Ask The Experts! I feel as though my 12 year old son needs to see an orthodontist because his teeth are all over the place. Do I need a referral to see an orthodontist? In general, you do not need a referral from your dentist to see an orthodontist. We see many children and adults like yourself who have decided that they want to see an orthodontist to improve the function of their teeth and also to achieve ideal alignment of their teeth. Also, we see siblings,friends and parents of our patients without referrals from their dentist. Although there is no direct need for a referral from your dentist, we will obtain your dentist details from you so that we can liaise with your general dentist about your proposed treatment. We can recommend a dentist if you do not have one. Your son would need to see a dentist regularly during any orthodontic treatment undertaken to ensure maintenance of the health of his teeth, and we strongly recommend a check-up from your general dentist before embarking on any orthodontic treatment. We communicate regularly with the dentists of our patients to ensure the best possible outcome for our patients.
Dr Andrew Pepicelli
BDSc , MDSc, Grad Dip Clin Dent, MOrth RCS (Ed) Specialist Orthodontist Peninsula Orthodontics 134 Tanti Avenue Mornington
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Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2017
My 4y/o has always been a handful and a very fussy eater but recently she has been having extreme temper tantrums and it has been almost impossible to get her to sleep at night. I wouldn’t know where to start with all the vitamins in the supermarket but I wonder if she is getting everything she needs from the little food she eats? Many children are fussy when it comes to main meals and some of this comes down to our own anxiety as mothers about getting them to eat “enough” and giving them all the nourishment they need. Taking away that anxiety by feeding your young children a variety of foods in small protein rich snacks throughout the day can really help. Not only does it ease your mind, it also helps avoid blood sugar dips which can trigger tantrums in some children. Fussy eaters often have set things they just will not eat and often this is the most nutrient dense foods such as “green stuff” which can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Many of which are important for mood regulation and muscle relaxation which may be relevant to your individual situation. On the topic of supplementation sometimes we get more than
we bargain for in the way of sugars and flavouring which can cause blood sugar spikes making the behaviours worse. The place I like to start with little ones, particularly as the weather cools down is by making a big bone broth full of grass fed organic beef or chicken bones and a variety of vegetables and herbs which are cooked low and slow then strained leaving a nutrient dense clear soup/broth. This is great for gut health as well as providing bone-building minerals for growing bodies. It can be added to soups sauces and slow cooked meals to improve nutrient density and of course flavour. Jessica Paynter Nutritional Medicine Practitioner Adv. Dip. (NutMed) Energie Natural Health My 20 month old daughter has just been diagnosed with a Urinary Tract Infection. Is it common in children and will she be prone to UTI’s later in her life? Urinary Tract Infections or UTIs are not uncommon in children, especially those still wearing nappies and it is caused by