27/12/2025
Thank you Sally Syle for the beautiful article about Dr. Leanne and Central Dental Frankston. It is our great honour to be featured on the inaugural issue of Gotta Love Frankston Link Locally Frankston. All our best wishes to you and your team for a successful 2026.
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The Gentle Art of Dentistry - How Central Dental Franskton is redefining care, connection and community
When you walk into Central Dental Frankston, you might forget you're at the dentist at all. There's laughter from the reception, genuine conversation at the front desk, and a feeling that is hard to explain, but unmistakable, that you're in good hands.
That atmosphere begins with Dr Leanne, whose philosophy of care is deeply rooted in empathy, trust, compassion, and genuine human connection.
"I think of every patient as someone who's been directed to me for a reason," she says softly. "It's my responsibility to care for them, to really listen, and to help them feel safe." It's an approach that has earned her generations of loyal patients, literally.
Central Dental Frankston has proudly served the community since the early 1900s, spanning three generations of dentists. Many families have entrusted their care solely to the clinic for decades, a legacy of trust that continues today under Leanne's leadership.
🌟 Where Tradition Meets Innovation
Over the years, Central Dental Frankston has evolved from its early beginnings on Beach Street to its current state-of-the-art facility near the highway overpass. With each move came a leap forward in technology and care, from manual to digital X-rays, from 2D to 3D imaging, from alginate impressions to 3D scanning, and from removable dentures to world-class implant and regenerative procedures.
Together with her husband, Dr Wei in Tay, Leanne has trained with international leaders in advanced implant surgery and CGF (Concentrated Growth Factor) tissue-regeneration techniques, bringing world-class expertise home to Frankston.
"Our approach has evolved to see teeth as part of the whole person," Leanne explains. "The airway, the muscles of the face, how we chew, how we sleep, it all affects our health. When we teach children to breathe and swallow correctly, we're actually helping their brains develop better and reducing their risk of dental problems later in life."
🌟 A Practice Built on Trust
Leanne's team reflects her values. "Gentleness is a skill," she says proudly. "Even the way we pass an instrument or remove a bib, everything is done with care."
That attention to detail has built a clinic where fear of the dentist fades away. "Most people are scared of dentists," she admits. "But when you trust the person caring for you, the fear disappears and with it, the pain."
That trust is not only why generations of families keep returning but also recognised as award-worthy.
Central Dental Frankston won the prestigious 2024 Frankston Business Collective Excellence Award for Health and Care, and its sister clinic, Central Dental Elsternwick, won the 2024 Local Business Outstanding Health Service and Business of the Year. It's recognition Leanne never sought but deeply valued. "It was a complete surprise!" she smiles. "But to see our clinics recognised for what we do every day, that was special."
🌟 Rooted in Community
Central Dental Frankston isn't just about dentistry; it's about community. From the clinic's book exchange to foster the love of reading to sponsoring the Rotary Duck Derby, Frankston Art Show, and Rotary Wranglers Golf Day, Leanne believes in giving back close to home. "You can build many things in business," she says with a quiet smile, "but if you're not kind to the people around you, your team, your patients, your community, then none of it really matters. I've been very fortunate to have good people walk alongside me, and that's what I value most." That philosophy runs deep.
While she is a regular supporter of large charities like Greenfleet (reforesting Australia), Red Cross, and the Blue Dragon Foundation (rescuing children in Vietnam), Leanne also supports all the local causes her patients and staff bring through the door, whether it's a Rotary project or a primary school soccer fundraiser. "It's simple," she says.
"Take care of the people around you first."
🌟 Looking Ahead
Even after decades in dentistry, Leanne and Wei Jin are still learning, constantly travelling for advanced training with leading experts in implants, sleep, and airway therapy. "I don't take holidays," she laughs, "I go to conferences." It's that hunger to grow, paired with her calm, caring nature, that makes Leanne one of Frankston's most trusted practitioners. And while she may be humble about her success, her patients aren't. They describe her as " gentle," "kind," and "the only dentist I'll ever see." For Leanne, that's all that matters. "If I can help someone feel less pain and afraid," she says, "and walk out smiling — that's enough for me."
🌟Did You Know? with Dr Leanne
1️⃣ Your mouth tells your whole health story.
Your teeth, gums, and jaw can reveal early signs of heart disease, diabetes, sleep problems, even stress. Good oral health really does mean whole-body health.
2️⃣ Breathing through your mouth can cause dental decay.
Mouth breathing dries the mouth and changes its pH, increasing bacteria and the risk of gum disease and cavities, even if you brush twice a day.
3️⃣ Childrens' faces finish growing by around age 10.
That's why early dental check-ups are so important. Correct breathing and swallowing habits can literally shape the way a child's face and brain develops.
4️⃣ Gentle dentistry is a trained skill.
From how the bib is removed to where a light is placed, every move at Central Dental Frankston is designed for comfort and calm.
5️⃣ Prevention is always cheaper and kinder.
Every dollar spent on prevention can save so much on future dental work. Regular checkups really do pay off.
6️⃣ Your dentist can help with sleep!
Modern "airway dentistry" uses small oral appliances to improve breathing and reduce snoring, helping you (and your partner!)
sleep better.
