Lack of physical access to dental care is often cited as the primary reason young children fail to see paediatric dentists. There is some truth to this urban legend.
It’s Not Only About Access
In 2016, the Victorian Department of Health and Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) conducted a survey to find the top reasons children don’t see paediatric dentists. In the survey, parents cited transport difficulties and the distance between their home and the clinic among the top 14 reasons they don’t visit a dentist. But that’s not all there is to the story. Real life is more complicated than one-line slogans will have us believe.
“Transport difficulties” aren’t even among the top 10 reasons children don’t see paediatric dentists. And distance between the clinic and the home is way down at number seven. Something else is preventing parents to take their children to a dentist.
Top Reasons Australian Children Don’t See Paediatric Dentists
Surprisingly for a country that is the world’s 13th richest (IMF and the United Nations) and boasts of a GDP per capita of more than $51,000, cost is holding back a lot of parents from taking their littles ones to the paediatric dentist. Even people who are living in the heart of Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, or other big Australian cities do not or cannot take their children to the dentist because the prices are simply prohibitive.
Other reasons many Australian children aren’t getting the childcare they should are:
From Dental Health Services, Victoria
What Can Parents Do?
Here are some suggestions on what you, as a parent, can do if your child isn’t seeing a dentist. We are covering the top three reasons from the survey.
If Cost is an Issue
Your child’s teeth are more precious than the world’s most expensive diamonds. Do not let money come in the way of their well-being.
If liquidity is an issue, you can rely on your health fund. Each of our clinics in Brisbane works with the major health funds. We are one of the few paediatric dentists who can proudly say: “No matter which health fund you belong to, you are welcome at The Tooth Booth Dental Lounge.”
We accept most health funds.
We also offer flexible payment options if you don’t have access to a health fund and aren’t eligible for public dental. Call us or visit us at our clinic. We will try our best to find a way to treat your children without stressing your finances.
If You Don’t Have Enough Time
Now that is tough if you have a non-conventional job that needs you to be present in office at odd hours. We are open from 08:00 a.m. through 06:00 p.m. and we have clinics in Carindale, Indooroopilly, and Chermside. We can be flexible if your child is in urgent need of dental care. So don’t hesitate. Call us and let’s schedule an appointment that’s suitable to you and us. You can contact us through this page.
If You Think Your Child Doesn’t Need to See Us
Hey! We don’t look that bad. We promise we will not scare your child. We have the professional expertise to look after your child’s dental health. You can have a look at our diplomas and even verify our credentials with the Australian Dental Association.
Professional dental care is crucial for your child’s oral health. The American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends seeing “a paediatric dentist when the first tooth appears.” Anyone who says otherwise is probably not up-to-date with the latest research, or repeating an urban myth.
Your child needs dental care.
Takeaway
Cost and a lack of time and awareness about the importance of dental care are preventing Australian children from seeing paediatric dentist. Don’t let any of these issues come in the way of your child’s oral health.
In an ideal world, we would simply accept the colour of our teeth and get on with our lives. Professional dentists know that healthy teeth come in different shades. But you will not hear them saying that aloud. The reason is our culture.
We are all obsessed with getting our teeth whiter because white is perceived brighter and better in our society. So powerful is this impulse that the teeth whitening sector in Australia was already a $1.5 billion industry in 2014. It must be bigger now because our expectations are rising.
“What was once considered natural white is now yellow to people,” observes Ronald Perry of the Gavel Centre for Restorative Research at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in the United States. Even a shade of yellow is considered an abomination now. The pressure is so great that bleached shades were added to VITA guides several years ago to keep up.
Unsurprisingly, plenty of services and products have appeared to cater to the demand for whiter teeth. In 2017, they can be divided into three categories:
1. Home-based remedies
2. DIY products
3. Dental cosmetic surgery
Home-Based Remedies
All of us must have listened to our mothers advising us to rub activated charcoal on the teeth, brush with coconut oil, or apply baking soda on them. These popular and inexpensive domestic remedies, if used on a regular basis, can whiten your teeth in a matter of a few months. What’s more, you rarely spend more than $10 a month.
So, why are not we heeding to the mom’s advice?
First, most home remedies don’t look nice. Here is what happens when you rub charcoal on your teeth.
Whitening your teeth with charcoal doesn’t look pretty.
Second, they are slow. Who wants to wait for a few months when you need whiter teeth for the next week’s party?
A third reason is a lack of evidence that is also a conclusive proof in favour of these remedies. A lot of dentists are of the opinion that home-based remedies are only capable of fixing superficial stains and fail to have much of an effect on deeper marks.
A fourth reason is efficacy. You may be disappointed when your spouse fails to notice the increased brightness—by a shade or two—of your teeth.
That brings us to the second alternative, DIY kits.
DIY Kits
Go to a pharmacist or a mall and you will find plenty of over-the-counter strips promising to brighten up your smile. Most of these strips contain hydrogen peroxide, an oxygen releasing chemical. The oxygen thus released reacts with the stains and makes them vanish. You can hire a beautician to apply the teeth whitening strips on you, or you can watch some videos on YouTube explaining how to do it. The strips are popular because they work.
For about $150, you can get whiter teeth in less than seven days. Its application does not consume more than a few minutes each day. It is easy, it is cheap, but it is still far from being universal.
For all their advantages, teeth whitening strips remain a risky bet especially if your product is bought online from an unscrupulous vendor, not approved by the Australian Competition and Consumer Organisation (ACCC), or not used according to the instructions.
In fact, since 2011 the ACCC has recalled a number of DIY at-home teeth whitening products because they contained unsafe levels of hydrogen peroxide. The agency recommends against the chemical’s excessive use in a Supplier Bulletin.
teeth whitening
Despite expert warnings, many remain are tempted to use more hydrogen peroxide than recommended for quicker results, only to suffer from gum irritation or problems in the oesophagus. Also, a lot of people have super-sensitive teeth which may not like being treated with whitening strips.
Although effective, dental strips are not a panacea. That bring us with the only alternative left: Dental cosmetic surgery.
Dental Cosmetic Surgery
Surgery is probably not the suitable name for a non-invasive treatment that takes less than 60 minutes and can whiten your teeth by up to 12 shades. But it is common so we will stick with it.
Plenty of people opt to getting a teeth whitening treatment at a dentist because it is safer and faster.
Imagine this scenario: You have sensitive teeth that will not react well to a whitening treatment. Using a strip in this case can jeopardise your oral health. Will you want that? Or will you need a dentist to first examine all potential side-effects before proceeding with a treatment? Most people will opt for the latter. And they will be wise.
Consulting a dentist is quicker, too. You can get shinier teeth in less than an hour. Most of Tooth Booth’s patients report 5–7 shades whiter teeth after the treatment.
Safe and quick
On top of being safe and fast, a visit to a dentist is not always costly. The key is to ask for one of the multiple finance options available at Tooth Booth.
Takeaway
Home-based remedies are usually ineffective and powerful teeth whitening strips can endanger your oral health. That leaves dentists as the safest and quickest method to brighten your teeth.
At the Tooth Booth Dental Lounge we offer Dentist Checkup & Clean including X-rays ( inclusive of OPG Xray) for just $149 for Adults, $85 for Children ( 12yr and under) or No Gap Payment* ( no out of pocket expense if you have private health insurance). The Tooth Booth is dedicated to promoting good dental health to your whole family, so they have the best chance to achieve a beautiful, healthy smile for life.Regular dental check-ups can prevent the need for major dental work in the future and is far more cost effective than allowing problems to go on undetected. The Tooth Booth offers our patients $149 or Gap Free*( no out of pocket expense if you have private insurance) Check-up/Clean & X-rays to keep your family’s dental heath in excellent shape. It is almost never too early to get into the healthy habit of six-monthly dental visits. Children as young as three years of age are advised to visit the dentist for a regular check-up and clean so that they become familiarized with their local Tooth Booth Dental Care Centre to help maximize their chances of achieving lifelong dental health.
Preventative Dental
Preventative dentistry is a combination of treatments that will help keep your teeth and gums in the best possible condition. Preventative dentistry procedures offered by the Tooth Booth Dental Lounge include hygiene appointments and treatments for gum disease (periodontal disease). Your preventative dental care routine extends to home dental care, as brushing and flossing regularly will prolong the life of your natural teeth and can prevent tooth decay and gum disease from developing. With patient education a huge part of preventative dentistry we can offer you customised advice on home dental care and how to reduce your risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
How Can Preventative Dentistry Help Me?
We strongly recommend all of our patients follow a good preventative dental care routine. This will not only help you achieve and maintain an attractive smile, but will save you time and money as it is considerably less expensive to maintain your natural teeth than to replace them. By following a good preventative dental care regime, you will reduce your risk of having a dental emergency such as toothache.
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In an ideal world, we would simply accept the colour of our teeth and get on with our lives. Professional dentists know that healthy teeth come in different shades. But you will not hear them saying that aloud. The reason is our culture.
