Frequently
Asked Questions

Dr. Linda is Victoria’s only dual-qualified paediatric dentist and registered conscious sedationist, offering expert care with a focus on comfort and specialised treatment for children, including those with special needs. As the principal dentist at Offspring Kids Dental, Dr. Linda leads a team that works closely with Offspring Children's Health Specialists - a group of paediatric medical, surgical, and allied health experts dedicated to partnering with children and their families to achieve the best possible health and well-being. We are committed to supporting each child’s unique development, advocating for optimal health outcomes, and delivering exceptional paediatric care

Paediatric dentists are specialists that must have completed at least three years of additional full time study after their general dentistry training. The additional training is supervised and under the direction of specialist dental and medical staff at various Hospitals and University clinics, so a Paediatric Dentist has a broad range of experience in managing the diverse oral health care needs of children. A Paediatric Dentist must register their specialist qualification with the Dental Board in their jurisdiction and is registered as a specialist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). AHPRA lists registered oral health therapists, hygienists, dentists and specialists in Australia. You can check the registration and qualifications of clinicians online at www.ahpra.gov.au. Like all specialty areas of dentistry, Paediatric Dentistry falls within the scope of the General Dentist, the Dental Therapist, and the Oral Health Therapist. While many general dental practitioners may have an interest or experience in the management of children’s oral health, only registered specialists in Paediatric Dentistry may refer to themselves as a Paediatric Dentist.

Simply book an online consultation, and Dr. Linda will provide expert guidance via video call. She can assess dental concerns, offer treatment advice, and arrange prescriptions, referrals, or further tests if needed.

If necessary, Dr. Linda can issue prescriptions, specialist referrals, and requests for X-rays or pathology tests to support your child’s dental care.

Dr. Linda can assist with dental pain, toothaches, infections, dental injuries/accidents, gum issues, and other urgent concerns, offering immediate guidance and next steps for treatment. We support patients, oral health practitioners, dentists, and health professionals across regional, rural, and remote areas in Melbourne, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. To reach us, please send a brief message to our reception team at kidsdentistoncall@gmail.com, or contact us via SMS or WhatsApp at 0421 841 597. We aim to respond within the day.

There’s no need to have a referral. We treat children from newborns to young adulthood. Dr Linda also accepts referrals from external general dentists and will send all related communication from the appointments to your referring dentist.

Telehealth services are virtual consultations, often conducted over the phone, that allow you to speak to a medical professional about a range of healthcare concerns like diagnosis, treatment and prevention without having to physically visit a clinic. Generally, if a physical examination isn’t required then the appointment could be conducted by telehealth, but that doesn’t mean it will always be the best option. Depending on the symptoms and medical history, your dentist might advise that an in-person consultation is best.

While telehealth has been great for expanding access to healthcare and ensuring continuity of care, it’s not suitable for everyone, or every situation. Dental treatment and management requires a dental practitioner to examine and touch the teeth requires a face-to-face appointment - things like taking x-rays, and seeing how your child interacts in the dental clinic.

The answer to this depends on many factors including the age of your child, the treatment needed, the length of the treatment, the anxiety or anticipation levels of your child. We will be able to guide you through these options at your next consultation in the clinic. The focus for us is that your child feels as stress-free and as calm as possible during his/her treatment. We prioritise the comfort and safety to provide the best care possible for our nervous children. The highest quality and care is available in-office using nitrous oxide (happy gas), oral sedation, or under general anaesthesia at private hospitals. We have many strategies to manage the expectations and requirements your children and parents/caregivers have and, in most cases, can perform the treatment in the clinic. There are instances where we will recommend your child have their treatment done under General Anaesthetic in the hospital Dr Linda has operating rights at Wyndham Day Clinic and Sir John Monash Hospital and works closely with an amazing team of paediatric anaesthetists and hospital staff to make your child’s experience as positive as possible.

Yes, we do use ‘happy gas’ otherwise known as Nitrous Oxide. Our focus is on providing a gentle, calming approach to make young patients comfortable during dental procedures, helping to reduce pain, anxiety, and even manage issues like a sensitive gag reflex. While we have extensive experience dealing with children with different needs, and many strategies to help relieve anxiety during your child’s dental visit, there are cases where, together with you, our team will decide to use ‘happy gas’.

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is an Australian government program that provides financial assistance for basic dental services to eligible children up to 18 years of age. It includes services like exams, cleans, fillings, extractions, and happy gas sedation up to a limit of $1132 over two calendar years. We can provide an invoice for our dental services, which can help facilitate claims from Medicare partially covers the specialist fee. Guide to the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) version 13

No, you should not be worried. Our recommendation is to book in a consultation who will be able to review your child and give you the most up to date, safest advice for your child.

We recommend bringing your child for their first dental visit by 12 months of age or when their first baby tooth comes out. At this appointment, we can assess your child and give you very important information about your child’s tooth development, dietary needs for healthy tooth development, and answer any questions you may have about your child’s oral health.

A child’s first dental visit is an important milestone in their development. That’s why we aim to make it the most relaxed and stress-free appointment possible to have your child most comfortable with their dental care. Our team specialise in working with children and young adults of all ages, from newborns to young adults. There is nothing we haven’t seen, so if there be tears or tantrums, accidents, we’re here to support you. At Offspring Kids Dental, we love looking after our patients and everything we have created has been designed to have our very special patients have the best experience when they visit us. We recommend children first see a dentist by age one, as they start to get accustomed to the sights, and sounds of a dental practice. In the first dental appointment we guide parents on the best way to clean their child’s teeth and discuss factors that can affect their dental health as they grow.

We are located in Melbourne at Offspring Kids Dental, 11 Church Street, Hawthorn. We are close to the corner of Power and Church Street, close to Kew Tram Depot. This is just a stone's throw away from surrounding suburbs like Kew, Camberwell, Richmond, Abbotsford, Toorak, Prahran, Malvern, Deepdene, Fitzroy, Deepdene and Balwyn. At Offspring Kids Dental, we specialise in children's dental health needs from toddlers to teens. Our custom-built practice in Melbourne offers a calming, comfortable child-friendly environment and is equipped for routine care and complex cases. We provide comprehensive and emergency services, including restorations, extractions, nerve and pulp therapy, and space management.