Children with Special Needs

When your child has special needs, you also have special considerations to make regarding their health care, and dental care is no exception. It’s essential to work with providers that understand your child’s unique needs and can comfortably accommodate them.

Special needs patients include children in these situations:

Behavioural issues including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD, ADD, ODD
Complex medical issues
Medically compromised
Extreme dental anxiety
Paediatric dental trauma

At Southside Paediatric Dentistry, our paediatric specialist dentists have many years of experience helping children with special needs comfortably receive the dentistry they need for healthy, happy smiles.

The Benefits of Paediatric Dentistry

When you’re child has special needs, it can feel daunting to complete routine dental visits. Working with a Miranda paediatric specialist dentist makes it easy and comfortable for your child to receive the dental services they need for a healthy smile. Here are some additional benefits of having excellent oral health.

Enhanced Nutrition

When your child can chew and eat food comfortably and effectively, it improves their nutrition.

Eliminates Discomfort

Ignoring dental care can result in painful tooth infections and damage to teeth.

Oral Development

Making parents aware of any developmental concerns and helping them plan for future treatments that may be necessary to maintain their child’s dental health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you treat children with complex medical issues?

Yes, our practice is fully equipped and experienced in treating children with complex medical issues. We understand these patients often require specialised care and extra attention, and we are committed to providing it.

Our team consists of board-registered paediatric specialist dentists who have undergone extensive additional training beyond general dentistry. This specialisation equips them with the expertise to manage various complex medical conditions that can impact oral health and dental treatment.

We regularly care for children with various medical complexities, including but not limited to:

Congenital heart conditions
Autoimmune diseases
Neurological disorders
Developmental delays
Genetic syndromes

Providing Comprehensive Care for Children

Our specialists work closely with other medical professionals involved in your child's care to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated approach. We are experienced in adapting our treatments and techniques to accommodate each child's unique needs and medical requirements.

We also understand that children with complex medical issues may have heightened anxiety about dental visits. Our team is trained in behaviour management techniques and can provide various sedation options where necessary to ensure your child's comfort and safety during treatment.

Rest assured, we are dedicated to providing the highest standard of dental care for all children, regardless of the complexity of their medical needs.

Meeting Your Child's Unique Needs

Paediatric dentists are board-registered specialist dentists who care for the dental health of children of all ages, from infancy to adolescence. In addition to their basic dental training, they must undergo several additional years of specialist training to obtain a doctorate in paediatric dentistry. This extensive specialist training includes working with special needs patients.

At Southside Paediatric Dentistry, we offer dental sedation with happy gas and treatment performed under general anaesthesia in a hospital setting with a specialist anaesthetist. These options ensure that your child can receive the dental care they need in a manner that’s most comfortable for them.

We welcome your call to our Miranda dental clinic if you have questions about your child’s dental health or treatment needs.

Meet Our Team:

Dr Soni Stephen
Specialist Paediatric Dentist & Director

BDS MDS Paed.Dent (Adel) MRACDS (Paed.Dent) FRACDS FADI FICD

Dr Soni Stephen (President-IAPD) is an experienced and passionate Australian trained specialist Paediatric Dentist who completed his specialist training in 1997 from the University of Adelaide and the Women's and Children's Hospital. He the worked at the Royal Children’s Hospital of Melbourne until 2000 prior to moving to Sydney. Dr Stephen was appointed as Head of Paediatric Dentistry at Sydney Dental Hospital in 2000 a role he held till 2014. He was also a visiting specialist to Sydney Children's and Canterbury ...