What we offer

Services for the little ones

Some of the services we offer for the little ones at Helix Dental include:

Exams: During a dental exam, our team will check your child's teeth and gums, and make recommendations for any necessary treatments.
Fillings: If your child has a cavity, we can restore the tooth with a tooth-coloured filling.
Sealants: Dental sealants can help protect your child's teeth from decay, and we can place them in a quick and easy appointment.
X-rays: X-rays can help us detect problems that may not be visible during a visual exam, and they are a valuable tool in maintaining good oral health.

The first appointment

When to come in, and what happens

Current Australian guidance suggests a first dental visit around the time the first tooth appears, or by your child's first birthday. Early visits are short, gentle and mostly about familiarity — the aim is for the practice to become an ordinary, unremarkable place long before any treatment is ever needed.

Settling in

Your child is welcome to sit on your lap for the first look. We show them the chair, the light and the little mirror, and explain each thing before it is used so nothing arrives as a surprise.

A gentle look

We count the teeth, check how they are coming through, look at the gums and bite, and see whether cleaning is reaching everywhere. If your child is not ready on the day, we do what we can and build on it next time.

Talking it through

We go through brushing technique, diet and drinks, dummy or thumb habits, and anything you have noticed at home. You will leave knowing what to watch for and when to come back.

At home

Looking after little teeth

Most of what protects a child's teeth happens between appointments. A few habits carry the majority of the benefit:

Start before the first tooth. Wipe the gums with a clean, damp cloth. Once a tooth appears, brush it twice a day with a small, soft brush.
Use the right toothpaste for their age. Guidance in Australia generally recommends water only under 18 months, a smear of low-fluoride children's toothpaste from 18 months to around six years, and standard fluoride toothpaste after that. Ask us if you are unsure which stage your child is at.
Spit, don't rinse. Encourage spitting out rather than rinsing with water, so the fluoride stays on the teeth a little longer.
Brush for them until they can manage it. Children usually need an adult doing or finishing the brushing until around eight years of age, when their hand control catches up.
Watch the drinks. Water and plain milk between meals; keep juice, cordial and soft drink to occasions rather than habits. Never send a bottle of anything but water to bed.
Clean between the teeth once two teeth are touching, since a brush cannot reach those surfaces.

Good to know

When to bring your child in sooner

Book ahead of the next routine visit if you notice a toothache that wakes your child or lingers, a white, brown or dark spot on a tooth, gums that bleed or look swollen, a tooth knocked loose or out, or an adult tooth coming through behind a baby tooth that will not fall out. A knocked-out or broken tooth is worth calling us about the same day — see emergency dental for what to do in the meantime.

If your child plays contact sport, a custom-fitted sports mouthguard is worth discussing at the same appointment. And once the adult teeth are through, we can talk about whether the bite would benefit from an orthodontic assessment. Parents are welcome to book their own general dental check-up alongside their child's so the whole family comes in together.

Building habits

Healthy habits that start early

At Helix Dental, we believe that good dental habits start early, and we're here to help your child establish a lifelong love for oral hygiene. Whether you're bringing your child in for their first clean, or you need more extensive treatments, we aim to make each visit to the dentist a positive one.

We look forward to meeting you and your little ones soon!

Childrens Dentistry

Care for your little ones