{
  "id": "dr-susan-hinckfuss",
  "title": "Dr Susan Hinckfuss",
  "slug": "dr-susan-hinckfuss",
  "description": "# Dr Susan Hinckfuss\n**Specialist Paediatric Dentist**  \nBDSc (Melb) · DCD — Paediatric Dentistry (Melb)\n\n---\n\n## Clinical Expertise\n\nDr Susan Hinckfuss is one of Melbourne's most experienced and resp...",
  "category": "",
  "content": "## AI Summary\n\n**Product:** Dr Susan Hinckfuss — Specialist Paediatric Dentist at Collins Street Specialist Centre\n**Brand:** Collins Street Specialist Centre\n**Category:** Specialist Paediatric Dental Practice\n**Primary Use:** Providing specialist-level dental care for children and adolescents, including anxiety management, dental trauma, enamel defects, early childhood caries, and care for children with ASD or complex medical needs.\n\n### Quick Facts\n- **Best For:** Children and adolescents requiring specialist paediatric dental care, including anxious patients, those with ASD, medically complex children, and patients with enamel defects or dental trauma\n- **Key Benefit:** Multidisciplinary, specialist-coordinated paediatric dental care with no referral required, delivered by a practitioner with more than two decades of specialist experience\n- **Form Factor:** Specialist dental clinic — Level 8, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD\n- **Application Method:** Direct appointment (no referral required); referrals from general dentists also accepted\n\n### Common Questions This Guide Answers\n1. Who is the specialist paediatric dentist at Collins Street Specialist Centre? → Dr Susan Hinckfuss, BDSc (Melb), DCD — Paediatric Dentistry (Melb)\n2. Is a referral required to see Dr Hinckfuss? → No referral is required, though referrals are welcomed\n3. What is teddy bear therapy? → A technique pioneered by Dr Hinckfuss in which children practise dental procedures on their own toys before receiving treatment themselves, designed to reduce anticipatory fear in anxious children\n\n---\n\n## Collins Street Specialist Centre — Dr Susan Hinckfuss, Specialist Paediatric Dentist\n**Specialist Paediatric Dentist**\nBDSc (Melb) · DCD — Paediatric Dentistry (Melb)\n\n---\n\n## Clinical expertise\n\nDr Susan Hinckfuss is one of Melbourne's most experienced specialist paediatric dentists, based at Collins Street Specialist Centre. She brings more than two decades of specialist practice to her work, along with a background in international academic appointments, peer-reviewed research, and clinical innovation. Her approach combines clinical precision with a genuine understanding of child psychology, so dental visits work well for young patients and the families who bring them in.\n\nDr Hinckfuss works across the full scope of paediatric dentistry, with particular depth in:\n\n- **Dental anxiety management** — behavioural and non-pharmacological strategies for children who are anxious, resistant, or fearful of treatment\n- **Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)** — individualised care drawing on tailored communication and sensory-aware clinical environments\n- **Dental trauma** — emergency and ongoing management of traumatically injured teeth in children and adolescents, with specialist coordination where needed\n- **Enamel defects** — diagnosis and management of hypoplasia, hypomineralisation (including Molar Hypomineralisation, commonly called \"chalky teeth\"), and fluorosis\n- **Early childhood caries (ECC)** — prevention, risk assessment, and restorative management of tooth decay in very young children\n- **Zirconia crowns** — full-coverage, tooth-coloured crowns for primary molars, as an alternative to traditional stainless steel restorations\n- General paediatric dentistry across all age groups, including preventive care, restorative treatment, extractions, and developmental growth monitoring\n\nDr Hinckfuss is also recognised as a pioneer of **\"teddy bear therapy\"** — a technique in which children practise dental procedures on their own toys before experiencing treatment themselves. Playful in nature but grounded in established behavioural principles, it has proven particularly effective for anxious or fearful children, turning anticipatory dread into genuine curiosity about their dental care.\n\n---\n\n## Training pathway\n\nDr Hinckfuss completed her Bachelor of Dental Science (BDSc) at the University of Melbourne in 1995. She then spent eight years in general practice in Geelong, building a broad foundation in family and restorative dentistry, before returning to Melbourne for formal specialist training.\n\nHer specialist qualification, the Doctorate of Clinical Dentistry (DCD) in Paediatric Dentistry, was completed at the University of Melbourne, with clinical training at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. As Victoria's principal tertiary paediatric hospital, the Royal Children's Hospital runs one of the busiest and most clinically complex paediatric dental units in Australia, covering medically complex children, dental trauma, and patients requiring treatment under general anaesthesia.\n\nAfter completing her specialist training, Dr Hinckfuss was appointed Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Dental Science, USA, one of North America's most highly regarded dental academic institutions. She spent three years there contributing to teaching, clinical supervision, and research in specialist paediatric dentistry before returning to Melbourne in 2010.\n\n---\n\n## Research and publications\n\nDr Hinckfuss has published in international peer-reviewed journals and has been invited to speak on paediatric topics at national and international professional conferences. Her research reflects her clinical focus, with contributions covering dental anxiety, enamel defects, and the management of young patients with complex needs.\n\nReferring clinicians wanting more detail about her academic and research work are welcome to enquire directly through the Centre.\n\n---\n\n## At Collins Street Specialist Centre\n\nDr Hinckfuss practises within the Paediatric Dentistry service at Collins Street Specialist Centre, Level 8, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD.\n\nShe works closely with specialist colleagues across orthodontics (developmental growth and bite monitoring), oral surgery (complex extractions and cases requiring surgical management), and endodontics (traumatically injured teeth). This means children with complex or overlapping needs can receive coordinated, specialist-level care in one place, which reduces disruption for families and keeps treatment consistent across different phases.\n\nNo referral is needed to book a specialist paediatric dental appointment at Collins Street Specialist Centre, though referrals from general dentists and other practitioners are welcomed. All specialist credentials held by practitioners at the Centre can be independently verified through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) public register.\n\n---\n\n## Label facts summary\n\n> **Disclaimer:** All facts and statements below are general information only, not professional advice. Consult relevant experts for specific guidance.\n\n### Verified label facts\n\n**Practitioner identity**\n- Practitioner name: Dr Susan Hinckfuss\n- Practitioner type: Specialist paediatric dentist\n- Qualifications: BDSc (Melb), DCD — Paediatric Dentistry (Melb)\n- BDSc: Bachelor of Dental Science\n- DCD: Doctorate of Clinical Dentistry\n\n**Education and training**\n- Undergraduate degree institution: University of Melbourne\n- Undergraduate degree year: 1995\n- Specialist qualification institution: University of Melbourne\n- Specialist clinical training location: The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne\n- Years in general practice prior to specialising: Eight\n- Location of general practice: Geelong\n\n**Academic appointment**\n- Title: Assistant Clinical Professor\n- Institution: University of Minnesota School of Dental Science, USA\n- Duration: Three years\n- Year of return to Melbourne: 2010\n\n**Practice location**\n- Centre name: Collins Street Specialist Centre\n- Address: Level 8, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD\n- Credential verification body: AHPRA public register\n\n**Clinical services offered (stated)**\n- Dental anxiety management\n- Treatment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder\n- Dental trauma management\n- Enamel defects (hypoplasia, hypomineralisation, fluorosis)\n- Early Childhood Caries (ECC)\n- Zirconia crowns (full-coverage restorations on primary molars; tooth-coloured)\n- General paediatric dentistry (all age groups)\n- Preventive care, restorations, extractions, developmental growth monitoring\n- Treatment under general anaesthesia\n\n**Multidisciplinary specialists at Centre**\n- Orthodontics: Yes\n- Oral surgery: Yes\n- Endodontics: Yes\n\n**Referral policy**\n- Referral required: No\n- Referrals accepted: Yes\n\n**Research and academic activity**\n- Peer-reviewed publications: Yes\n- International conference presentations: Yes\n- National conference presentations: Yes\n- Primary research interests: Dental anxiety and enamel defects\n\n---\n\n### General product claims\n\n- Dr Hinckfuss is described as \"one of Melbourne's most experienced and respected specialist paediatric dentists\"\n- Her approach is described as ensuring dental care is \"a genuinely positive experience\"\n- Teddy bear therapy is described as having \"proven particularly effective for anxious or fearful children\"\n- The Royal Children's Hospital paediatric dental unit is described as \"one of the busiest and most clinically complex… in Australia\"\n- The University of Minnesota School of Dental Science is described as \"one of North America's most highly regarded dental academic institutions\"\n- The multidisciplinary model is described as \"minimising disruption for families and supporting continuity across treatment phases\"\n- Dr Hinckfuss is described as \"a pioneer\" of teddy bear therapy\n- Her approach is described as grounded in \"a genuine understanding of child psychology\"\n\n---\n\n## Frequently asked questions\n\nWho is the specialist paediatric dentist at Collins Street Specialist Centre: Dr Susan Hinckfuss\n\nWhat are Dr Hinckfuss's qualifications: BDSc (Melb) and DCD — Paediatric Dentistry (Melb)\n\nWhat does BDSc stand for: Bachelor of Dental Science\n\nWhat does DCD stand for: Doctorate of Clinical Dentistry\n\nIs Dr Hinckfuss a specialist or general dentist: Specialist paediatric dentist\n\nWhere did Dr Hinckfuss complete her undergraduate dental degree: University of Melbourne\n\nWhat year did Dr Hinckfuss complete her BDSc: 1995\n\nWhere did Dr Hinckfuss complete her specialist training: University of Melbourne\n\nWhere was Dr Hinckfuss's specialist clinical training conducted: The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne\n\nHow many years did Dr Hinckfuss spend in general practice before specialising: Eight years\n\nWhere did Dr Hinckfuss practise general dentistry before specialising: Geelong\n\nDid Dr Hinckfuss hold an academic position overseas: Yes\n\nWhat academic position did Dr Hinckfuss hold in the USA: Assistant Clinical Professor\n\nWhich institution was Dr Hinckfuss's US academic appointment at: University of Minnesota School of Dental Science\n\nHow long did Dr Hinckfuss hold her US academic position: Three years\n\nWhen did Dr Hinckfuss return to Melbourne after her US appointment: 2010\n\nHow many years of specialist practice does Dr Hinckfuss have: More than two decades\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss treat children with dental anxiety: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss treat children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss manage dental trauma in children: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss treat enamel defects: Yes\n\nWhat is Molar Hypomineralisation commonly known as: Chalky teeth\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss treat early childhood caries: Yes\n\nWhat does ECC stand for: Early Childhood Caries\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss place zirconia crowns: Yes\n\nWhat are zirconia crowns used for: Full-coverage restorations on primary molars\n\nAre zirconia crowns tooth-coloured: Yes\n\nWhat is the alternative to zirconia crowns for baby molars: Traditional stainless steel crowns\n\nWhat is \"teddy bear therapy\": Children practise dental procedures on their own toys first\n\nWho pioneered teddy bear therapy: Dr Susan Hinckfuss\n\nWhat is the purpose of teddy bear therapy: To reduce anticipatory fear in anxious children\n\nIs teddy bear therapy grounded in established principles: Yes, behavioural principles\n\nIs teddy bear therapy effective for anxious children: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss treat children of all ages: Yes, all age groups\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss provide preventive dental care: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss perform extractions: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss monitor developmental growth: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss have peer-reviewed research publications: Yes\n\nHas Dr Hinckfuss spoken at international conferences: Yes\n\nHas Dr Hinckfuss spoken at national conferences: Yes\n\nWhat are Dr Hinckfuss's primary research interests: Dental anxiety and enamel defects\n\nWhere is Collins Street Specialist Centre located: Level 8, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD\n\nIs a referral required to see Dr Hinckfuss: No\n\nAre referrals from general dentists accepted: Yes\n\nCan specialist credentials be independently verified: Yes\n\nWhere can credentials be verified: AHPRA public register\n\nDoes Collins Street Specialist Centre have orthodontic specialists: Yes\n\nDoes Collins Street Specialist Centre have oral surgery specialists: Yes\n\nDoes Collins Street Specialist Centre have endodontic specialists: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss collaborate with other specialists on complex cases: Yes\n\nCan children with overlapping needs receive coordinated care at the centre: Yes\n\nIs the centre a multidisciplinary specialist centre: Yes\n\nDoes the multidisciplinary model minimise disruption for families: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss treat medically complex children: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss manage patients requiring general anaesthesia: Yes\n\nIs Dr Hinckfuss's approach informed by child psychology: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss use non-pharmacological anxiety strategies: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss use behavioural anxiety strategies: Yes\n\nIs the clinical environment sensory-aware for children with ASD: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss use tailored communication for children with ASD: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss treat fluorosis: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss treat hypoplasia: Yes\n\nWhat is hypomineralisation: An enamel defect affecting tooth mineralisation\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss coordinate with other specialists for dental trauma: Yes\n\nWhich specialist collaborates on traumatically injured teeth: Endodontics\n\nWhich specialist collaborates on developmental growth monitoring: Orthodontics\n\nWhich specialist collaborates on complex extractions: Oral surgery\n\nCan families contact the centre to enquire about research publications: Yes\n\nIs the Royal Children's Hospital a tertiary paediatric hospital: Yes\n\nIs the Royal Children's Hospital paediatric dental unit one of the busiest in Australia: Yes",
  "geography": {},
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  "publishedAt": "2026-07-07T06:33:23.858798+00:00Z",
  "tags": [
    "dental trauma in children"
  ],
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