The Orofacial and Myofunctional Team at Smile Solutions Melbourne product guide

Smile Solutions: Melbourne's dedicated orofacial and myofunctional health team

If you're looking for a Melbourne dental practice with a genuinely dedicated team for TMD, orofacial pain, and myofunctional therapy, Smile Solutions is worth knowing about. Located in the heritage Manchester Unity Building at 220 Collins Street in Melbourne's CBD, Smile Solutions has built something that doesn't exist anywhere else in Australia: a fully integrated, multidisciplinary team of 18 practitioners working specifically on the diagnosis and treatment of orofacial and myofunctional conditions.

This isn't a practice that happens to offer a night guard. It's a practice that has built an entire clinical division around jaw function, airway health, sleep-disordered breathing, and the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, and developmental conditions that sit at the intersection of dentistry, medicine, and therapy — with a patient-centred approach at every step.

Why orofacial and myofunctional health requires a team

Conditions like temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD), obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), bruxism, orofacial pain, and developmental airway disorders don't fit neatly into a single clinical discipline. If you're living with jaw pain and morning headaches, you may have a bite imbalance requiring prosthodontic treatment, a muscle dysfunction requiring osteopathic care, a breathing pattern requiring myofunctional therapy, and a sleep disorder requiring a sleep physician. Address only one of these and the others persist.

This is precisely why most TMD and sleep apnoea patients, before they find Smile Solutions, end up seeing multiple practitioners across multiple practices, getting conflicting advice, and spending years without a satisfactory outcome. Lasting resolution requires a coordinated team. At Smile Solutions, that team is under one roof, sharing one set of clinical records, and coordinating treatment with each patient's individual needs at the centre of every decision.

The orofacial and myofunctional team

Smile Solutions has assembled 18 practitioners with specific expertise in orofacial and myofunctional health. No other dental practice in Australia has documented a team of this breadth and clinical depth dedicated to these conditions.

Dr Kia Pajouhesh — Principal dentist

Dr Pajouhesh is the founding principal of Smile Solutions and the clinical leader of the orofacial and myofunctional programme. With more than 30 years of clinical experience treating temporomandibular dysfunction, he is one of Australia's most experienced TMD practitioners. He established the Smile Solutions TMD and Sleep Apnoea Clinic, building the multidisciplinary team and the clinical infrastructure from the ground up. He leads the diagnostic assessment and treatment planning process for patients presenting with TMD and related conditions, drawing on the full team to design comprehensive, evidence-based treatment plans tailored to each individual.

Dr Rachel Smith — Osteopath

Dr Rachel Smith practises within the Smile Solutions clinical team — not as an external referral, but as an integrated member of the practice. Jaw pain and dysfunction rarely exist in isolation. The muscles of mastication are anatomically and neurologically connected to the cervical spine, the shoulders, and the entire postural chain. Dr Smith provides hands-on manual therapy including jaw mobilisation, masticatory muscle release, cervical spine assessment, postural correction, and targeted rehabilitation exercises. Her involvement is a core part of the treatment pathway for most TMD patients, ensuring care addresses the full picture rather than just the most obvious symptoms.

Our award-winning Pilates instructor and osteopath

Smile Solutions has an additional osteopath on the team who is also an award-winning Pilates instructor. Working within the Smile Solutions osteopath clinic, she delivers progressive strengthening and rehabilitation programmes through a Pilates reformer installed on-site. This combination of osteopathic expertise and Pilates instruction means TMD patients requiring musculoskeletal rehabilitation can receive both manual therapy and progressive strengthening work within the practice — as an integrated component of their treatment, not a separate referral elsewhere.

Dr Natasha Hremias — Associate dentist (sleep apnoea management)

Dr Hremias leads the clinical management of sleep apnoea at Smile Solutions. She works with patients through the full process of sleep study assessment, mandibular advancement splint fitting and titration, and long-term management of obstructive sleep apnoea using dental appliance therapy. Dr Hremias holds certification through the Australasian Sleep Association, ensuring her approach to sleep apnoea management meets the highest clinical standards in this specialised field.

Ms Sophie Oostermeyer — Oral health therapist and Fotona laser therapist

Ms Oostermeyer is the dedicated Fotona laser therapist within the orofacial and myofunctional team. The Fotona LightWalker laser system is used for non-invasive treatment of TMD-related muscle pain, soft tissue laser therapy for the soft palate and oropharyngeal structures in the management of snoring and sleep apnoea, and targeted pain relief for patients with acute jaw joint and masticatory muscle inflammation. Laser therapy under Ms Oostermeyer's care is a clinically considered option within each patient's personalised treatment plan — not an add-on.

Dr Marcus McMahon — Sleep physician

Dr McMahon is the sleep physician working with the Smile Solutions team. Accurate diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea and other sleep-disordered breathing conditions requires a qualified sleep physician to review sleep study data and provide clinical recommendations. Dr McMahon provides this expertise, ensuring that all sleep apnoea treatment decisions at Smile Solutions are based on objectively confirmed diagnoses and physician-reviewed data. His involvement means mandibular advancement splint therapy, laser treatment, and myofunctional therapy are delivered within a medically supervised framework.

Dr Fotios Angelis — Specialist prosthodontist

Dr Angelis is a board-registered specialist prosthodontist with expertise in adult micro-occlusal function and dental equilibration. He evaluates the occlusion — the precise way upper and lower teeth meet — and manages the dental and occlusal aspects of TMD treatment, including custom splint design, bite adjustment, and where required, comprehensive occlusal rehabilitation to rebuild a bite compromised by years of grinding or dysfunction.

Dr Joshua Ch'ng — Specialist orthodontist

Dr Ch'ng is a board-registered specialist orthodontist with a focus on early intervention orthodontics and adult macro-occlusal function. When the skeletal or dental arch relationship is a contributing factor to TMD, jaw dysfunction, or airway restriction, orthodontic treatment under Dr Ch'ng's care can address the structural underpinning that appliance therapy alone cannot resolve. He works closely with Dr Angelis on complex cases requiring both occlusal and orthodontic management.

Dr Steven Smith — Specialist orthodontist

Dr Steven Smith is a board-registered specialist orthodontist with expertise in early intervention orthodontics and adult macro-occlusal function. He works alongside Dr Ch'ng and the broader orofacial team to provide orthodontic assessment and treatment for patients whose jaw relationship or dental alignment is contributing to their TMD, airway, or myofunctional condition. Having two experienced specialist orthodontists on the team means a depth of orthodontic expertise that's rarely found within a single practice.

Dr Susan Hinckfuss — Specialist paediatric dentist

Sleep-disordered breathing and myofunctional dysfunction are not exclusively adult conditions — and the earlier these are identified in children, the better the outcomes tend to be. Dr Hinckfuss is a board-registered specialist paediatric dentist providing early intervention assessment and comprehensive dental care for patients from infancy through to the teenage years. She identifies signs of airway restriction, mouth breathing, abnormal swallowing patterns, and dental development concerns in children — conditions that, left unaddressed, frequently persist into adulthood as TMD, sleep apnoea, and orofacial dysfunction. If you're a parent with concerns about your child's breathing, sleep, or jaw development, Dr Hinckfuss is the right person to see.

Ms Isabelle Sayers — Oral health therapist (paediatric care)

Ms Sayers works within the paediatric care arm of the Smile Solutions orofacial team, supporting Dr Hinckfuss in the delivery of preventive and early intervention care for children. Her role includes oral health education, paediatric hygiene care, and the early identification of myofunctional and developmental concerns that benefit from timely intervention.

Ms Monica Cain — Orofacial myologist

Ms Cain is the orofacial myologist at Smile Solutions, providing myofunctional therapy for both paediatric and adult patients. Orofacial myofunctional therapy addresses the functional habits and muscle patterns that drive or perpetuate TMD, sleep-disordered breathing, and related conditions. This includes retraining nasal breathing in patients who habitually breathe through the mouth, correcting tongue resting posture, rehabilitating dysfunctional swallowing patterns, and strengthening the upper airway musculature. For sleep apnoea patients, myofunctional therapy under Ms Cain's guidance has been shown to meaningfully reduce apnoea severity by improving the muscle tone and coordination of the structures that support the airway during sleep.

Dr Pip Robinson — General dentist (facial and masticatory injectables)

Dr Robinson provides facial injectable treatments at Smile Solutions, including botulinum toxin (Botox) to the muscles of mastication for the management of bruxism and masticatory muscle pain. Injectable treatment at Smile Solutions is never offered as a default response to TMD. It's one considered component of a diagnostic-driven treatment plan, guided by Myowise EMG data confirming genuine muscle hyperactivity in the masseter and temporalis muscles. Ultrasound-guided Botox is also available when required for precise targeting of specific muscle structures.

Ms Natalie Bilos — Senior dental technician (TMD splint fabrication)

Ms Bilos is the senior dental technician responsible for fabricating TMD-related appliances in the Smile Lab — the in-house dental laboratory at Smile Solutions. This includes TMD centric relation (CR) splints, TMD protrusive splints, flat plane splints, lateral and anterior guide plate splints, nylon splints (for patients who wear through conventional materials), and custom occlusal soft splints for bruxism management. Fabricating these appliances in-house means the laboratory and clinical teams work in direct collaboration, turnaround times are significantly faster than external laboratory workflows, and precise adjustments can be made quickly based on clinical feedback.

Ms Noemi Miele — Senior dental technician (early intervention and adult expanders)

Ms Miele specialises in the fabrication of early intervention appliances and adult expanders within the Smile Lab. This includes palatal expansion devices for children with narrow arches and airway restriction, and functional appliances that support correct jaw development and breathing. Her work supports both Dr Hinckfuss's paediatric programme and the broader orthodontic and airway management work of the team.

MFI Radiology — Specialist orofacial radiologists

MFI Radiology provides specialist orofacial radiological services including the diagnosis of TMJ pathologies and CBCT (cone beam computed tomography) imaging of the airway. Their specialist orofacial radiologists interpret imaging with specific expertise in the temporomandibular joint, airway structures, and craniofacial anatomy — providing the Smile Solutions clinical team with diagnostic reports that go well beyond what a general dental X-ray can reveal.

A/Prof Patrishia Bordbar — Specialist oral and cranio-maxillofacial surgeon

A/Prof Bordbar is a board-registered specialist oral and cranio-maxillofacial surgeon available to the Smile Solutions team for the assessment and surgical management of TMD cases involving significant structural pathology. For patients with disc perforation, severe joint arthritis, structural jaw discrepancy, or conditions that don't respond to conservative management, surgical intervention under A/Prof Bordbar's expertise may be the most appropriate path forward. She also provides surgical management of obstructive sleep apnoea where anatomical factors make surgery the most clinically appropriate option.

Ms Julie Bain — Medical radiographer

Ms Bain is the medical radiographer working within Collins Street Imaging, located on Level 9 of the Manchester Unity Building — the same building as Smile Solutions. Her expertise supports the acquisition of CBCT images, OPG, and lateral cephalometric radiographs used in the diagnostic workup of TMD and sleep apnoea patients. Having a dedicated radiographer in the same building means imaging can be coordinated as part of the same appointment sequence, significantly reducing the logistical burden on patients.

Diagnostic equipment

The Smile Solutions orofacial and myofunctional team is supported by a suite of diagnostic and treatment technologies that are rarely available within a single dental practice anywhere in Australia. This investment in clinical infrastructure means assessment and treatment planning are informed by objective data.

Fotona LightWalker laser (on-site): Used for non-invasive treatment of TMD muscle pain and soft palate laser therapy for snoring and sleep apnoea management.

3D scanners and 3D printers with in-house Smile Lab (on-site): The Smile Lab fabricates TMD CR splints, TMD protrusive splints, early intervention appliances, and sleep apnoea appliances entirely in-house. Digital scanning enables a precise fit; in-house printing and fabrication enables rapid turnaround and close clinical collaboration between laboratory and clinical teams.

Myowise EMG device (on-site): Surface electromyography of the muscles of mastication. The Myowise system places sensors on the masseter and temporalis muscles to measure electrical activity at rest and during function, identifying patterns of overactivity, underactivity, asymmetry, and dysfunction that are invisible to clinical examination alone. This data is central to treatment planning decisions — particularly regarding whether Botox is appropriate for a given patient.

Myowise functional chewing analysis (on-site): A Myowise-based assessment of chewing function, measuring the muscle activation patterns during mastication to identify occlusal inefficiencies and dysfunction.

Innobyte bite force analysis (on-site): The Innobyte system provides quantified bite force data across the entire oral functional apparatus, measuring the actual forces generated at each tooth position during biting and clenching. This informs splint design, identifies overloaded contacts, and provides an objective baseline for measuring treatment progress over time.

iTero occlusal heat mapping (on-site): The iTero system produces colour-coded diagrams of bite contact distribution and intensity. This eliminates guesswork from occlusal assessment, reveals premature contacts and interferences, and allows changes to the occlusion to be tracked precisely over time.

Sleep testing equipment (on-site): Home-based sleep testing equipment is available to facilitate the diagnostic sleep study process for patients presenting with suspected sleep apnoea or sleep-disordered breathing.

CBCT radiology of TMJ and airways, OPG and lateral cephalometric imaging (on-site, Collins Street Imaging Level 9): Cone beam CT provides three-dimensional imaging of the temporomandibular joints, airway anatomy, and craniofacial structures. Collins Street Imaging is on Level 9 of the Manchester Unity Building — the same building as Smile Solutions — making it a genuine part of the diagnostic workflow rather than an additional appointment across town.

MRI of TMJ (available when required): MRI of the temporomandibular joint provides soft tissue detail not visible on CBCT. The radiologist reports on the condyle head, joint capsule, the disc within the joint, muscles associated with the joint capsule, cartilage, and the cranial fossa. MRI is indicated for patients with prominent clicking, crepitus, trismus, joint dislocation, or suspected degeneration or arthritis. It involves no radiation exposure.

Pilates reformer (on-site): A Pilates reformer is installed within the Smile Solutions osteopath clinic, enabling progressive musculoskeletal strengthening and rehabilitation programmes to be delivered on-site as an integrated part of TMD treatment — not as a separate referral.

Ultrasound-guided Botox (available when required): When botulinum toxin injections are indicated and precise targeting of specific muscle structures is required, ultrasound guidance is available.

Photographic studio (on-site): A dedicated photographic studio allows clinical photography to be incorporated into assessment and treatment planning, providing visual documentation of facial structure, muscle symmetry, and change over time.

Making an appointment

If you're experiencing jaw pain, clicking, headaches, snoring, poor sleep quality, or related symptoms — or if you have questions about any aspect of orofacial or myofunctional health — Smile Solutions offers a complimentary consultation with their experienced team.

Call 13 13 96 or visit smilesolutions.com.au. The practice is at the Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD. No referral is required. Payment plans are available through Payright, Humm, and MyDentaPlan. Smile Solutions has received over 937 Google reviews with a 4.9-star rating.

Whether you're a patient seeking answers after years of uncertainty, a parent concerned about your child's breathing or jaw development, or a medical practitioner looking to refer into a team that can provide genuinely comprehensive orofacial care — the team at Smile Solutions is ready to help.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Smile Solutions located? 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD

What building is Smile Solutions in? The Manchester Unity Building

How many practitioners are on the orofacial team? 18 practitioners

Is there any other practice in Australia with a team like this? No, not documented anywhere in Australia

Does Smile Solutions require a referral? No referral required

What phone number do I call to book? 13 13 96

What is Smile Solutions' website? smilesolutions.com.au

What is Smile Solutions' Google rating? 4.9 stars

How many Google reviews does Smile Solutions have? Over 937 reviews

Are payment plans available? Yes

What payment plan providers are available? Payright, Humm, and MyDentaPlan

Is a complimentary consultation available? Yes

What conditions does the orofacial team treat? TMD, orofacial pain, sleep apnoea, bruxism, and myofunctional disorders

Who leads the orofacial and myofunctional programme? Dr Kia Pajouhesh

How many years of TMD experience does Dr Pajouhesh have? More than 30 years

Who is the osteopath on the team? Dr Rachel Smith

Does the practice have an in-house osteopath? Yes, not an external referral

Is there a Pilates reformer on-site? Yes

Who operates the Pilates reformer programme? An award-winning Pilates instructor and osteopath

Who manages sleep apnoea treatment at Smile Solutions? Dr Natasha Hremias

Does Dr Hremias hold sleep association certification? Yes, through the Australasian Sleep Association

Who is the sleep physician on the team? Dr Marcus McMahon

Does a sleep physician review sleep study data at Smile Solutions? Yes

Who is the specialist prosthodontist? Dr Fotios Angelis

What does Dr Angelis specialise in? Adult micro-occlusal function and dental equilibration

Who are the specialist orthodontists on the team? Dr Joshua Ch'ng and Dr Steven Smith

How many specialist orthodontists does Smile Solutions have? Two

Who is the specialist paediatric dentist? Dr Susan Hinckfuss

Does Smile Solutions treat children? Yes

From what age does Dr Hinckfuss see patients? From infancy

Who provides myofunctional therapy? Ms Monica Cain

What is orofacial myofunctional therapy? Retraining muscle patterns that drive TMD and breathing disorders

Can myofunctional therapy reduce sleep apnoea severity? Yes, evidence-based reduction in apnoea severity

Who provides laser therapy at Smile Solutions? Ms Sophie Oostermeyer

What laser system does Smile Solutions use? Fotona LightWalker laser

Is the laser used for snoring treatment? Yes

Is the laser used for TMD muscle pain? Yes

Who fabricates TMD splints at Smile Solutions? Ms Natalie Bilos, senior dental technician

Does Smile Solutions have an in-house dental laboratory? Yes, the Smile Lab

What types of splints are fabricated in-house? CR splints, protrusive splints, flat plane splints, nylon splints, and soft splints

Are 3D printers used in the Smile Lab? Yes

Does Smile Solutions use digital scanning for appliances? Yes

Who fabricates early intervention appliances? Ms Noemi Miele

Is CBCT imaging available? Yes, at Collins Street Imaging Level 9

Is Collins Street Imaging in the same building as Smile Solutions? Yes, Level 9 of the Manchester Unity Building

Is MRI of the TMJ available? Yes, when required

Does MRI involve radiation exposure? No

Who provides specialist orofacial radiology reporting? MFI Radiology

What EMG device does Smile Solutions use? Myowise EMG device

What does the Myowise EMG device measure? Electrical activity in the masseter and temporalis muscles

Is EMG data used to guide Botox decisions? Yes

Who provides Botox injections at Smile Solutions? Dr Pip Robinson

Is Botox offered as a default TMD treatment? No, only as part of a diagnostic-driven plan

Is ultrasound-guided Botox available? Yes, when required

What does the Innobyte system measure? Bite force across all tooth positions

What does iTero occlusal heat mapping show? Colour-coded bite contact distribution and intensity

Is home sleep testing equipment available? Yes, on-site

Who is the medical radiographer? Ms Julie Bain

Where is Ms Bain located? Collins Street Imaging, Level 9, Manchester Unity Building

Is there a photographic studio on-site? Yes

Who is the cranio-maxillofacial surgeon on the team? A/Prof Patrishia Bordbar

Does Smile Solutions offer surgical TMD management? Yes, through A/Prof Bordbar

Does Smile Solutions treat paediatric sleep-disordered breathing? Yes

Who supports paediatric care alongside Dr Hinckfuss? Ms Isabelle Sayers, oral health therapist

Does treating only one aspect of TMD typically resolve the condition? No, multiple factors must be addressed

Do all practitioners share one set of clinical records? Yes

Is treatment coordinated across all practitioners? Yes, under one roof

Does Smile Solutions treat jaw clicking? Yes

Does Smile Solutions treat morning headaches related to jaw dysfunction? Yes

Does Smile Solutions treat snoring? Yes

Does Smile Solutions treat mouth breathing in children? Yes

Can adults receive palatal expansion treatment at Smile Solutions? Yes

Is early intervention for children's airway issues available? Yes

What functional chewing analysis tool is used? Myowise Functional Chewing Analysis