Most children do not need a paediatric dentist. A paediatric dentist is a registered specialist who has completed additional years of training after dental school, and they are the right choice for a smaller group of children with complex needs. The majority of children are cared for in a general dental practice by dentists and oral health therapists. This article explains the difference, and how to tell which one your child needs.
If your child has a toothache right now, every call from someone in pain is treated as urgent.
Call (02) 9649 6468 · Book online · WhatsApp
What is a paediatric dentist?
In Australia, "paediatric dentist" is a protected title. It can only be used by a dentist who holds specialist registration in paediatric dentistry with the Dental Board of Australia, which follows several additional years of full-time postgraduate training beyond a general dental degree.
That training focuses on children whose care is genuinely complex: very young children needing extensive treatment, children with significant medical conditions, developmental or behavioural needs that make ordinary treatment difficult, or dental trauma in a growing mouth. Specialists also treat children under general anaesthetic in hospital settings when that is the safest option.
They are highly trained, and for the children who need them, there is no substitute.
What does a general dental practice do for children?
A general dental practice provides children's dentistry as part of everyday family care. That covers check-ups and cleans, fluoride, fissure sealants, fillings, stainless steel crowns for baby teeth, pulpotomies, extractions when a tooth cannot be saved, and first-aid for knocked or broken teeth.
Berala Dental is a general dental practice. It provides children's dentistry, and it does not have a specialist paediatric dentist on site. Children are seen by dentists and oral health therapists, and where a child needs specialist care, a referral is arranged.
For most families, this is the whole picture. A child comes in twice a year, has their teeth checked and cleaned, gets sealants on their back teeth if the grooves are deep, and grows up without ever needing a specialist.
When should a child first see a dentist?
Earlier than most parents expect. Decay can begin the moment a tooth appears through the gum, so the first visit is usually around the time teething starts.
Occasionally it is far earlier than that. Babies are very rarely born with a tooth already through, or one appears in the first weeks. Where that tooth is loose enough to be a choking or feeding risk, it needs assessing straight away. It is uncommon, but it is the reason there is no minimum age for a dental appointment.
"They're just baby teeth" — the sentence worth unlearning
This is the single most common thing parents say, and it costs children teeth that could have been kept.
Baby teeth hold space for the adult teeth forming above them. They are how a child learns to chew and speak. Losing one early can crowd the teeth that follow. And decay in a baby tooth is a live infection in a small body — it hurts, it disturbs sleep, and it keeps children home from school.
There is a second version of the same idea: "I've got bad teeth, so my child will too." Genetics do play a part. But day-to-day action plays a far bigger one, and neglect is the most powerful action of all. A child who is told their teeth are doomed will stop looking after them, and that belief becomes the reason rather than the genetics.
What actually happens at a first appointment?
At Berala Dental, a child's first appointment is not treatment. It is an introduction.
The approach is show, tell, then do. The child sits in the chair and looks in the mirror first. Every instrument is introduced before it is used, and it is given a name that makes sense to a child — the suction is the funny straw, the polishing brush is the tickle brush, and plaque is sugar bugs. Nothing goes near a child's mouth before they have seen it and understood what it does.
There is a toy at the start of the appointment or the end, and occasionally both. Children who arrive nervous usually leave with a high five, and they come back because they remember the toy rather than the chair.
The aim is simple: a dental visit should be one of the easier things in a family's week, not the hardest.
If your child is nervous, tell us before the appointment and we will take it at their pace.
Call (02) 9649 6468 · Book online · WhatsApp
So when is a referral to a specialist worth asking about?
A general dental practice will raise a referral, and a parent is always free to ask for one. Situations where specialist care is commonly the better path include:
- A very young child needing extensive treatment across several teeth
- A significant medical condition that affects how dental treatment is delivered
- Developmental or behavioural needs where ordinary appointments have not worked, even with a gentle, unhurried approach
- Serious dental trauma to a front tooth in a young child
- Treatment that would be safer performed under general anaesthetic in hospital
None of these mean a general dental practice has done anything wrong. It means a different setting suits that child better, and arranging it is part of ordinary care.
What does children's dentistry cost?
Many Australian families pay nothing out of pocket. The Medicare Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is bulk-billed at Berala Dental for eligible children aged 0 to 17, covering up to $1,158 per child over two calendar years for covered items including check-ups, cleans, X-rays, fluoride, fillings, extractions, pulpotomies, stainless steel crowns and fissure sealants. You can check your child's CDBS eligibility here.
For children who are not eligible, a check-up, clean and X-rays is $150 for children under 10 and $250 from age 10. Included in that fee are the intraoral X-rays, intraoral photos, the clean itself and a fluoride treatment. If a health fund is involved, it may contribute — that depends on your policy, and it is worth checking with your fund. A written quote is provided before any treatment begins.
Quick answers
Is a paediatric dentist better than a general dental practice for children?
Not better — different. A paediatric dentist is a registered specialist trained for complex cases, and for those children they are the right choice. Most children are treated well in a general dental practice, and only need a specialist if something specific calls for one.
How old should my child be at their first dental visit?
Around the time the first tooth appears. Decay can start as soon as a tooth is through the gum, so waiting until school age means missing several years where problems can begin quietly.
Does my child need treatment at the first appointment?
At Berala Dental, no. The first appointment is an introduction — the child looks in the mirror, meets the instruments, and finds out that nothing happens without being shown first. A gentle clean and fluoride treatment is as far as it goes, and only if the child is comfortable with it. There is no reason to rush treatment in what is already an unfamiliar environment.
Are baby teeth worth filling if they fall out anyway?
Usually yes. Baby teeth hold space for the adult teeth beneath them, and untreated decay is an active infection that can cause pain and disturbed sleep. Losing one early can affect how the adult teeth come through.
Talking it through
If you are unsure whether your child needs a specialist or a general dental practice, the fastest way to find out is a conversation. Berala Dental has provided children's dentistry in Berala since 2002, and no question is a silly one.
Whatever the question, we are happy to talk it through before you book anything.
Call (02) 9649 6468 · Book online · WhatsApp
You can also read more about children's dentistry at Berala Dental or about what happens at a kids' check-up and clean.
Written and reviewed by Humzah Aly, Oral Health Therapist. This article is general information only and is not a substitute for personalised dental advice. Please see a dental practitioner to discuss what is right for your child.
BeralaDental