Book a check-up before the festive season

Halloween is over, so it’s now time to start thinking about your child’s next favourite holiday: Christmas. And while it may be too early to start putting up decorations or playing Christmas carols, it is certainly not too early to start planning. Your planning may include your undoubtedly delicious festive menu, possible accommodation for visiting friends and relatives or maybe just ensuring there will be enough presents under the tree for the kids. But how many of you are thinking about scheduling family dental check-ups before the holiday season? We strongly urge you to book it in, because no one wants the festivities interrupted by a dental emergency.

Picture this: It is a typical, scorching Queensland summer’s day. The family has just devoured their delicious Christmas lunch. Your child is outside happily playing with their new Christmas toys. Maybe they received a cricket set? Or perhaps it was a pool toy? The raucous laughter echoes towards you with the light summer breeze when suddenly, the enjoyment is interrupted by the scream of pain! Your child has just been hit in the face with their cricket bat, or they may have knocked their mouth on the edge of the pool while doing a backflip. A tooth is now broken.

You may think that this type of dental emergency doesn’t count because it is unavoidable. But while one-off instances of trauma can cause cracked teeth, they can also be caused by weak enamel due to tooth decay or deteriorated seals between tooth and filling. It is just after Halloween, so the instances of sugar-induced tooth decay are at a premium. Fortunately, this type of condition can be identified in a regular check-up. We at KIDS Mackay can fortify your child’s teeth to avoid the Christmas Day dental emergency.

We realise that you may be putting off a dental check-up toward the end of the year due to all of the other costs associated with Christmas. But don’t forget that the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is available for any child aged between 2 and 17 years. The CDBS affords you $1000 to spend on various dental consultations and procedures over two consecutive years. Find out more about the Child Dental Benefits Schedule by visiting the Department of Human Services website.

Also, if you have private health insurance, check what your insurer’s policy is regarding end-of-year rollovers. Many private health funds expire at the end of December (that is, they start a new ‘claiming year’ at the beginning of January). Often this expiration means that policyholders lose entitlement to any unclaimed benefits. So, make sure you use any unclaimed dental before it expires. Or check with your health fund provider as to whether you are entitled to ‘rollover’ your unclaimed benefits.

KIDS Mackay will be closing over the holiday season, as even Dexter likes to take a break to work off his Christmas lunch! Our clinic will be closed from 23 December 2017 and will reopen on 8 January 2018. So book your check-up early and get peace of mind this festive season!

To book your pre-holidays dental check-up before our shutdown, please call us on 4942 5111 or Book Online.