Frequently asked questions.

We recommend the first trip to the dentist at the age of 2 or once the baby teeth have come through. At this age it is always tricky to provide a complete examination however it is more about getting young children used to the dental environment and we make sure the start is a rewarding experience.

Cleaning baby teeth can be a challenge, let alone getting into the mouth. We recommend letting your baby/toddler play with their toothbrush so they understand the toothbrush is not going to hurt. If your baby is compliant – start by using a low dosage fluoride toothpaste apply a small amount on the tooth brush and do a quick brush/clean. If you can not achieve this level of compliance than wiping the baby teeth with a damp cloth will be sufficient.

This can be a relatively traumatic event for both parents and children. Firstly it is important to let mother nature do her job. 90% of baby teeth will come out when eating and require no assistance. If you are removing a wiggly tooth it is important that the tooth is extremely mobile and ‘ready’ to go – if not you can cause damage and pain. We would recommend assessment if a wiggly tooth is not coming out on its own or there are signs of infection developing.

General Anaesthetics are extremely safe and allow us to restore oral health in a safe effective manner. Children afterwards will often feel sleepy/groggy however will be feeling back to normal with in 24 hours. Your paediatric anaesthetist will inform you of what to expect.

Kids are often prone to injuring their teeth when growing up and with contact sports this risk is amplified. We always recommend a custom made mouthguard. They are more expensive however they do the job. Most of the ‘boil and bite’ guards through the pharmacies provide limited protection and often fit poorly – custom made guards are designed to absorb any shocks and protect the teeth from becoming damaged – which can in turn result in a lifetime of expensive dental bills.

Short answer is ‘yes’. The fluoride hardens the enamal and makes the tooth more resistant to dental decay. Kids do however require lower levels of fluoride- this dose is based on age/weight.

A Paediatric Specialist is a dentist who has undergone specialist training at university to study purely on the discipline of paediatric dentistry or kids dentistry. There are only a handful in New Zealand and are recognised as the leaders in the field for kids dentistry. Oral Health Therapists have trained to treat kids for more routine procedures.Our team of specialists and therapists work together and we will advise who is the best person for your child based on their dental condition.

This is common for younger children – and especially if they have had unpleasant previous dental experiences. We have a lot of experience dealing with this and we are the main place that other dentists refer to for this issue. We have multiple ways to help coach your child along and change their behaviours at the dentist. For children where we feel this tactic may not work we also have General Anaesthesia available to us.