Children with Complex Treatment Needs

Sometimes, children require a more complex dental management. Reasons for referrals to our practice include children that are too young and too fearful of sitting in the chair for an examination but with severe early childhood decay. We also see kids with hypomineralised 1st permanent molars that are too sensitive to fill or fillings keep failing that would now require placement of preformed crowns or extractions under specialist orthodontic advise.

Often we rely on non-pharmacologic behavior management techniques starting with a tell-show-do on the first visit. Short treatment visits employing a lot of positive reinforcement follow. Successful behavior management addresses your child’s fears, each visit to becoming a learning experience. The goal is to establish a behavior where the child is happy to look after their own teeth, and continue to have a positive outlook about regular dental visits into adulthood.

Ralative analgesia or “happy gas” is available at our rooms for older and more mature, and slightly more co-operative children. As treatment is carried out in the chair, kids are still aware of their surroundings but will feel more relaxed, the gas inducing a “happy drunk” sensation.

Whilst Dr Robles is trained to use pharmacologic management with sedative medication, we often get referred children with autism or development delay, and quite often, children with extensive restorative dental needs, needing for multiple dental extractions, or require multiple dental appointments. These children are best treated under a General Anaesthetic (GA). If kids cannot be management non-pharmacologically, a GA is offered for parents to consider.

We can request for emergency theatre sessions at the Mater Private Hospital for urgent paediatric dental emergency treatment but also maintain a regular monthly theatre list at Mater Hyde Park Day Surgery.

Doing procedures at the hospital allow for better restorative work not hindered by the child’s poor compliance in the chair. Traumatic or harrowing feelings towards dental work is also avoided.

Our specialist anaesthetist has a special interest and training in paediatric anaesthesiology. Highly trained Mater Hospital Day Surgery nurses and support staff also help ensure a pleasant anaesthetic induction for your child and post anaesthetic recovery.