Areas we serve
Dentist in Tapping
A family practice a few minutes south of Tapping, and one that is genuinely used to nervous children.
Tapping is full of young families, and young families are where dental anxiety is either created or avoided. A child's first few appointments largely decide whether they will still be attending at thirty, which is a lot of weight for a twenty minute visit to carry.
So we run those appointments slowly. Nothing happens without being explained first, nothing continues after the child says stop, and a first visit is often no more than a look, a count of the teeth and a ride in the chair.
It is worth saying what we do not do. We do not hold a child still, we do not produce an instrument they have not already seen, and we do not treat a visit that ends early as a failure. A child who leaves happy having had nothing done is a better result than one who leaves upset having had a filling.
Getting here from Tapping
We are north of us, at 92 Greenfields Circle in Hocking.
Directions from Tapping(08) 9306 2755- Mon
- 8:00am – 6:00pm
- Tue
- 8:00am – 7:00pm
- Wed
- 8:00am – 6:00pm
- Thu
- 8:00am – 8:00pm
- Fri
- 8:00am – 6:00pm
- Sat
- 8:00am – 5:00pm
- Sun
- Closed
Enough time booked for a first visit
Most adults who avoid the dentist can name the appointment that started it. What prevents that is not bravery on the day, it is time, and time is something that has to be booked in advance rather than found on the spot.
- Child Dental Benefits Schedule claimed here for eligible children
- First visits booked long, with no treatment planned
- Custom sports mouthguards, fitted from an impression rather than boiled at home
Before you book
Questions we get from Tapping
- My child is frightened of the dentist. What can you do?
- Tell us when you book, because it changes how we schedule it. We allow a longer appointment, start with nothing more than a look, and stop when they ask. Most of what helps is time, and time has to be booked ahead.
- What happens at a first visit?
- A ride in the chair, a count of the teeth, and a look at how they are coming through. No treatment is planned for a first visit, so there is nothing for them to brace against.
- Do you make sports mouthguards?
- Yes, custom fitted from an impression of your child's teeth. They fit closer than the boil-and-bite kind, and growing children need them refitted as the teeth change.
- How do I explain the appointment to a small child beforehand?
- In plain words, without the reassuring ones. “They are going to count your teeth” works; “it will not hurt” plants the idea of hurting where there was not one. Avoid rehearsing your own bad experiences within earshot, which is where most dental fear comes from.
- Do you use the Child Dental Benefits Schedule for treatment as well as check-ups?
- Yes. For eligible children aged 2 to 17 it covers check-ups, X-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals and extractions. Eligibility is assessed by Services Australia and usually follows a payment such as Family Tax Benefit Part A. Ring us when you book and we can check the remaining balance.
- What if my child will not open their mouth on the day?
- Then that is the appointment we have. Nothing is forced, and a first visit that ends with a ride in the chair and a sticker is doing its job — it is buying the second visit and the tenth. Children who have been coming since before they can remember rarely grow into adults who avoid it.
What we do
Everything a household in Tapping is likely to need
What we see most of from Tapping, and the things worth getting right early.
- See the treatment
Childrens Dentistry
First visits, booked long and taken slowly
- See the treatment
Preventative Dentistry
A check-up and a clean, every six months
- See the treatment
Mouthguards
Fitted from an impression, for sport and grinding
- See the treatment
Family Dentistry
Every age in the family, one practice
- See the treatment
Fillings
Tooth-coloured composite, usually one visit
- See the treatment
Emergency dentistry
Same-day appointments for pain and breakages
Booking
Book from Tapping
If your child is nervous, say so when you book. It changes how we schedule the appointment, and it is the single most useful thing you can tell us.