Children's Dentistry Brisbane

Children’s Dentistry

Making a visit to the dentist fun!

At Medland, we strive to provide a fun, friendly and welcoming environment for our youngest patients.

Developing good oral habits from a young age can set your child up for success and a lifetime of great dental experiences.

At every appointment, your Medland Dentist, Dental Hygienist or Oral Health Therapist will focus on getting to know your child. Our team will spend time familiarising them with the dental environment, helping to ease any anxiety they may have about visiting the dentist.  Using a “tell, show, do” approach to involve your child in their care, we make sure every visit is comfortable and fun.

Our DVD room, iPads and toys are a hit with parents and children alike and help to make sure your family looks forward to their visits. 

We’re proud to be caring for generations of families, with many patients who first visited us as children themselves now trusting us to care for their own children’s oral health. Children’s dentistry may involve preventive fissure sealantshome care/oral health education advice and training, thumb-sucking cessation strategies or protective  mouthguards.

Building trusting, life-long relationships with our patients is what we’re all about.

We look forward to taking care of your family’s oral health.

Children's Dentistry FAQs

Below are some of the frequently asked questions we receive regarding children’s dentistry appointments at Medland Dental.

If you have any other questions please get in touch with our friendly team.

Good dental habits developed from an early age are invaluable, as they will stay with your child for life.   

A healthy diet which includes a wide variety of nutritious foods, as well as good home cleaning and regular dental visits will ensure a healthy mouth for your child.

Children benefit from becoming familiar with the dental environment from an early age.

Children should ideally have a formal dental examination as soon as possible after their first tooth erupts.

Establishing a relationship with your dental professional may take time. Consider bringing your child along to your Active Maintenance (exam and clean) appointments to allow them to become comfortable with the sights and sounds of the dental environment and establish a relationship with your Dentist, Dental Hygienist or Oral Health Therapist.

A dental examination before starting school can confirm that your child’s teeth are healthy and comfortable and not likely to impact on their ability to learn.

Baby teeth or “primary teeth” may be small, but they have a big role to play in your child’s general health and development. 

The importance of children’s baby teeth is often underestimated.  Deciduous teeth or ‘baby teeth’ are with us for much longer than just our ‘baby years’.  In fact, some of these teeth remain in the mouth until about 12 years of age.  The first deciduous teeth begin to erupt at approximately 6 months of age, with all 20 deciduous teeth usually present by the time a child is 3 years old.

Premature loss of teeth can affect a child’s chewing, therefore impairing their ability to eat nutritiously and to thrive and grow.  Proper chewing motions are acquired over time and with extensive practice, and kids who have malformed or severely decayed primary teeth are more likely to experience dietary deficiencies, malnourishment, and to be underweight. Healthy primary teeth promote proper chewing and can enable more nutritious eating.   A child may also become self-conscious with visible missing or decayed teeth, resulting in social concerns. 

The presence and proper positioning of primary teeth promotes correct syllable pronunciation and prevents the tongue from straying during speech formation. Learning to speak clearly is crucial for cognitive, social, and emotional development.  Healthy baby teeth are necessary for this important speech sound production and development.

Having healthy baby teeth now can help your child have a straighter smile in the future.  Baby teeth act as a template to guide the growth of the adult teeth. In addition, these spacers facilitate the proper alignment of adult teeth and also promote jaw development.   If prematurely lost because of decay, it may be a number of years before the adult teeth erupt (grow) into the space.  The remaining baby teeth can tip and move into the space left by the missing teeth.  This causes crowding or even trapping of the adult teeth underneath the gum and can necessitate orthodontic treatment (braces). 

Diet is the biggest contributing factor to decay in children’s mouths.  Sugars feed the bacteria found in our mouth, which produce acids that break down the tooth, causing decay. We know the dangers of treats such as lollies, soft drinks and chocolate and the importance of limiting these to special occasions.  Muesli and fruit bars, juice, cordial, as well as dried fruit are some other slightly less obvious high-sugar foods that shouldn’t be everyday snack foods or lunchbox options. All foods and drinks containing sugars and acids can be harmful to teeth. This unfortunately includes some healthy alternatives that have ‘good sugars’ such as breads, milk and fruit. It is unrealistic to cut these out of a child’s diet altogether. Instead, it is suggested to limit their frequency, by reducing snacking, and to drink plenty of plain water, especially after a sweet or acidic snack or drink. Teeth need two hours to recover from the acid attack that follows a meal, so if your child likes to snack, their mouth could constantly be vulnerable to decay.

Dental caries (decay) is currently the most common chronic disease experienced by Australian children.  Dental decay is a preventable condition, however, by the age of six, 35 percent of Australian children will have at least one decayed tooth.  Deciduous teeth have a dental pulp encased in tooth structure, just like adult teeth.  The crowns of deciduous teeth are very thinly covered with enamel, making them vulnerable to decay developing quickly.  Decay in deciduous teeth can result in pain and infection (toothache) just like an adult might experience. Infection and toothache caused by dental decay is presently the second most common cause of hospital admissions in Australian children.  

Baby teeth or “primary teeth” may be small, but they have a big role to play in your child’s general health and development. 

  • Aim for a dental examination as soon as possible after your child’s first tooth erupts. Consider bringing your child along to your own dental examination appointments to help them become familiar with the dental environment and build a relationship with your Dentist, Dental Hygienist or Oral Health Therapist. An examination before a child starts school ensures that a child’s mouth is ‘ready to learn’. Pain, difficulty eating and tooth position can all impact a child’s ability to thrive in the school environment.
  • Twice daily brushing with a fluoridated toothpaste and daily flossing to disrupt the harmful bacteria that cause decay and gum infection
  • Children should start to learn how to independently clean their teeth from 5 years of age.  Children do not develop the manual dexterity to effectively clean their own teeth until around 8-10 years of age. Until this age, brushing and flossing should be a team effort.  We suggest letting your child brush first and then a parent cleaning afterwards.  Continuing to check your child’s brushing daily beyond this age is strongly encouraged.
  • It may be easier to clean your child’s teeth while you’re seated with their head in your lap, similar to the position used when you sit in the dentist’s chair
  • Cleaning should ideally be supervised until at least age 10
  • Everyone needs to brush their teeth for 2 minutes, you can set a timer or play a song so your child knows how long it should take
  • Consider using an electric toothbrush
  • From the time a child’s first tooth erupts until 5 years of age, use an age- appropriate child’s low-fluoride toothpaste and only a pea-sized amount
  • From 6 years of age, use an adult strength fluoride toothpaste
  • Ensure your child spits out excess toothpaste
  • Some children love the taste of toothpaste so keep it out of reach to avoid excess consumption
  • Floss handles or holders can make flossing more achievable for children and parents alike!

Each of our Dentists, Hygienists and Oral Health Therapists are highly trained, skilled clinicians who prioritise the health and well-being of our patients. We take pride in providing technical excellence and exceptional care.

Staying at the forefront of Brisbane’s dental industry, we are committed to utilising the latest technology and techniques to ensure that our patients can be proud of their healthy, beautiful smile.

If you have concerns about your smile or dental health and would like to learn more about treatment options that are available to you, please contact us on 07 3426 5777 or fill out the contact form and we’ll do everything we can to help.

We invite you to experience the Medland difference.

Our welcoming and stylish dental practice is located at 66 Lambton St, Annerley, Brisbane QLD, Australia.

Providing a central and accessible location catering to patients Brisbane wide.

Our staff are passionate about ensuring every patient leaves Medland with a smile, and with full confidence they are receiving the best dental care in Brisbane.

On-site laboratory

State-of-the-art technology and equipment for on-site analysis and treatment.
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Care for anxious patients

Your health and well-being is our priority. We take time to ensure you're comfortable throughout your visit.
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Experienced Practitioners

Medland takes great pride in ensuring our dentists and hygienists are the best and brightest in their fields.
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60+ years history

Providing technical excellence and exceptional care in dentistry since 1959.
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#iprefermedland Read more about the Medland philosophy.