Our clinic

Victorian Dental Group is a general dental practice at 291 Wattletree Road, Malvern East. Family-owned and operated, accredited against the national safety and quality standards, and built around a fairly simple idea: that you should understand what is being recommended, why, and what it costs, before anything happens.

What we are, and what we are not

We are general dentists and oral health therapists. We do not hold specialist registration and we do not describe ourselves as specialists. Where a case needs one — an endodontist, periodontist, orthodontist, prosthodontist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon — we refer, and we will say so at the planning stage. Meet our team, and verify any practitioner on the public AHPRA register at ahpra.gov.au.

A general practice is the right place for the great majority of dental care: examinations, prevention, fillings, crowns, most extractions, dentures, gum treatment and routine root canal treatment. Knowing where that ends is part of doing it properly.

How we make decisions

Everything we recommend is meant to rest on evidence. If we do not believe a treatment is supported, we will not offer it.

You are given as much information as you want — what has been found, the options, the benefits and limitations of each, and the cost — and you make the decision. A written treatment plan goes home with you. Nothing is decided in the chair. And we always recommend a second opinion from another appropriately qualified practitioner if it would help.

What that looks like in practice

• "Monitor it" is a real recommendation, and we make it often. Not every finding needs treating today, and early demineralisation in particular can frequently be managed preventively rather than drilled
• The option of doing nothing is always on the table, along with an honest account of what happens if you take it — which is sometimes very little, and sometimes a much larger problem in two years
• The least invasive option that solves the problem comes first. Every step up removes more of your own tooth, and enamel does not grow back
• We will tell you when a referral is the better answer, including when that means treatment somewhere other than here

Consent, in practice

Consent is a conversation, not a signature. Before treatment starts you should know what is being done and why, what the realistic alternatives are, what it will cost, what the known risks are, and what happens if it does not work.

You can change your mind, at any point, including partway through a plan. You can ask for the plan in writing and take it elsewhere. And you can ask us to stop during a procedure — agree a hand signal at the start if that would help.

Fees, and why we publish them

Dental fees in Australia are not standardised, and practices are not required to publish them. We publish the ones we can — check-ups, cleans, whitening, splints, mouthguards — because a figure you can see before you ring is more useful than a figure you get in the chair.

What cannot be published is anything that depends on your mouth. A filling is quoted by the number of surfaces; a crown depends on what is left of the tooth. That is why anything beyond the routine is quoted in writing, itemised, before it starts. See payment options.

Accreditation

Victorian Dental Group is accredited against the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards through Quality Innovation Performance (QIP). Accreditation is voluntary for private dental practices; it means an independent assessor has examined infection control, sterilisation, records, consent, clinical governance and complaint handling, and it is reassessed periodically. See accredited dental practice.

What happens between patients

The part of the visit nobody sees. Accredited practice requires that reusable instruments are cleaned, inspected, packaged, sterilised in a steam autoclave and tracked, with the steriliser itself monitored and its performance recorded; that anything single-use is discarded rather than reprocessed; and that surfaces and equipment in the room are disinfected between every patient.

It is procedural and unglamorous, and it is the substance of what accreditation actually assesses.

Technology

• Digital X-rays and on-site OPG — lower dose than film, immediate results, and no second appointment elsewhere for a panoramic image
• Intra-oral cameras so you can see what we see
• Drill-free air abrasion for suitable small cavities — no vibration, no heat, often no needle
• Amalgam-free — we do not place silver fillings
• Digital records and forms — complete your history on your own device before you arrive, or on a clinic tablet

Technology finds problems earlier and treats them more conservatively. It does not replace clinical judgement, and it is not a reason in itself to have treatment.

What the on-site OPG actually changes

Most general practices send patients elsewhere for a panoramic image. Having the machine here means an assessment that needs one — wisdom teeth, jaw joints, a suspected root fracture, planning for implants or dentures — happens during your appointment rather than as a separate trip, a separate fee and a wait of several days.

For someone in pain, that is the difference between being diagnosed today and being diagnosed next week.

Environmental practice

Dentistry generates a lot of plastic and chemical waste, and we try to reduce what we can.

• Amalgam separator on the wastewater line. When old amalgam fillings are removed, the mercury-containing residue is captured rather than released to the sewer, and disposed of through a licensed handler
• Medical and sharps waste through licensed disposal
• Solar electricity
• Digital imaging and records, which means no film, no developing chemicals and very little paper
• Sustainable sourcing where an option exists

Infection control sets a hard floor on how much of this is possible — single-use items exist for good reason, and we would not trade sterility for waste reduction.

Local laboratories

Crowns, bridges, veneers, dentures and splints are made by Australian dental laboratories we know and work with directly. Turnaround is shorter than overseas fabrication, and materials meet Australian Standards.

It also means that when something needs adjusting, we can ring the technician who made it and talk about your case specifically. That is not possible with work sent offshore, and it is the practical reason we do it this way rather than a patriotic one.

Anxiety

A lot of people avoid the dentist because of something that happened years ago. If that is you, say so when you book — with notice we allow more time, and the first visit can be a conversation and nothing else. See dental anxiety.

People arrive here having not seen a dentist for ten or fifteen years. It is common, and there is no lecture. The useful conversation is about what you want to do from here.

Families and children

Children are seen from the first tooth or around the first birthday, and early appointments are deliberately short and undemanding — a ride in the chair, a count of the teeth, and a chance to see that nothing bad happens here.

Eligible children aged 0–17 may be able to claim under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule. Family appointments can often be arranged consecutively; ask reception. See family and children's dentistry.

Your records and your privacy

Your clinical record, radiographs, photographs and medical history are health information and are handled under our privacy policy. You can request a copy, and you can have it sent to another practice — see transfer of records. Records are not shared with anyone else without your consent, other than where the law requires it.

What your first visit involves

1. A medical history, which genuinely matters — medications, conditions and allergies all change how treatment is planned
2. A conversation about why you have come and what you want
3. A comprehensive examination: teeth, existing restorations, gums and periodontal measurements, bite, and a soft-tissue check of the cheeks, tongue and palate
4. Radiographs where they would change what happens next, and not otherwise
5. What was found, explained with the screen turned towards you
6. A written plan, itemised, with costs — taken home, not signed in the chair

Allow about an hour. If you are in pain, say so when you ring and we will triage it rather than waiting for the next routine slot.

What to bring

• Your health fund card, for on-the-spot HICAPS claiming
• Your Medicare card, if a child may be eligible under the CDBS
• A list of your medications, including anything over the counter
• Any recent radiographs from another practice, or authority for us to request them — see transfer of records
• Your questions, written down. People forget them in the chair

Who you will see

Registered dentists and oral health therapists. An oral health therapist is a registered practitioner in their own right, trained in examinations, preventive care, cleaning, and treating children — working within a defined scope and alongside the dentists here. It is a registration category, not an assistant role, and it is verifiable on the AHPRA register like any other.

Questions worth asking any dental practice

Not only this one. If a practice cannot answer these easily, that tells you something.

• Is the practitioner's registration and scope visible on the AHPRA register?
• Is the practice accredited, and against which standards?
• Will I get the treatment plan in writing, with costs, before anything starts?
• What happens if I do nothing?
• What are the alternatives, including the cheaper one?
• Where is laboratory work made?
• What happens if something goes wrong, or the work fails early?
• How do I make a complaint if I need to?

Practical details

• Address — 291 Wattletree Road, Malvern East VIC 3145
• Phone — (03) 9088 5808
• Email — info@victoriandentalgroup.com.au
• Hours — Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Closed weekends and public holidays
• After hours — no on-call service. See dental emergency for what to do
• Booking — online at any hour, or by phone during clinic hours
• Parking — free on site at the rear, entered via White Street. See parking
• Payment — HICAPS on-the-spot health fund claiming, EFTPOS and card, Afterpay, Zip. See payment options
• Areas served — Malvern East and neighbouring Armadale, Ashburton, Caulfield, Glen Iris, Prahran, South Yarra and Toorak

Questions we are asked

Do I need a referral? No. You can book directly.

Can the whole family be seen together? Often, yes — ask reception when booking. See family and children's dentistry.

Will I see the same practitioner each time? Where you want to and scheduling allows, yes. Continuity genuinely helps, particularly for anyone anxious.

Can I transfer my records from another practice? Yes, and it is worth doing before your first visit — it can save repeating radiographs. See transfer of records.

What if I disagree with what is recommended? Say so. A second opinion is a reasonable thing to seek and we will not be offended by it.

Are you open on weekends? No — Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Online booking runs at any hour, for appointments within those times.

Do you place amalgam fillings? No. We are amalgam-free. We do remove existing amalgam where it is failing, with the waste captured by the separator.

Is the practice accessible? Tell us when you book if you use a wheelchair or need step-free access, and we will make sure the right room and a parking space are set aside.

Do you bulk bill? Adult dental care is not covered by Medicare. Eligible children may be covered under the CDBS, and we claim that directly.

Victorian Dental Group — 291 Wattletree Road, Malvern East VIC 3145 · (03) 9088 5808 · Monday to Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm · book online

This page is general information and does not replace advice from a registered dental practitioner about your own circumstances. Please see our Disclaimer.