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title: Dr Susan Hinckfuss
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description: Specialist Paediatric Dentist BDSc (Melb) · DCD — Paediatric Dentistry (Melb)
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# Dr Susan Hinckfuss

## Collins Street Specialist Centre — Dr Susan Hinckfuss, Specialist Paediatric Dentist
**Specialist Paediatric Dentist**
BDSc (Melb) · DCD — Paediatric Dentistry (Melb)

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## Clinical expertise

Dr 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.

Dr Hinckfuss works across the full scope of paediatric dentistry, with particular depth in:

- **Dental anxiety management** — behavioural and non-pharmacological strategies for children who are anxious, resistant, or fearful of treatment
- **Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)** — individualised care drawing on tailored communication and sensory-aware clinical environments
- **Dental trauma** — emergency and ongoing management of traumatically injured teeth in children and adolescents, with specialist coordination where needed
- **Enamel defects** — diagnosis and management of hypoplasia, hypomineralisation (including Molar Hypomineralisation, commonly called "chalky teeth"), and fluorosis
- **Early childhood caries (ECC)** — prevention, risk assessment, and restorative management of tooth decay in very young children
- **Zirconia crowns** — full-coverage, tooth-coloured crowns for primary molars, as an alternative to traditional stainless steel restorations
- General paediatric dentistry across all age groups, including preventive care, restorative treatment, extractions, and developmental growth monitoring

Dr 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.

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## Training pathway

Dr 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.

Her 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.

After 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.

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## Research and publications

Dr 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.

Referring clinicians wanting more detail about her academic and research work are welcome to enquire directly through the Centre.

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## At Collins Street Specialist Centre

Dr Hinckfuss practises within the Paediatric Dentistry service at Collins Street Specialist Centre, Level 8, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD.

She 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.

No 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.

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