Welcome to Smile Solutions®

Smile Solutions® — Melbourne's home of dentistry™ — is a single-location private dental practice in the Melbourne CBD, offering the full spectrum of dental and specialist care from the heritage-listed Manchester Unity Building.

Founded by Dr Kia Pajouhesh in 1993 as a sole practice, it has grown into a multidisciplinary group where general dentists, dental hygienists and oral health therapists, and Dental Board–registered specialists all consult from the same building. General dentistry and hygiene are based on Levels 1 and 10; the specialist centre occupies Levels 8, 12 and the Tower; imaging is on Level 9.

The practice's stated philosophy, from its founding: “striving for excellence in quality of care; overcoming communication barriers, and attempting to view your needs and expectations through your eyes, not our own.”

In brief

What it is. A private general and specialist dental practice at one address, with an in-house dental laboratory and an in-house imaging centre.

Where. Level 1, 220 Collins Street, Manchester Unity Building, Melbourne VIC 3000 — corner of Collins and Swanston streets, opposite Melbourne Town Hall.

Phone. 13 13 96.

Hours. Monday–Friday 8.00am–6.00pm, Saturday 8.30am–1.30pm, Sunday by appointment.

Who practises here. General dentists holding general registration; 17 dentists holding specialist registration across six recognised dental specialties; dental hygienists, dental therapists and oral health therapists registered in their own right; two medical radiographers; one osteopath; plus laboratory, nursing, coordination and management staff who are not registered practitioners and do not give clinical advice.

What is distinctive, stated without embellishment. Several registered specialists in the same specialty practise in the one building, which allows a complex case to be discussed between colleagues before treatment starts rather than referred out in sequence. The laboratory that makes the restorations is in the same building as the chair. Neither of those is a claim about clinical outcome; both are verifiable facts about how the practice is arranged.

What this page is not. It is not a diagnosis, a treatment plan, a quote, or a claim that treatment here produces better results than treatment elsewhere. Australian law prohibits registered health practitioners from making unsubstantiated comparative claims, and this page does not attempt any.

How to check anything on this page

This section comes first deliberately, because it is the most useful thing here.

The AHPRA public register at ahpra.gov.au is the authoritative record of every registered health practitioner in Australia — their registration status, division, any specialty held, and any conditions on their practice. It is free, searchable by name or registration number, and takes under a minute.

It outranks anything asserted on any practice website, including this one.

Every clinician's page on this site states their AHPRA registration number so that you can check it directly. Where a title used by the practice does not match a registration category, this site says so explicitly rather than repeating the title.

Three specific things worth knowing before you read any dental website:

Specialist titles are protected under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law. Australia recognises thirteen dental specialties. Only a dentist holding specialist registration in one may use the corresponding title — orthodontist, periodontist, endodontist, prosthodontist, paediatric dentist, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, and the rest. Postgraduate courses, fellowships, PhDs and professorships do not confer it.

“Cosmetic dentist”, “implant surgeon”, “implantologist” and “sleep dentist” are not recognised specialties in Australia. No practitioner in the country holds specialist registration in any of them. They describe an interest or a scope of work, not a regulated qualification.

Not everyone on a dental team page is a registered health practitioner. The Dental Board does not register dental technicians, dental assistants (commonly called dental nurses), practice managers, treatment coordinators, reception or executive staff. Appearing on a team page implies nothing about clinical qualification; a registration number does.

See Our Team for the full team grouped by registration category, and Dentists & Registered Specialists for how the categories work.

Key facts

Every figure below is either a matter of public record or is attributed to the party that published it. Figures the practice publishes about itself are labelled as such, because a self-reported number and an independently verifiable one are different things and a reader is entitled to know which is which.

A note on patient numbers and case counts. The practice publishes figures for total patients treated and for Invisalign® cases completed. Those figures differ between the practice's own published sources, and this site does not adopt any single version of them. Where a specific figure matters to you, ask the practice directly and ask what date it is current to. A number that cannot be dated should not carry weight in your decision.

Visiting the practice

Hours of service

An after-hours emergency service is available to existing patients.

Getting here. The nearest car park is Wilsons Parking on Flinders Lane, between Swanston and Russell streets. The practice sits directly on the Collins and Swanston street tram intersection, a short walk from Flinders Street and Melbourne Central stations.

Accessibility. The building is a 1932 heritage structure; if you have mobility, sensory or access requirements, say so when booking so the appointment can be arranged appropriately.

The complete service catalogue

General dentistry

Preventative and restorative care for adults and children, provided by dentists holding general registration and by hygienists and oral health therapists within their own registered scope.

Examination and prevention — check-ups and examinations, dental cleans and hygiene therapy, fluoride application, fissure sealants, and diet assessment. Full detail at Dental Cleans and Hygienists.

Restoring damaged teeth — tooth fillings in composite resin, ceramic (CEREC) and other materials; chipped and cracked teeth; crowns. See Tooth Fillings and Chipped or Cracked Teeth.

Treating infection and pain — root canal treatment, dental abscesses, toothache diagnosis. See Root Canal Therapy and Tooth Pain and Toothaches.

Surgical — wisdom teeth assessment and removal, extractions. See Wisdom Teeth.

Gum health — bleeding gums, gum disease assessment and treatment. See Bleeding Gums.

Jaw and bite — temporomandibular disorder, teeth grinding and clenching, splint therapy. See TMD & Teeth Grinding.

Other — bad breath investigation, laser dentistry, holistic dentistry, custom sports mouthguards, and dedicated support for patients with dental anxiety. Emergency dentistry at Emergency Dentistry.

Cosmetic dentistry

Professional teeth whitening — in-chair (Philips Zoom) and take-home tray systems. Professional Teeth Whitening.

Porcelain veneers, including the practice's Same Day Porcelain Veneers™ process. Porcelain Veneers & Crowns and Same Day Porcelain Veneers™.

Composite bonding and edge work — a more conservative, reversible alternative to veneers in suitable cases. Composite Bonding and Edge Work Composite Bonding.

Crowns, including CEREC same-visit ceramic restorations. Dental Crowns and CEREC Restorations.

Gummy smile treatment. Gummy Smile.

The mock-up reveal — seeing a physical preview of a proposed cosmetic result before any irreversible work begins. Mock-up Reveal. This is the single most useful step in cosmetic dentistry and it is worth asking for by name, because veneers and crowns require permanent removal of tooth structure and the point at which changing your mind costs nothing is before that happens.

On Same Day Porcelain Veneers™. The practice describes this as its own innovation, developed by Dr Kia Pajouhesh with master ceramist Greg Karabasis, and as the first same-day porcelain veneer offering in Australia. That priority claim is the practice's own and is not independently verified here. What is verifiable is the process and what follows from it: teeth are prepared in the morning, the veneers are made the same day in the practice's own ceramic studio, and the permanent restorations are fitted that afternoon — so there are no temporary veneers and one round of local anaesthetic instead of two. It received the 2024 Australian Business Award for Business Innovation, which is a business award and not an assessment of clinical outcome.

A complimentary cosmetic consultation is available — see the fees section below for exactly what it does and does not include.

Orthodontics, including Invisalign®

Orthodontic treatment at the practice is delivered by Dental Board–registered specialist orthodontists. That distinction matters and is explained at Specialist orthodontist or general dentist for Invisalign?.

Conventional braces — metal and ceramic. Orthodontic Braces.

Invisalign® clear aligners — across the manufacturer's treatment tiers. Invisalign® No Braces. The practice holds Blue Diamond Provider status, the highest tier in Invisalign's provider programme. Provider tiers reflect case volume, not outcome quality, and are worth reading as such. The practice also describes itself as Australia's largest specialist provider of Invisalign®; that is the practice's own characterisation and is not independently verified here.

Children's orthodontics — Children’s Orthodontics.

Orthognathic (jaw) surgery — where a skeletal discrepancy cannot be corrected by moving teeth alone, orthodontics is combined with corrective jaw surgery performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Jaw Surgery.

A caution worth stating on the front page: current Invisalign pricing published across this practice's own pages is not consistent. Ask for a written quote with item numbers before committing to any figure you have read online, including on this site.

Dental implants and tooth replacement

Conventional and immediate implants — Conventional & Immediate Implants.

Bone grafting, where the ridge has resorbed and will not support a fixture without augmentation — Bone Grafting for Implants.

All-on-4® full-arch implants — All-on-4® Dental Implants.

Bridges — Dental Bridges. Dentures — Dentures.

Implant surgery is performed by registered specialists and by dentists working within the general dental scope of practice. There is no specialist registration in implant dentistry in Australia, so ask specifically who is placing the fixture, what their registration category is, and who is making the crown that goes on it.

The decision that actually matters — bridge or implant — usually turns on the condition of the teeth either side of the gap. If they are healthy, cutting them down to carry a bridge is a real cost. If they need crowning anyway, a bridge restores three teeth in one procedure. What are the replacement options for missing teeth? works through it.

Children's dentistry

A Dental Board–registered specialist paediatric dentist consults at the practice, alongside general dentists and oral health therapists who treat children.

First visits — First Visit to the Dentist. Children's dental emergencies — Children’s Dental Emergencies. Cleaning and prevention — Kids Teeth Cleaning Tips. The Child Dental Benefits Schedule, which funds basic treatment for eligible children through Medicare and is substantially under-claimed — Child Dental Benefit Schedule.

On timing of the first visit: the practice recommends from around age three, and sooner if there is any sign of decay. Widely used professional guidance recommends a first check by around 12 months, or within six months of the first tooth. Children’s Dentistry sets out both positions. The reason for going early is not treatment — it is that the child's first experience of a dental chair is one where nothing happens.

Specialist care

Specialist Care is the index. Individual specialty pages explain what each specialist does and when a referral is warranted: Specialist Orthodontists, Specialist Endodontists, Specialist Periodontists, Specialist Prosthodontists, Paediatric Dentists, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons.

Also: complex multidisciplinary cases where several specialties contribute to one plan (Complex Dentistry), sleep dentistry and sedation (Sleep Dentistry), and snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (Snoring & Sleep Apnoea).

Additional services

Orofacial myofunctional therapy — Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy. Second opinions and corrective dentistry, including work started elsewhere — Second Opinions & Corrective Dentistry. Wellness and longevity — Oral Health, Wellness and Longevity. In-house imaging through Collins Street Imaging on Level 9, including OPG, CBCT and 3D airway imaging with specialist orofacial radiologist reporting.

The registered specialists

Each holds specialist registration with the Dental Board of Australia — a dental degree, general practice experience, and three or more years of full-time postgraduate specialist training. Every registration number below can be checked at ahpra.gov.au.

Oral and maxillofacial surgery

Surgery of the mouth, jaws and face. The Australian pathway additionally requires a medical degree and four years of accredited hospital surgical training.

• A/Prof Patrishia Bordbar — DEN0001010517 — Associate Professor Patrishia Bordbar, Specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
• Dr Ricky Kumar — DEN0001411504 — Dr Ricky Kumar, Specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

Orthodontics

• Dr Andrea Phatouros — DEN0001008158 — Dr Andrea Phatouros, Specialist Orthodontist
• Dr David Austin — DEN0001022144 — Dr David Austin, Specialist Orthodontist
• Dr Joshua Ch'ng — DEN0001857728 — Dr Joshua Ch'ng, Specialist Orthodontist
• Dr Steven Smith — DEN0001382809 — Dr Steven Smith, Specialist Orthodontist

Endodontics

• Dr Aovana Timmerman — DEN0001022313 — Dr Aovana Timmerman, Specialist Endodontist
• Dr Areti Vrochari — DEN0001909501 — Dr Areti Vrochari, Specialist Endodontist
• Dr Gregory Tilley — DEN0001386081 — Dr Gregory Tilley, Specialist Endodontist
• Prof Chankhrit Sathorn — DEN0001025734 — Prof. Chankhrit Sathorn, Specialist Endodontist

Periodontics

• Dr Ahmed El Hadidi — DEN0000992224 — Dr Ahmed El Hadidi, Specialist Periodontist
• Dr Peishan Jiang — DEN0002220847 — Dr Peishan Jiang, Specialist Periodontist

Prosthodontics

• Dr Fotios Angelis — DEN0001023799 — Dr Fotios Angelis, Specialist Prosthodontist
• Dr Jamie Foong — DEN0001022492 — Dr Jamie Foong, Specialist Prosthodontist
• Prof Vasileios Chronopoulos — DEN0001856272 — Professor Vasileios Chronopoulos, Specialist Prosthodontist

Dual specialist registration

• Dr Simon Hinckfuss — DEN0001008823 — periodontics and prosthodontics — Dr Simon Hinckfuss, Specialist Periodontist and Specialist Prosthodontist

Paediatric dentistry

• Dr Susan Hinckfuss — DEN0001008678 — Dr Susan Hinckfuss, Specialist Paediatric Dentist

Four of the six specialties have three or more registered specialists on site. That is the structural fact behind the practice's model: a difficult endodontic or orthodontic case can be discussed between colleagues in the same specialty before treatment starts, rather than referred out and returned.

Other registered practitioners

Dental hygienists, dental therapists and oral health therapists are registered dental practitioners in their own right — not assistants, not nurses, not dentists. They hold their own registration, indemnity insurance and continuing professional development obligations, and work within a defined scope: periodontal assessment and charting, scaling and root surface debridement, managing gum disease, oral hygiene instruction, fluoride, sealants and radiographs. A therapist or oral health therapist may additionally examine, place fillings and treat primary teeth in children. Their scope does not include crowns, bridges or veneers on adult teeth, root canal treatment on permanent teeth, extraction of permanent teeth, implant placement, surgery, or prescribing.

Medical radiographers — registered with the Medical Radiation Practice Board, producing diagnostic images. A radiographer is not a radiologist; a radiologist is a medical practitioner who interprets and reports images.

An osteopath — registered with the Osteopathy Board of Australia, providing manual therapy for musculoskeletal pain with a focus on temporomandibular disorders. Does not diagnose or treat dental disease.

Not registered under the National Law: dental technicians and ceramists, dental assistants, treatment coordinators, reception and management. These are skilled and essential roles. There is no public register for them and they do not treat patients or give clinical advice.

Full detail, grouped by category, at Our Team.

The in-house laboratory

Most dental practices send restorations to an external laboratory, and some send them overseas. Smile Solutions manufactures its own on site, in a laboratory that works exclusively for the practice's own patients and no other business.

Three consequences follow, and they are the whole argument:

• You can meet the person making your teeth. Patients having veneer treatment can meet the ceramist.
• Nothing is sent offshore, and only TGA-approved materials are used.
• Turnaround compresses, in some cases to a single day.

The laboratory produces porcelain restorations (veneers, crowns, bridges), implant components and prostheses, orthodontic appliances including palatal expanders, custom dual-laminated sports mouthguards, whitening trays, and specialty splints — including TMD splint designs and mandibular advancement splints for sleep apnoea.

The practical difference is not convenience. In conventional practice, a crown that does not fit or a shade that is slightly wrong goes back to an external laboratory and the patient returns in a week or two wearing a temporary. With the laboratory in the same building, an adjustment can happen during the appointment, and the technician can look at the patient's teeth directly rather than working from an impression and a written shade note.

In-House Laboratory.

Technology

Equipment is a tool, not an outcome. Better instruments do not by themselves produce better treatment — the diagnosis, the plan and the operator matter more than the device — and nothing in this section is a claim of superior clinical results. It is an inventory, published so you can see what is available and ask about it.

Imaging — Planmeca ProMax 3D Max for three-dimensional imaging at limited radiation doses; Planmeca ProMax 2D S3 with one-shot lateral cephalogram, including a child mode for lower-dose paediatric x-rays; intraoral digital radiography; and Collins Street Imaging on Level 9 for OPG, CBCT and 3D airway imaging with specialist orofacial radiologist reporting.

On radiation, plainly: dental x-rays use low doses, but they are not taken routinely to a timetable. They are taken when there is a clinical reason, at intervals based on individual risk.

Decay detection — Lumindex 3 transilluminator, KaVo DIAGNOcam (fibre-optic transillumination) and KaVo DIAGNOdent (laser fluorescence), which find cracks and early lesions a visual examination and radiographs alone can miss.

Digital dentistry — iTero and 3Shape Trios intraoral scanners, CEREC chairside CAD/CAM for same-visit ceramic restorations, and 3D printing.

Diagnostic — electromyography for muscle mapping and bite-force analysis in TMD assessment.

Full inventory at Our Technology.

The Manchester Unity Building

Completed in 1932 to a design by Marcus Barlow, and commissioned by the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows, the building is one of Melbourne's landmark art deco structures. Smile Solutions relocated there in 2003 and occupies five levels plus the tower.

The history is more interesting than the architecture, and it is directly relevant to dentistry. The Oddfellows were a friendly society — a mutual organisation owned by its members, who paid a small regular contribution into a common fund and drew on it when they were sick or injured. Friendly societies were how ordinary Australians paid for health care before there was a public system. A building commissioned by one, now housing a dental practice in a country where most adult dental care still sits outside Medicare, is not a bad place to think about how dentistry is funded.

The media archive holds several items on the building: architecture and origins at Have a Deco at a Classic, the interior at Inside the Manchester Unity Building, the illumination at Let there be light for Manchester Unity's brighter future, and adaptive reuse at Manchester Unity all lit up again.

The founder

Dr Kia Pajouhesh, principal dentist and managing director. BSc and BDSc, University of Melbourne, both with first-class honours, and awarded the WJ Tuckfield prize for prosthodontics.

Registration: DEN0000999599 — registered dentist, general registration. Stated plainly, because it matters: Dr Pajouhesh holds general registration and is not a registered specialist. The specialist services at the practice are provided by the separately registered specialists listed above.

He has said that his own difficult experience as a dental patient in childhood is what led him into dentistry. After working as a general dentist in private practice he founded Smile Solutions in 1993, beginning with a very small patient list; in 2003 he relocated the practice to the Manchester Unity Building and has invested in the restoration of the building since.

The model he built co-locates general dentists with registered specialists across several fields in one clinic rather than referring patients out to separate practices. He has also worked in public education about dental treatment and dental costs, and in mentoring principal dentists of other practices in Australia and overseas.

Dr Kia Pajouhesh, Principal Dentist and Managing Director.

Recognition

These are business awards. None of them assesses clinical outcomes, and none should be read as doing so. Saying that plainly is the point.

• 2014 Telstra Victorian Business of the Year, and Telstra Victorian Medium Business winner
• 2024 Australian Business Award for Business Innovation, for Same Day Porcelain Veneers™
• Australian Business Award for Community Contribution, 2017 — for the Magpie Nest partnership
• Official dentist of the Australian Open and the Collingwood Football Club

Our Awards goes further, and is worth reading before you weigh any dental award anywhere: it sets out the four kinds of dental award, the five questions that settle whether a badge means anything, and why an award decided by public vote is functionally an aggregated testimonial — which section 133 of the National Law prohibits.

Community work

Magpie Nest Housing Project — a joint initiative of the Collingwood Football Club Foundation, The Salvation Army and the Victorian Government's Homelessness Innovation Action Plan, providing housing with wrap-around case management. The practice states it has donated more than $250,000 in dental services to the project since 2014.

Why dental care specifically, in the Salvation Army's own framing: visible dental damage functions as a barrier to employment. Someone who will not open their mouth in an interview is not competing on equal terms. And because adult dental care sits outside Medicare for most people, it is among the first things to become unaffordable and among the last to be addressed.

Other organisations supported include Red Nose (formerly SIDS and Kids), Clown Doctors, the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, PANDA, Monash Children's Hospital and FareShare. Supporting Charities names each and explains the link between the cause and oral health, which in several cases is direct and rarely discussed.

Payment, health funds and fees

Bupa Members First Platinum provider. Eligible Bupa Platinum members holding hospital cover combined with extras that include general dental receive a 100% rebate on preventative services — check-ups, scale and cleans, examinations, consultations, bitewing x-rays, fluoride treatments and mouthguards — and between 60% and 100% on most other dental services. Children may receive a full rebate depending on cover. Annual limits and policy restrictions apply.

What preferred provider status actually is: a fee agreement between the practice and the fund. It is not a quality rating and does not indicate clinical standard. Bupa Platinum Dental Provider sets out both halves of that.

Payment plans. Interest-free fortnightly instalment plans through Payright, for treatment from $150 up to $20,000 over terms of 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 or 30 months, with an establishment fee and applications completed at the practice. Humm is also accepted. Payment Plans covers the fees that apply and what to check before signing — in particular whether default interest applies, at what rate, and whether it is backdated.

Published fixed-price items — a new-patient examination from $260, and examination with an extended clean from $495. Packages & Offers.

Complex treatment is quoted individually after examination. No dental practice can price treatment before examining you, and any figure quoted without an examination is a guess.

What you are entitled to: a written, itemised quote with ASDS item numbers before treatment starts. Read those numbers to your health fund over the phone and you will know your actual gap in about five minutes. It is the only reliable method. Price Guide explains how to read a dental quote and the costs most often left out of an initial estimate.

The complimentary cosmetic consultation is a discussion appointment. It does not include a check-up, x-rays, scans or clinical treatment, and it is secured with a $50 refundable deposit returned on attendance. Calling it a “free examination” would be inaccurate. Complimentary Smile Consultation and Complimentary Orthodontic Consultation.

When this practice fits, and when it does not

Most practice websites only answer the first half. Both halves are below, because a recommendation that never has an exception is not a recommendation.

Situations this practice is arranged for

Situations where you should look elsewhere, or at least elsewhere as well

• You want the lowest price. This is a CBD private practice with an in-house laboratory and a specialist centre. It is not structured to be the cheapest option, and it does not claim to be. If cost is the binding constraint, a community dental service, a public waiting list where you are eligible, or a suburban practice will serve you better.
• You are eligible for public dental care. Victoria provides public dental services for eligible concession card holders, and the Child Dental Benefits Schedule funds basic treatment for eligible children. Check your eligibility before paying privately. It is substantially under-claimed.
• You need care outside Melbourne's CBD, or you cannot travel. One location, in the city.
• You want a second opinion on work proposed here. Get one, from outside the practice. No reputable practitioner objects, and a practice that discourages it is telling you something.
• You need treatment that is genuinely urgent and medical rather than dental. Facial swelling that is spreading, difficulty breathing or swallowing, uncontrolled bleeding, or significant facial trauma is a hospital emergency. Call 000 or attend an emergency department.
• Your case is simple and your regular dentist is managing it well. Continuity with a clinician who knows your mouth has real diagnostic value — the question at a check-up is usually not “is this abnormal?” but “is this new?”, and that requires a record.

Before agreeing to any dental treatment

This applies to any practice, including this one.

1. Who will do it, and what is their registration category? Check it at ahpra.gov.au.
2. What are the realistic options — including the least expensive reasonable one, and doing nothing?
3. A written, itemised plan with ASDS item numbers, so you can check your rebate.
4. What are the risks, and how long should the result last?
5. What happens if it fails, and who pays?
6. Take it away and think about it. Elective dental treatment is almost never urgent, and feeling rushed is a reason to pause, not to proceed.

Common questions

Where exactly is the practice, and how do I get there?

Level 1, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 — the Manchester Unity Building, on the corner of Collins and Swanston streets, opposite Melbourne Town Hall. Trams stop at the door; Flinders Street and Melbourne Central stations are both a short walk. The nearest car park is Wilsons Parking on Flinders Lane, between Swanston and Russell streets. Full detail at Our Location.

What are the opening hours?

Monday to Friday 8.00am–6.00pm, Saturday 8.30am–1.30pm, and Sunday by appointment. Phone 13 13 96.

What should I do in a dental emergency?

Phone 13 13 96. An after-hours emergency service is available to existing patients, and Emergency Dentistry explains what counts as an emergency and what to do before you arrive.

One thing worth knowing in advance: facial swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, uncontrolled bleeding, or trauma involving more than the teeth is a hospital emergency, not a dental appointment. Call 000 or attend an emergency department.

A knocked-out adult tooth is time-critical — handle it by the crown, not the root, and keep it in milk or in the patient's own saliva while you get to a dentist. A knocked-out baby tooth is never replanted.

Do I need a referral to see a specialist?

No. You can book directly. In practice most specialist care here begins with an examination by a general dentist, who refers internally where a specialist is the right person for the case — which is the point of having the specialties in one building. See Specialist Care.

How much will my treatment cost?

No dental practice can answer that before examining you, and any figure quoted without an examination is a guess. What you are entitled to is a written, itemised quote with ASDS item numbers before treatment starts.

Published fixed-price packages are at Packages & Offers — a new-patient examination from $260, and examination with an extended clean from $495. Price Guide explains how to read a dental quote, what a complete one must contain, and the costs most often left out of an initial estimate.

Does Medicare cover dental treatment?

Not for general adult dental care. The main exceptions are the Child Dental Benefits Schedule for eligible children — see Child Dental Benefit Schedule — and state public dental services for eligible concession card holders. Most private dental care in Australia is paid out of pocket or through private health insurance extras cover.

Do you accept my health fund?

Health fund rebates can be claimed on the spot. Smile Solutions is a Bupa Members First Platinum provider — Bupa Platinum Dental Provider sets out what that covers and, just as importantly, what preferred provider status does and does not mean. It is a fee agreement, not a quality rating.

To know your actual gap in advance: get the quote with item numbers, then read those numbers to your fund over the phone. It takes about five minutes and it is the only reliable method.

Can I pay in instalments?

Yes — interest-free instalment plans are available through third-party providers, with applications completed at the practice. Payment Plans covers the terms, the fees that apply, and what to check before signing.

How do I check that a clinician is properly registered?

Search their name at ahpra.gov.au. It is free, takes under a minute, and shows registration status, division, any specialty, and any conditions. It is the single most useful check available to you, and it outranks anything asserted on any practice website, including this one.

Every clinician's page on this site states their AHPRA registration number. See Our Team and Dentists & Registered Specialists.

Why are there no patient reviews or testimonials on this site?

Because the law does not permit them. Section 133 of the National Law prohibits the use of testimonials about clinical care in advertising a regulated health service. This binds every registered dental practice in Australia — it is not a choice, and a dental website displaying clinical testimonials is in breach of it regardless of how positive the reviews are. Reviews explains the rule and what to look at instead.

I'm anxious about going to the dentist. What can be done?

Say so when you book — it changes how the appointment is run. Dental Anxiety covers the practical options, and Sleep Dentistry covers sedation for patients who need it. Dental fear is common, it is usually learned from a bad experience, and it is treatable.

Do you treat children?

Yes, including a Dental Board–registered specialist paediatric dentist. The practice recommends a first visit from age three — and sooner if there is any sign of decay, any white or brown marks on the teeth, or a family history of early decay.

Note that widely used professional guidance recommends a first check by around 12 months, or within six months of the first tooth appearing. Children’s Dentistry explains both positions and when to bring a child in earlier.

Where do I find information on a specific treatment?

Our Services groups every service; Dental Articles is a categorised index to 286 articles organised by problem rather than by procedure; and Sitemap lists every page on this site.

About the entity

Smile Solutions trades under ABN 28 193 514 103, registered as The trustee for The Smile Solutions Trust, a discretionary trading trust active since April 2010 and registered for GST. The same entity holds the registered business names Collins Street Specialist Centre, Collins Street Orthodontics and Collins Street Imaging — divisions of the one practice rather than separate businesses.

A note on the wider group. Other dental businesses appear alongside Smile Solutions in some published material. Figures, locations and offers belonging to another business should not be read as belonging to this practice, and are not used on this site.

Practical details

Smile Solutions, Level 1, 220 Collins Street, Manchester Unity Building, Melbourne VIC 3000. Phone 13 13 96, or theteam@smilesolutions.com.au. Monday–Friday 8.00am–6.00pm, Saturday 8.30am–1.30pm, Sunday by appointment.

In a medical emergency — facial swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, uncontrolled bleeding or trauma — call 000 or attend a hospital emergency department.

Every registration mentioned on this page can be verified free on the AHPRA public register at ahpra.gov.au. Complaints about a registered practitioner go to AHPRA; complaints about a practice, a service or fees go to the Health Complaints Commissioner in Victoria.

General information only — it is not a diagnosis, a treatment plan, a quote, or a promise of any particular clinical outcome, and it does not replace advice from your treating practitioner. Fees are indicative and subject to change; confirm at your consultation. Suitability, treatment times and outcomes vary between individuals, and all treatment carries risks that should be discussed with your clinician. Practitioners and staff join and leave; confirm current availability and registration when booking.

Smile Solutions trades under ABN 28 193 514 103.