As a parent, you have the opportunity to build healthy habits into your child’s routine. Good oral care is an essential part of a healthy body, and finding a dentist you can trust is part of that.
Are you looking for family dentistry in Coffs Harbour, NSW? If you are like most people, you are seeking a caring dentist who can provide every member of your family—from the oldest to the youngest—with dental care. At Arthur Street Dental, we enjoy treating children and helping them develop a positive relationship with the dentist from an early age. Our wish is to set children up for a lifetime of good oral health—and that starts with early visits to the dentist.
We work in partnership with the parents of children in Coffs Harbour, NSW.
We invite you to take a look at the information we have gathered below prior to arranging an appointment at our dental clinic. As always, we welcome any questions you might have about general and children’s dentistry services at our Coffs Harbour, NSW, dental clinic.
At Arthur Street Dental in Coffs Harbour, we believe in protecting your smile with the highest standard of care. Whether you're an athlete safeguarding against sports injuries, or seeking relief from nightly teeth grinding (bruxism) and jaw pain, a high-quality mouthguard is essential. Not all mouthguards are created equal, however. Let's explore the options:
Stock mouthguards are pre-made and ready to wear. They are inexpensive and available at most sporting goods stores but often provide a poor fit and limited protection.
Boil-and-bite mouthguards can be customised to some extent. You soften them in hot water and then bite into them to create an impression. They offer a better fit than stock mouthguards but are still not as effective as custom-fitted options.
Custom-fitted mouthguards are made specifically for your mouth by a dental professional. They offer the best fit, comfort, and protection. At Arthur Street Dental, we create custom mouthguards tailored to your individual needs, ensuring maximum protection.
The good news is that many Australian private health funds provide coverage for custom-fitted mouthguards!
If you’re ready to arrange a fitting and exam, we anticipate your call.
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a valuable initiative from the Australian Government, designed to make essential dental care more accessible for eligible children aged 0 to 17 years. At Arthur Street Dental, we’re pleased to support local families by bulk billing eligible treatments so you can care for your child's smile without worrying about out-of-pocket expenses.
Eligible children can access up to $1,132 in dental services over two consecutive calendar years. This benefit can be used for a range of general dental treatments, including:
These services are designed to support your child’s oral health through prevention and early intervention.
CDBS does not cover cosmetic dentistry (such as whitening or veneers), orthodontic treatments like braces or procedures carried out in hospital settings.
Not sure if your child qualifies for kids dental insurance? Just give us a call! Our friendly team at Arthur Street Dental can check eligibility and explain how the program works. We’re here to make children’s dentistry affordable and stress-free. We can’t wait to care for your child’s smile!
A child’s first dental visit is a milestone, and we plan to make it a fun event. Our team loves to celebrate and make children feel like our special guests. We will even help you get the perfect photo to post on social media.
We welcome your children as early as age two. This early childhood visit is important because it gives you time to speak with Dr Justin Ward about your child’s development, habits such as bottle use and thumb sucking, and nutrition.
Dr Ward will also perform an exam and make sure that your child’s teeth and gums look healthy, with your little one’s cooperation, of course.
If you would like more information about brushing and flossing your child’s teeth, our hygienist is a pro and will help you become one too.
Preparing Your Child Before Their First Visit to the DentistChildren are little sponges, soaking up knowledge and information at an often alarming rate. Your attitude toward dentistry will impact that of your child because they pick up on verbal and nonverbal cues.
Other ways you can prepare your child is to bring your kids along to your own dental check-up and clean appointments so they can get an idea of what the dentist is all about. This can be a great way to acclimate kids to the sights, sounds and smells of our Coffs Harbour, NSW, dental clinic.
Find fun stories or videos about going to the dentist. Be sure to talk positively about the dentist—even if you feel some dental anxiety yourself. Let your little ones choose their own toothbrush and toothpaste to help make brushing fun. Use a mirror to let them look at their teeth. The more you can do, the better for making your kids feel comfortable about visiting Arthur Street Dental.
Rest assured that your child is in good hands with the Arthur Street Dental team. Many people on our team have children, giving them a natural ease and gentle approach to their care.
At Arthur Street Dental, we are trialling a new approach where children attend their dental appointments independently, without a parent or guardian in the treatment room. This method has been shown to boost children’s confidence, improve communication with our dental team, reduce distractions, and create a more efficient and positive experience. Our team is fully trained to support children of all ages, and we carefully assess each case to ensure comfort and safety. Parents will always be kept informed before, during and after appointments. To learn more about this approach and how it benefits your child, please click here.
Hygienist
Our hygienist, Kellie, is originally from the Tweed Coast and attended Newcastle University to earn her Bachelor of Oral Health degree.
Kellie has 13 years of experience in dentistry. During this time, she has gained vast experience and developed a strong passion for oral health.
Kellie joined the Arthur Street Dental team in January 2011 when she relocated to Coffs Harbour from Sydney.
As an oral health professional, Kellie tries to instil in her patients a sense of purpose and works together with them to achieve improved oral health. Kellie will tailor preventative ...
Many people are under the misconception that since kids will eventually lose their baby teeth, they really aren’t that important. But the truth is that these primary teeth play a valuable role in childhood development before they eventually fall out.
Baby teeth are the foundation for the proper development of your child’s permanent teeth, so we need to do everything we can to protect them and keep them healthy. If your child loses baby teeth unnaturally, such as through trauma or decay, this can impact the way the permanent teeth grow in.
In addition to holding the space for adult teeth, baby teeth serve other purposes as well:
If your child develops tooth decay in a baby tooth, filling the cavity is almost always the best way to preserve the tooth and to protect your child’s long-term oral health.
We will do what we can to help prevent cavities from developing. You can talk to our Coffs Harbour, NSW children’s dentistry team about fluoride treatments and dental sealants. Both of these are minimally invasive ways we can protect your kids from tooth decay.
One of the main benefits of starting your child off in our clinic is that we get to know them and build trust. We also provide age-appropriate dentistry as your child grows.
We offer a wide range of services at our Coffs Harbour, NSW, general dentistry clinic, from preventive care such as exams, cleanings, fluoride, and sealants, as well as interceptive orthodontics and fillings when needed. For active kids, we create custom mouthguards for safety in sports.
Each child is different, and our team appreciates the opportunity to be a part of their healthy and happy smile as they grow from toddlers into teens and adults.
Kids change so quickly; before long we will be evaluating their wisdom teeth and making sure they have a healthy smile as they head off to university or their new career.
The September school holidays are a great opportunity to schedule a dental check-up for your child. With a little extra time away from the classroom, families can book appointments without needing to work around school schedules, exams or busy after-school activities.
At Arthur Street Dental, we provide gentle, family-focused dental care ...
When it comes to your child’s smile, first impressions matter. That’s why we believe dental visits should be filled with kindness, encouragement and maybe even a few giggles. At Arthur Street Dental, our goal is to make oral care something your child looks forward to.
Helping us make that happen are ...
As parents, you do everything you can to protect your children’s health, but dental care may sometimes feel out of reach. At Arthur Street Dental, we want you to know that you don’t have to choose between your budget and your child’s smile. With bulk billing through the Child Dental ...
We feel passionately about providing the finest dentistry to the families of Coffs Harbour, NSW. We have a commitment to continuing education, and we also seek to constantly improve the care we provide for our patients. But what makes our clinic truly shine is our commitment to developing long-term relationships with our patients based on trust, respect and communication.
Since we are a private dental clinic, you can count on consistency. You will see the same familiar faces at each visit and be greeted with a warm smile. What unites us as a team is our belief that our patients are the heart of our practice and the inspiration for everything we do.
From our comfortable and modern dental surgery to our dedication to presenting all treatment options and respecting our patients’ choices for their smiles, we hope that you feel confident, comfortable and valued while you are with us.
You might even catch yourself enjoying your dental appointment since our team incorporates humour, joy and kindness in all we do.
Our commitment to education goes beyond our own patients, too. One of our dental assistants, Caley, recently ran a hands-on oral health workshop for children in a disadvantaged community in Bali, teaching brushing technique and the basics of preventing tooth decay. Read Caley's story.
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is an Australian government initiative aimed at promoting optimal oral health in children aged 0 to 17 who are eligible for Medicare. It provides a benefit of $1,132 over a two-year period for essential dental services, which can be accessed until the child's 18th birthday. Our Coffs Harbour dental clinic offers the convenience of bulk billing for CDBS-eligible services, ensuring no out-of-pocket children's dentistry expenses for you. We manage all necessary claims directly with Medicare.
CDBS prioritises children's preventive dental care, covering services such as:
Choosing a family dentist is a big decision. On behalf of our entire Arthur Street Dental Team, we look forward to welcoming you.
Our goal is to make high-quality dental care convenient and stress-free for families right across our region. We offer flexible evening hours at our Coffs Harbour, NSW dental clinic to work around busy school and work schedules. This makes it easy for patients travelling in from Moonee Beach, Woolgoolga, Valla Beach, and Corindi Beach to get the care they need without rushing.
If you would like to book an appointment, give us a call. We even offer evening hours at our Coffs Harbour, NSW, dental clinic to work around busy family schedules.