Paediatric Sleep Dentistry
Gentle dental care for kids, asleep and over before they know it.
Some children need more dental work than any child should have to sit through. Under general anaesthetic at Dormir Group Surgical Centre in Chermside, which we operate out of, it all happens in one appointment while your child sleeps, with Fully Qualified Medical Anaesthetists caring for them the whole time. For children aged 2 years and over.
- One appointment, not a battle every visit
- Day surgery run to ANZCA guidelines and standards
- Home together the same day
When it makes sense
Some little mouths need more than little visits
Most kids do fine in a normal dental chair. This page is for the ones who don’t, and for the treatment plans too big to do bit by bit. These are the families we see most.
A lot of treatment at once
Several fillings, baby teeth that need removing, or decay that’s spread further than anyone realised. Done awake that’s many long visits for a small person. Asleep, it’s one.
Very young children
Toddlers and little kids can’t sit still through real treatment, and no one should ask them to. Sleep dentistry lets the work happen gently while they’re completely unaware of it.
Big feelings about the dentist
Some kids have had a rough dental experience already, and the chair is a battle every time. Here there’s no battle. They drift off, and it’s done when they wake.
Children with additional needs
For some children, dental treatment in a normal setting simply isn’t workable. We’ll talk through your child’s situation at the consultation.
Not sure your child fits any of these? The consultation is just a gentle look and a conversation, no treatment on the day. Book one here, or read how we keep sedation safe first.
The question every parent asks
“Is it safe?” Here’s exactly who’s looking after them.
Fair question, and it deserves a straight answer rather than a slogan. Your child is cared for by a full team in a real day surgery, never in a normal dental room with a plan B.
In the room with your child
A Fully Qualified Medical Anaesthetist
Their only job is your child: giving the anaesthetic, monitoring them continuously, and staying with them until they’re waking up comfortably.
Dr Niels, principal dental surgeon
While the anaesthetist looks after the sleep, Dr Niels looks after the teeth, working carefully and without rushing, because your child isn’t going anywhere until it’s done properly.
The surgical and recovery team
Trained day-surgery staff assist throughout, then sit with your child in recovery as they wake up, until they’re ready for the best part: seeing you.
The place itself
A real day surgery, not a dental room
Treatment happens at Dormir Group Surgical Centre in Chermside, which we operate out of. The day surgery complies with ANZCA (Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists) guidelines and standards.
- Continuous monitoring for the entire procedure
- A dedicated, calm recovery area for waking up slowly
- Full anaesthetic care provided at Dormir Group Surgical Centre
- Home together the same day
The day, for parents
What the day looks like, from your side of it
Your child’s version of this day is short: they fall asleep, they wake up, there’s probably an ice block involved. Yours has a few more steps, so here they are.
Arriving
You check in together
A calm welcome at the Chermside day surgery, no waiting room full of drills. The team runs through everything one more time and answers any last-minute questions, yours included.
Drifting off
Falling asleep gently
The anaesthetist helps your child drift off calmly and without fuss.
While they sleep
All the dentistry happens now
Dr Niels works through the whole plan in one careful session while the anaesthetist monitors your child continuously. You wait nearby, and the team keeps you in the loop.
Waking up
You’re there when it counts
Kids wake slowly and a little dozy in the recovery area, with the team beside them, and you’re brought in as they come around. Most children remember almost nothing of the day.
Home together
A quiet afternoon on the couch
Once the team is happy, you head home with plain written instructions for the rest of the day: soft food, quiet play, early night. We check how they’re doing afterwards.
The next morning
Back to being a kid
Most children bounce back fast and are at school or kindy the next day, with the dental work behind them instead of hanging over them.
Every child’s day runs to its own pace, so we don’t promise times. What we promise is that nothing happens without you knowing about it first.
What gets done
Everything on their plan, in the one sleep
However long the list is, it’s handled in a single appointment wherever safely possible, so there’s no campaign of return visits for your child to dread.
Exactly what’s on the list comes from the consultation, where Dr Niels checks gently and talks you through every option first.
One plan, one sleep, doneIf something your child needs isn’t listed here, ask us. If it’s not something we do, we’ll point you to someone good who does.
What happens on the day
Your day, from arriving to heading home.
Not knowing what happens is most of the fear, so here is the whole day, step by step. Walk through it at your own pace.
Every day surgery day runs to a plan, and the exact times for yours come with your written treatment plan, so there is no guesswork on the morning.
Ways to pay
More than one way to pay for it.
You will always have a fixed written quote, with item numbers, before anything is booked. When it comes to paying, these are the options we work with.
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SuperCare
For eligible patients, SuperCare manages the application to access superannuation for approved dental treatment, including the paperwork with the ATO.
Eligibility criteria apply
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MediPay
Payment plans for dental treatment, often sorted within a day, with funds paid directly to the clinic. You will know the full cost of your treatment before you commit to anything.
Subject to approval · terms apply
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Health funds & Medicare
Some surgical items attract Medicare or health fund rebates. Your quote includes the item numbers, so you can check exactly what your fund pays before you decide.
Depends on your cover
Every option has its own terms and approval process, and we will walk you through what applies to you. MediPay is a credit provider. Accessing superannuation early affects your retirement savings, so we recommend independent financial advice before going down that path.
Reach out
Want to enquire, or just find out more?
Send a question, any question. A real person reads it and gets back to you. No follow-up calls you did not ask for, and no pressure to book anything.
Or call us on (07) 3272 6056Outside hours, the chat in the corner can answer most questions straight away.