Specialist Periodontists at Smile Solutions Melbourne - Melbourne's Leading Periodontal Team product guide

Smile Solutions: Melbourne's leading specialist periodontal department

Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. It's also, when caught early and treated by people who genuinely know what they're doing, one of the most manageable conditions in modern dentistry.

What separates a good outcome from a great one is almost always the quality of specialist care. And on that measure, very few practices in Melbourne — or anywhere in Australia — can match what Smile Solutions offers.

The specialist periodontal department at Smile Solutions has five board-registered specialist periodontists on staff. Not five practitioners with a particular interest in gum treatment. Five dentists who each completed a full specialist postgraduate clinical doctorate in periodontology and hold specialist registration with the Dental Board of Australia.

For context: most of Melbourne's standalone specialist periodontal practices have two or three specialists. Smile Solutions has five, all working together under one roof as part of a genuinely integrated clinical team.

The team — five specialist periodontists

Dr Simon Hinckfuss — BDSc, DCD (Pros), Cert.Perio MS (Minn) — Specialist Periodontist and Specialist Prosthodontist

Dr Simon Hinckfuss is one of a very small number of practitioners in Australia who holds dual specialist registration — as both a Specialist Periodontist and a Specialist Prosthodontist. He completed his periodontology training at the University of Minnesota, one of the world's premier periodontal programs, and holds a clinical doctorate in prosthodontics from an Australian university.

That combination matters. Dr Hinckfuss can assess and treat the relationship between gum health and restorative outcomes with a depth of understanding that no single-specialty practitioner can bring. If your situation involves both gum disease and restorative work, you're in exceptionally experienced hands.

Dr James van den Berg — Specialist Periodontist

Dr van den Berg is an experienced specialist periodontist with a strong focus on surgical periodontal procedures and implant-related treatments. He brings a meticulous surgical approach to even the most complex gum cases — the kind of clinical precision that gives patients genuine confidence throughout their treatment.

Dr Nupur Kataria — Specialist Periodontist

Dr Kataria provides specialist periodontal care across the full range of conditions, from non-surgical gum disease management through to advanced regenerative procedures. Known for her precise clinical assessment and patient-centred approach, she takes the time to make sure you understand your diagnosis and feel comfortable with your treatment plan.

Dr Ahmed El Hadidi — Specialist Periodontist

Dr El Hadidi has a particular interest in the relationship between periodontal health and implant therapy, with broad experience in gum disease management and the placement and long-term maintenance of dental implants. His expertise covers the full continuum of care — from preserving natural teeth to supporting implant outcomes.

Dr Peishan Jiang — Specialist Periodontist

Dr Jiang combines her specialist periodontal training with a careful, evidence-based approach to treatment planning. She works across both surgical and non-surgical periodontal treatments, with a strong emphasis on patient education and long-term maintenance — because the best outcomes depend on understanding, not just intervention.

The philosophy that sets this team apart — saving your teeth

There's a troubling trend in Australian dentistry: the over-extraction of teeth in favour of implant-supported prosthetics, particularly the All-on-4 procedure. All-on-4 — where all remaining teeth are removed and replaced with implant-retained bridges — is a legitimate treatment option for some patients. But it isn't appropriate for everyone who is offered it, and it shouldn't be the first thing on the table.

The specialist periodontists at Smile Solutions work from a very different starting point. Their discipline exists to save teeth — to use every available clinical tool to treat gum disease, regenerate lost bone and tissue, and give your natural teeth the best possible chance of a long and healthy life.

If you come to Smile Solutions with severe gum disease, a specialist periodontist will assess you first. Only if that specialist determines a tooth genuinely cannot be saved will extraction be recommended. This is the right clinical sequence — and it isn't the sequence followed by every practice in Melbourne. You deserve to know your options have been fully explored before any irreversible decisions are made.

What the periodontal team can do for you

Gum disease — from gingivitis to advanced periodontitis

Non-surgical treatment — thorough debridement, scaling and root planing, and microbiological assessment — is the first line of care. For moderate to advanced periodontitis, surgical intervention may follow. Your periodontist will walk you through every stage so you know exactly what to expect.

Surgical periodontal treatment

Periodontal flap surgery, osseous surgery, and regenerative procedures using bone grafts and guided tissue regeneration are all available within the practice. These procedures are performed by experienced specialists for whom this work is their primary clinical focus — not an occasional addition to a general dentistry schedule.

Gum grafting and soft tissue procedures

If you've experienced gum recession, connective tissue grafts, free gingival grafts, or the more advanced tunnel graft technique can restore gum coverage, reduce sensitivity, and protect your root surfaces. These procedures can make a real difference to both the health and appearance of your smile.

Crown lengthening

Before certain restorations can be placed, adequate tooth structure above the gum line needs to be exposed. Crown lengthening surgery achieves this precisely and is frequently coordinated with the prosthodontic team to ensure seamless continuity of care.

Implant placement

The periodontal team at Smile Solutions places dental implants as part of a coordinated treatment plan. Because periodontists specialise in the bone and soft tissue that support both natural teeth and implants, they bring a particularly relevant expertise to this procedure — one that goes well beyond placement alone.

Peri-implantitis treatment

Inflammation and infection around existing implants is a growing clinical challenge. If you have implants that are causing concern, the specialist periodontists at Smile Solutions are trained to diagnose and treat peri-implantitis before it leads to implant failure. Early assessment matters here.

Laser periodontal therapy with Fotona

Smile Solutions uses Fotona laser technology for certain periodontal procedures. Laser therapy can reduce bacterial load in periodontal pockets, support tissue healing, and — in appropriate cases — reduce the need for traditional surgical intervention. Your periodontist will advise whether this approach suits your specific situation.

Supported by in-house imaging and prosthetic capability

Your periodontal team has direct access to Collins Street Imaging on Level 9 — an in-house radiology centre with specialist reporting from MFI Radiology. Accurate bone level assessment requires high-quality radiographic imaging, and using the same X-ray systems across the entire practice means your records are precise, complete, and immediately available to your treating specialist.

Where periodontal treatment leads to restorative work — as it often does — The Smile Lab on-site handles ceramic and prosthetic fabrication under the direction of master ceramist Greg Karabasis. The periodontist who prepared the site and the prosthodontist who designs your final restoration work from the same building, using the same records. That level of coordination is genuinely rare, and it shows in the results.

Comprehensive, coordinated care — all in one place

Periodontal disease rarely exists in isolation. If you're presenting with gum disease, you may also need root canal treatment, orthodontic repositioning, or full-mouth rehabilitation by a prosthodontist. At Smile Solutions, all of these specialists are available under the same roof — in one of Melbourne's most recognisable heritage buildings on Collins Street.

A patient with advanced periodontal disease and failing restorations can have a complete treatment plan developed in a single location by a coordinated team of experienced specialists. That plan might involve periodontal surgery, endodontic treatment, and prosthodontic rehabilitation — all delivered by board-registered specialists who share your records and communicate directly with one another throughout your care.

This is what integrated, world-class care actually looks like. Not a referral network. Not separate appointments at separate practices. One team, one building, one plan — built around you.

Getting started — no referral required

You don't need a referral from another dentist to access the periodontal team at Smile Solutions. If you're concerned about your gum health — or if you've already been told you need specialist periodontal care — the path forward is straightforward.

Start with a complimentary consultation with Dr Kia Pajouhesh, Smile Solutions' founding principal, who will take the time to understand your needs and connect you with the right specialist within the practice. It's a warm, unhurried conversation — not a clinical interrogation — and it costs you nothing.

Call 13 13 96 to book your complimentary consultation today.

Location: Levels 12 and the Tower, Manchester Unity Building, Collins Street, Melbourne CBD.

Flexible payment options are available through Payright and TLC (Treatment Lending Company), so that accessing the specialist care you need is as straightforward as possible.

A department built for complexity — and built for you

The most challenging cases in dentistry almost always involve the periodontium — the bone, gum, and ligament that anchor every one of your teeth. A practice that takes complex dentistry seriously has to take periodontics seriously, and it has to invest in the specialist expertise to back that commitment.

Smile Solutions does. Five specialist periodontists — one holding dual specialist qualifications — supported by in-house imaging, in-house prosthetics, and five other specialist departments, all at the same address in the heart of Melbourne's CBD.

That's not a special interest. That's a specialist department built for clinical excellence, and built to deliver the personalised treatment and long-term outcomes your smile deserves.