This clinic
01Point Cook
Address220 Point Cook Road, Point Cook VIC 3030
Phone(03) 8338 1515
HoursMon–Sat 9:00 am–5:00 pm
Children's dentistry · Point Cook · First visits
Your child's first dental visit in Point Cook.
Your child's first visit to Magical Smiles Point Cook is a 30 to 45 minute introduction, not a treatment appointment. They meet the dentist, try the chair and, if they're happy, have their teeth counted while we chat with you about brushing and diet. Nervous child, or a bad experience in the past? Tell us, and we'll plan the visit around it.
Many parents keep meaning to book that first dental appointment and never quite get to it. Maybe your child is nervous, maybe you are, or maybe an earlier visit somewhere else ended in tears.
No child becomes "ready" for the dentist on a particular birthday. What makes the difference is how the first visit goes. A gentle start sets a calm pattern for years; a rushed or frightening one can take a long time to undo.
Starting early also means the first visit can be a check-up rather than a visit about a sore tooth. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) says check-up visits are generally linked with better oral health than visits for a problem. Its oral health report, last updated on 6 August 2026, draws on a national study from 2012–14: around 4 in 10 (42%) Australian children aged 5–10 had already had decay in their baby teeth, and around 9 in 10 (87%) children aged 5–14 first saw a dental provider for a check-up.
So we keep it slow on purpose. There's almost no treatment involved; it's mostly an introduction. Your child meets the chair, the team and the little mirror, and decides how much happens on the day.
If it helps, read this page together beforehand. Knowing what's coming makes walking through the door much easier.
Show-and-tell comes first
A short visit, kept simple.
What it is.
An introduction. A short appointment that belongs to your child: they meet the team, sit in the chair and take in the room. If they're comfortable, we count their teeth and chat with you about brushing, food and drinks.
What it isn't.
It's not a treatment day, a checklist or a test your child can fail. If all that happens is sitting in the chair, the visit has done its job, and the rest can wait until next time.
What happens, step by step.
A first visit takes 30 to 45 minutes. If your child isn't ready for a step, we skip it; there's always another appointment.
It's the start of our children’s dentistry care, which continues with regular check-ups and, for eligible families, bulk-billed CDBS care. Under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, eligible children can claim up to $1,158 over two calendar years (or $1,132 if their two-year period began in 2025) for basic services such as check-ups, X-rays and cleaning.
01
Hello, you're here.
While you check in, your child can take their time. No one hurries them through the door before they're ready.
02
A friendly chat first.
We sit down with you both. How is your child feeling? What do they think happens at the dentist? Is anything worrying them?
03
Meet the chair.
Your child can look at the chair, sit in it (often with you close by) and press the button that moves it up and down. It seems small, but for a nervous child it's a big step.
04
Show and tell.
We show them the mirror, the air puffer and the toothbrush we use. They can hold them, ask questions and hear what each one does. The air puffer usually gets a laugh.
05
Counting teeth.
If they're happy for us to look, we gently count their teeth with the mirror. No drill and no big equipment, just a careful look and a running commentary. If they'd rather wait, we wait.
06
A soft polish, if they'd like.
Older children may be offered a gentle polish, only if they agree, and it's fine for the answer to be no.
07
Your turn to talk.
While your child is happily occupied, we answer your questions about brushing, fluoride, snacks, thumb-sucking or anything else. No question is too small.
08
Home, feeling proud.
We finish on a high note and suggest when to come back. The goal is simple: a child who leaves feeling they had a good morning.
If they're nervous
Let us know, and we'll slow down.
If new places make your child anxious, or a past appointment elsewhere went badly, please tell us, whether that's when you book, when you arrive or any time in between.
It's all normal, and we've heard it before. The more we know, the better we can plan: more time, a quieter part of the day, a different order. Sometimes that means skipping the bib; sometimes it means a parent sits in the chair first.
"Let our team know if your child is especially anxious, needs extra attention, or if this is their first visit and you'd like it to feel special." We mean it; it's how we plan every children's appointment.
She'll be calmer if I sit in the chair first.
He's autistic and sudden noises startle him.
She had a bad visit somewhere else and now she's scared.
Please don't say the word "needle", even to reassure her.
He hates the bib. Can we skip it?
What really helps, and what to avoid.
You don't need weeks of preparation. One calm conversation the day before is usually enough. Here's what tends to help, and what's best left out.
Helps
Try these.
- Mention the visit briefly, a day or two before. "We're going to meet a dentist who will count your teeth."
- Read a picture book about going to the dentist; your local library will likely have a few.
- Play at opening wide at home, just for fun.
- Let your child choose a toothbrush to bring along.
- Tell them they can see the chair and press the button themselves.
- If you can, book a morning appointment; most young children cope better then than when they're tired in the afternoon.
Avoid
Skip these.
- Words like needle, drill, pain and shot, even to reassure. The word is what sticks.
- Promising "it won't hurt". Instead, promise that we'll explain what we're doing before we do it.
- Lollies as a reward afterwards. Everyone notices, including the teeth.
- Sharing your own dental nerves in front of them. Children pick up on it quickly.
- Talking it up for days beforehand. A short mention the day before is plenty.
- Cancelling because they say they don't want to go. Coming in and meeting us, even for ten minutes, still helps.
Before the chair
No one gets rushed in.
The first few minutes set the tone for the rest of the visit. Nobody is marched straight into the room. There's time to look around, watch what's happening and nod when ready.
For an anxious child, that slow start does a lot of the work. By the time we walk through together, the room isn't unfamiliar any more, and the chair is just a chair.
In the room
Explained first, done gently.
Nothing happens before it's explained, so there are no surprises. Your child is welcome to press the button that raises and lowers the chair, usually more than once.
Anxious children read the mood of a room before anything else, so we keep the whole first visit calm and unhurried.
A quick look at what to expect.
If your child likes to know exactly what's coming, watch this short video together before the visit.
A quick look at the visit
What a gentle first visit actually looks like.
Watch it the evening before rather than the morning of the appointment. Curiosity helps more than waiting and wondering.
Who you'll meet
A team that welcomes nervous kids.
Magical Smiles Point Cook is led by principal dentist Dr Rachna Yadav, with Dr Amolak Deep. We welcome children who are nervous, sensory-sensitive or coming to us after a hard appointment somewhere else, and we plan a slower introduction for them.
If a quick call before booking would help, whether about anxiety, a medical condition or anything else, ring (03) 8338 1515. We'd much rather talk it through now than have a difficult appointment later.
Dr Rachna Yadav · AHPRA DEN0001046139 · Dr Amolak Deep · AHPRA DEN0002514296
First-visit questions from parents.
The Australian Dental Association recommends a first visit when the first tooth appears or by the first birthday, whichever comes first. If your child is older and hasn't been yet, that's fine; we'll start from where they are today.
Usually not. With young children the first visit is mainly an introduction and a visual check. We only suggest an x-ray when there's a clinical reason and your child is settled enough, and we'll explain why and agree it with you first.
Then we don't look. We never force it, and it's common for a child to need a few visits before they'll open up for someone new. Getting comfortable is what the appointment is for.
A first visit is designed to be easy: a look, a count and a chat. If anything more is needed at a later appointment, we'll explain it to you and your child first, and nothing happens without your agreement.
Whatever your child prefers. Many parents stay close for the first few visits, and some children want to show they can do it on their own. Both are fine; you know your child best.
Every six to twelve months suits most children, and we'll recommend a timeframe once we've seen your child. Coming back sooner can also help keep the dentist familiar.
Yes, and it often helps. A younger child who watches a brother or sister go first is usually braver. Let us know when you book so we can plan the timing.
Just tell us when you book. We'll allow more time, choose a quieter part of the day and adjust the pace and order of the visit to suit your child.
Before you go
Waiting another six months doesn't change much, except that your child will be six months older at their first dental visit.
When the first visit goes smoothly, the ones after it usually follow. That's why this page is written the way it is: not to push you into booking today, but to make the decision feel smaller.
When you're ready, call us or book online. We'll take it from there.
Book when they're ready.
Book a first visit at Magical Smiles Point Cook whenever it suits, Monday to Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, or call first if you'd like to talk it through. There's no pressure and no rush.