your heath insurance. If your child is eligible under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, the cost of their visit may also be completely covered. Eligibility requirements and what is covered can be found here.

While every child varies, most will start losing their teeth from around ages 4 to 6, with girls tending to lose their teeth earlier than boys.

A child’s baby teeth usually fall out in the same order they came in. That means the lower centre teeth (lower centre incisors) are usually the first to go, followed by the top front teeth.

Whilst the age children begin losing their teeth can vary between the ages of 4 to 7, if your child does begin to lose teeth before 4, we recommend you consult a dentist to ensure there is no underlying problem. It’s also possible for a child to reach age 7 or 8 without losing any baby teeth at all. Again, there’s probably nothing wrong, but it never hurts to check in with your child’s dentist to make sure.

Check out our Teeth Timeline below, or download our handy tooth loss chart that lets you know when to expect the various teeth to fall out and helps you track your child’s progress.

The Tooth Fairy Centre is pleased to treat families eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a dental assistance program for eligible children aged 2‐17 years. It provides cover for basic dental services of up to $1095.60 per eligible child over a two consecutive calendar years for basic dental services including examinations, x‐rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals, extractions and partial dentures.

Orthodontic treatment, cosmetic treatment, mouthguard and any services provided in a hospital operating theatre are not included under the CDBS.

The rebate is available to children whose families receive relevant Australian Government payments. You may have received a Government notification of eligibility but if not, you can check your Medicare online account through MyGov or by contacting the Department of Human Services. Alternatively, you can can contact one of our friendly staff members at your nearest location.

Bulk-billing is available for treatment covered by the CDBS. Should the CDBS balance be unavailable to claim on the day, patient will be required to pay the invoice in full and claim their rebate through Medicare.

Our specialist paediatric dentists are trained in child psychology and use techniques like teddy bear therapy to help anxious children feel safe. For severe dental phobia, sleep dentistry under general anaesthesia with a specialist anaesthetist is available at our Melbourne CBD location.

Snoring and mouth breathing in children can be related to jaw development and airway issues. Our paediatric dentists work alongside specialist orthodontists to assess and manage these concerns early, when intervention is most effective.

A total of twenty baby teeth should all be through by 3 and half years of age.

Parents should start cleaning their toddler’s teeth as soon as they come through. Initially a small soft brush or even a face washer can be used for children under 2 years.

In their first few months, your baby will begin teething as their teeth come in. Along with their gums appearing red and swollen at the site when the teeth are erupting, there a few other symptoms that may indicate the teething process is underway. These include drooling, irritability, flushed cheeks, trying to bite or chew everything they can, difficulty sleeping, rubbing their face and turning away food.

In some cases, a bluish bump may form on the gum. This is an eruption cyst and they usually disappear on their own when the tooth breaks through the gum. If they persist for more than a few weeks, please consult your dentist as they may need to assist by making a small incision for the tooth to come through.

There are a few ways you can manage the teething process, both medicinal and natural:

• Rub a clean finger over your baby’s sore gums as this will temporarily relieve the pain.
• Give your baby a teething ring
• Let them chew on a clean, damp face cloth that’s been chilled in the fridge.
• Apply a teething gel
• You can give your baby infant paracetamol (if they are one month or older) or ibuprofen (if they are three months or older). Check the dosage information on the packet and always ask your doctor or pharmacist beforehand.
• If they use a dummy, chewing on the teat may help soothe them.

Not necessarily. Many children can be treated without extractions, particularly when concerns are identified early. However, in some cases, removing teeth may be the most appropriate option to achieve a stable and healthy result.

When a primary tooth is prematurely lost, usually due to decay, adjacent teeth may drift into the space and leave insufficient space for alignment of emerging permanent teeth. Our specialist paediatric dentist and specialist orthodontists will advise you as to whether a space-maintaining device is suitable. Depending on the individual case, space maintainers can be either fixed or removable.

Dental overcrowding happens when there’s not enough space into which each new tooth can grow. If this is found in a young child, removable expander plates can be used from the age of six to eight years and often continued until all the teeth have erupted. To avoid the need for dental extractions later on and expand the dental arches or maintain premolar spaces, orthodontic treatment with fixed braces may follow to complete the dental alignment.

No. An early orthodontic assessment does not always mean treatment will begin immediately. In many cases, the orthodontist will monitor growth and recommend treatment only when the timing is most appropriate.

Early intervention may help manage concerns including dental crowding, cross-bites, jaw growth concerns, tooth eruption problems, oral habits, and some breathing-related concerns.

Sleep-disordered breathing refers to a range of breathing difficulties that occur during sleep. Signs may include snoring, mouth breathing, restless sleep, or frequent waking.

In appropriate cases, orthodontic treatment may help address jaw development and dental arch concerns that contribute to breathing difficulties. Your orthodontist will assess your child’s individual needs and recommend whether further investigation or treatment may be appropriate.