Mind Body Teeth

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Mind Body Teeth Mind Body Teeth provides compassionate dental care for people with anxiety and special health needs. We understand the challenges faced by patients and carers.

We provide care with the understanding, patience and expertise you or your loved one deserves.

15/10/2026

𝗖𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗹𝘀𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲.

As someone with cerebral palsy gets older, their body and their needs can change.

Posture may change. Scoliosis or kyphosis may become more significant. Respiratory health and swallowing can change too, potentially increasing the risk of aspiration.
All of this matters in the dental chair.

A position that worked comfortably years ago may no longer be appropriate. Someone who was once comfortable reclining may now need to remain more upright. For some wheelchair users, transferring into a dental chair may not even be the safest option.
That is why dental care for a person with cerebral palsy needs to evolve with them.

For carers, changes in posture, swallowing, breathing or mobility are important information to share with the dental team — even if they don’t initially seem “dental”.

For dentists, it is a reminder not to rely solely on what worked at the patient’s previous appointment. We need to understand how the person functions today.

Special Needs Dentistry is not simply about adapting care to a diagnosis. It is about continually adapting care to the person.

World Mental Health Day For some people, a visit to the dentist brings more than just a little nervousness. Dental anxie...
14/10/2026

World Mental Health Day

For some people, a visit to the dentist brings more than just a little nervousness. Dental anxiety can make even booking an appointment feel difficult.

At Mind Body Teeth, we believe dental care should consider the whole person — mind, body and teeth.

Our team provides a calm, understanding environment for people who experience dental anxiety and for patients who may need additional support, including people with intellectual or physical disabilities.

You deserve to feel listened to, respected and comfortable when receiving dental care.

If dental anxiety has been holding you back, take the first step and learn more about how we can support you.

👉 https://www.mindbodyteeth.com.au/dental-anxiety

Dementia Action Week | 21–27 SeptemberThis Dementia Action Week, we’re raising awareness, reducing stigma and building g...
14/09/2026

Dementia Action Week | 21–27 September

This Dementia Action Week, we’re raising awareness, reducing stigma and building greater support for people living with dementia and their families.

At Mind Body Teeth (MBT), we provide specialised dental care for people living with dementia, with dental assessments available:

At our dental clinic
In your home
At nursing homes

We understand that accessing dental care can be challenging for people living with dementia. Our compassionate approach focuses on making dental care more comfortable, respectful and accessible.

Everyone deserves good oral health and compassionate dental care.
https://www.mindbodyteeth.com.au/

09/09/2026

“𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝘀.”

It’s a simple principle, but an important one in healthcare.

For a person living with intellectual disability, a dental appointment may involve several people — a family member, carer, support worker, guardian and healthcare professional. Each may have valuable information to contribute.

But at the centre of all those conversations is still the person.
Person-centred care means making a deliberate effort to keep the person in the centre of conversations about their health and treatment, rather than allowing others to speak entirely on their behalf.
This might be as simple as addressing the person directly rather than turning to their carer. It might mean giving the person more time to process a question, adapting the way information is presented, or using the communication method that works best for them.

Sometimes, a person who has difficulty expressing themselves (expressive language), may understand far more than they are able to communicate (receptive language). Because good Special Needs Dentistry isn’t simply about providing treatment to persons with special health needs. It is about understanding the individual, respecting their preferences and finding ways to empower them in accessing the care they seek.



20/08/2026

𝗔 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀

A cleaner mouth may do more than protect teeth and gums. It may also help protect an older person’s general health.
For people who are frail, living with dementia or dependent on others for daily care, oral hygiene can easily become more difficult. Brushing may be affected by reduced dexterity, memory, swallowing problems or the need for assistance from carers.

But this doesn’t make mouth care any less important.
Evidence shows structured oral care and staff training in aged-care can help reduce serious respiratory complications, including pneumonia in the frail elderly. This matters because bacteria and other material from the mouth can enter the airway — particularly when swallowing is impaired.

The practical message is simple: oral care is part of healthcare.
For an ageing parent, good mouth care means looking beyond whether there is a toothbrush in the bathroom. Can they still brush effectively? Do they need help? Are dentures being cleaned? Has their ability to swallow changed? And if someone else provides their care, is mouth care actually happening consistently?

Keeping the mouth clean may seem like a small daily task, but for a vulnerable older person, it can form part of a much bigger picture of comfort, nutrition, dignity and health.

Please share this with someone caring for an ageing parent.

World Senior Citizens Day – 21 AugustRetirement Planning for Your Mouth Retirement planning isn’t just about finances an...
11/08/2026

World Senior Citizens Day – 21 August

Retirement Planning for Your Mouth
Retirement planning isn’t just about finances and lifestyle — your oral health deserves a plan too.

As we get older, issues such as dry mouth from medications, gum disease, tooth decay, dentures and tooth loss can become more common. Regular dental care and early intervention can help you continue to eat, speak and smile confidently throughout retirement.

At Mind Body Teeth, we provide personalised dental care for seniors, including comprehensive oral assessments, preventive care, gum health management, denture care and oral cancer screening.

Invest in your lifelong oral health — because a healthy mouth is an important part of enjoying retirement.

📍 Special Needs & Compassionate Dentistry | Wahroonga, Sydney

🔗 Learn more:
https://www.mindbodyteeth.com.au/dental-care-for-seniors

10/08/2026

𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

When an older person living with dementia becomes agitated, refuses care, stops eating normally or behaves aggressively, it can be easy to see the behaviour itself as the problem.
But behavioural change is often a big clue to a much bigger underlying problem.

Pain, fear, previous trauma, sensory overload, an unfamiliar environment or another unmet needs may all change the way a person responds. A sudden or fluctuating change in behaviour can also be a sign that something has changed within the body.
This matters in dentistry because a person with dementia may not be able to tell us clearly that a tooth hurts. Standard questions about where the pain is, when it started or how it feels may no longer give us reliable answers.

Instead, we may need to look for changes from that person's normal behaviour.

Are they eating differently?
Are they sleeping poorly?
Have they suddenly started refusing toothbrushing?
Are they touching their face or mouth?
Is this behaviour new?

Family members and regular carers can be invaluable here because they know the person's baseline and may recognise subtle changes that a clinician seeing them for the first time cannot.

Rather than asking, “How do we stop this behaviour?”, sometimes the better clinical question is: “What might this person be trying to tell us?”

04/08/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴?

For someone living with dementia, the answer can be surprisingly powerful.

We often think of oral health as simply brushing teeth or preventing cavities. But when someone becomes dependent on others for daily care, the condition of their mouth can tell a much bigger story.

A clean, healthy mouth often reflects consistent, compassionate care. It may mean a family member is helping every day or that a dedicated caregiver has made oral care part of their routine. On the other hand, declining oral health can be an early sign that daily support is becoming difficult, inconsistent or overwhelmed.

Caring for someone with dementia is demanding, and toothbrushing is far more complex than many people realise. It requires memory, coordination, cooperation and patience. Sometimes what looks like resistance is actually confusion or an inability to recognise a toothbrush or remember the steps involved.

The important message is this: oral health is about more than teeth. It's about comfort, dignity, nutrition and quality of life. Looking after the mouth is one meaningful way we can help protect the wellbeing of someone we love.

🎥 In this video, Dr Avanti Karve explains how oral health can be one of the clearest indicators of the quality of care a person is receiving—and what families can do to help.

If you know someone caring for an ageing parent or loved one with dementia, please share this post. It may help them see oral health in a whole new light.

25/07/2026

Dentists are often one of the few health professionals who see older patients regularly over many years. That continuity gives us something incredibly valuable: a baseline.

When a patient who has always been organised suddenly struggles to find the clinic, forgets why they're there, has difficulty with payments, or their oral hygiene noticeably changes, these may not be isolated events. They can be subtle signs of cognitive decline.

No single change proves dementia. But several small changes over time deserve attention.

As dentists, our role isn't to diagnose dementia. Our role is to recognise when something doesn't seem quite right, document our observations, and encourage appropriate conversations with the patient's family, GP or geriatric team.

Early recognition matters. It can help people access assessment, support and planning while they still have greater independence and more opportunities to participate in decisions about their future care.

This is another reminder that dentistry is about far more than teeth. Long-term dental relationships allow us to notice changes that may otherwise go unseen—and that awareness can make a meaningful difference to a patient's overall health and wellbeing.

If you've noticed subtle changes in a long-term patient, trust your clinical observations and consider whether they warrant a broader conversation.

If you know someone caring for an ageing parent, share this post—they may find it helpful.

It's National Diabetes Week — and did you know diabetes and oral health are closely connected?People living with diabete...
08/07/2026

It's National Diabetes Week — and did you know diabetes and oral health are closely connected?

People living with diabetes have a higher risk of gum disease, dry mouth, and slower healing after dental treatment — especially for seniors and patients with additional care needs, where changes can be harder to notice early.

The good news: regular dental check-ups make a real difference. Catching gum problems early can help protect both your smile and your overall health.

This National Diabetes Week, we're encouraging our patients — and especially those supporting elderly or special needs family members — to book a check-up if it's been a while.

📞 Get in touch with our team to book an appointment.

https://www.mindbodyteeth.com.au/

Address

Suite 303 172 Fox Valley Road
Wahroonga, NSW
2076

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 3:30am
Tuesday 8:30am - 3:30am
Wednesday 8:30am - 3:30am
Thursday 8:30am - 3:30am
Friday 8:30am - 3:30am

Telephone

+611300339143

Website

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