A Dentist Eight Minutes From the Joondalup CBD

Yes, and it is worth telling us your roster pattern when you call rather than just taking the next available slot. We open at 8:00am Monday to Thursday, which suits people coming off a night shift, and our last appointments run to 5:00pm (4:00pm Friday). If you know your roster a few weeks out we can book several visits at once against the days you are off.

Door to chair, usually yes. The drive is about eight minutes each way on Shenton Avenue, and you park directly outside the practice at no cost. In the city centre the drive is shorter but you are adding car park entry, a lift, and a walk at both ends. Patients who made the switch tell us the total time is similar or better, and the parking is the part they actually noticed.

The WA School Dental Service does a solid job of screening and basic care, but it runs on a school-term cycle and it does not cover everything — orthodontic assessment, trauma from a knock at sport, or a problem that appears in the school holidays. Many families use both: the school van for the routine screen, and us for anything that cannot wait or falls outside the scheme. If your child is eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, that funding can be used here too.

A first visit is an examination, and we will tell you the fee for that when you book — there is no charge for asking. If anything is found, you get a written plan with item numbers before we do the work, so you can decide what to do now and what to defer. Students without extras cover often start with the exam and clean and stage anything else across a few months.

Only if there is facial swelling that is spreading, bleeding you cannot stop, or a suspected jaw fracture — those are genuine hospital problems. For a chipped or broken tooth, a lost filling or crown, or toothache, the emergency department cannot treat it. They will manage your pain and tell you to see a dentist. Call us on (08) 9401 8060 first thing Monday and we will find you a slot that day.

We claim through HICAPS, which covers every major Australian fund — HBF, Medibank, Bupa, HCF, NIB and the rest. You swipe your card at the desk and pay only the difference. What varies is how much your particular fund pays back, since that depends on your level of extras cover and how much of your annual limit you have used. Bring your card and we will show you the rebate on the terminal before you pay.

For a routine check-up and clean, plan on a couple of weeks, and longer in November and December when everyone remembers their extras limit resets on 31 December. Emergencies are different — we keep slots aside each day for pain, so call in the morning rather than booking online if something hurts.

Yes, and we would rather you did — one drive instead of three. Tell us how many people and their ages when you call and we will block consecutive appointments. With young children we usually schedule the adults first so the kids can watch, which takes most of the mystery out of it.