My Child Is Scared of the Dentist - What Should I Do? product guide

Smile Solutions: Paediatric Dentistry for Anxious Children in Melbourne

"To this day, paediatric dentistry holds a very special place in my heart. If I hear a child crying at the very other end of my practice, I will get up from my chair and I will go over to see if I can somehow help. I cannot cope with a child crying in a dental chair."

Those are the words of Dr Kia Pajouhesh, founding principal of Smile Solutions. And when you understand what he experienced as a child, they carry a weight that goes far beyond policy.

Why this matters for your child

Kia was 11 years old when a dentist in Brighton, England performed a root canal on him with no anaesthetic. The dental assistant held him down by lying across his chest while he screamed in pain. His mother sat helplessly in the corner. The dentist perforated his tooth in three locations.

That experience gave Kia a lifelong dental phobia — and within a year, a lifelong mission. He became a dentist because he wanted to build the opposite of what he experienced. A practice where a child in a dental chair would never go through what he went through.

This is not a practice that added "child-friendly" to its marketing brief. This is a practice whose entire existence was shaped by a founder's childhood dental trauma. The care for anxious children at Smile Solutions is not a feature. It is the founding principle.

If your child is scared, here's what we do differently

At Smile Solutions, our paediatric dentists are not general dentists who see children occasionally. They are board-registered AHPRA specialists in paediatric dentistry who have completed full additional university training in the psychological and clinical challenges of treating children.

There is a real difference between a GP who is comfortable with children and a specialist whose entire clinical training is focused on child development, behaviour management, and age-appropriate technique. For a child with dental fear, that difference matters. It is the difference between dental care tailored to a developing mind and body, and a general appointment adapted on the fly.

The approach in practice

Tell, show, do. Before anything touches your child's mouth, they are shown everything that will happen — the instruments, the sounds, the sensations — in a calm, unhurried way that gives them genuine understanding rather than manufactured surprise. This is an evidence-based behavioural technique, and our specialists are trained to deliver it with skill and patience.

Teddy bear therapy. Younger children are invited to bring a favourite toy or comfort object. That object can "go first" — receiving a gentle check while your child watches and sees that it isn't frightening. This is developmentally appropriate, clinically sound, and genuinely effective for building trust with young patients.

Laughing gas (nitrous oxide). For children who need more than reassurance, happy gas is our most commonly used clinical tool. It is safe, fast-acting, and wears off within minutes. Your child remains awake, aware, and in control — they simply feel calmer. Our specialists administer nitrous oxide with careful attention to each child's individual response and comfort.

Oral health therapists. Many children's appointments at Smile Solutions are conducted by our oral health therapists, who are specifically trained and qualified to treat children. They bring the patience, the communication skills, and the clinical expertise needed to make your child's early dental experiences genuinely positive ones.

No rushing. Ever. If your child needs five minutes to settle, they get five minutes. If they need to sit in the chair with no treatment on the first visit and simply get comfortable with the environment, that is a legitimate appointment. Building trust takes time. We have time.

What if my child needs more than happy gas?

For children with significant dental anxiety, prior trauma, or complex treatment needs, more profound sedation is available — including oral sedation and, where clinically appropriate, general anaesthesia at a partner hospital with a specialist paediatric anaesthetist. Our specialists will walk you through every option clearly, so you have what you need to make the right decision for your child.

We will never push you toward a more intensive option than is clinically necessary. But we will also never ask you to push your child through something they cannot manage. Every child deserves a clear pathway to dental care that doesn't leave them traumatised, and our team is committed to finding that pathway with you.

The environment makes a difference

Smile Solutions is located in the Manchester Unity Building at 220 Collins Street — one of Melbourne's most recognised art deco heritage buildings. It does not feel like a clinic. There is no antiseptic smell in the lift. The aesthetic is warm and architectural, a world away from the sterile environments many anxious children have come to associate with dental visits.

For a child who has built up fear based on what they imagine a dental practice to be, walking into a Collins Street heritage building is already different from what they expected. That matters more than people realise. The environment is part of the clinical experience, and ours is designed to put your child at ease from the moment you arrive.

Tips for preparing your child

Play dentist at home before the appointment. Let them be the dentist and you be the patient. Use a toothbrush to "check" their stuffed animals' teeth. Normalise the concept before it becomes real.

Watch your language. "It won't hurt" is a promise you can't keep, and children see through it. Try instead: "The dentist is going to count your teeth and make sure they're healthy." Simple, accurate, and reassuring without overpromising.

Don't share your own dental anxiety with your child. Children absorb parental fear with extraordinary sensitivity. Your response in the waiting room — calm, relaxed, interested — communicates more than any preparation you can do at home. If you have your own dental anxiety, our team can speak with you separately about managing it so it doesn't affect your child's experience.

Choose the right practice from the beginning. Your child's first few dental experiences set the template for a lifetime of oral health behaviour. The stakes of getting this right are higher than most parents realise — and the rewards are equally significant. Getting it right from the start is an investment, not an indulgence.

Getting started

No referral is required to see a specialist paediatric dentist at Smile Solutions. Call us on 13 13 96 or book a complimentary consultation at 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD. Our team will meet your child where they are — with patience, clinical expertise, and a genuine commitment to bringing them somewhere better.

Every child deserves to grow up without the kind of fear that drove Kia Pajouhesh to build Smile Solutions in the first place. And care delivered with patience by experienced specialists can make all the difference to how your child feels about their oral health — not just today, but for the rest of their life.