{
  "id": "our-specialists/dr-susan-hinckfuss",
  "title": "Dr Susan Hinckfuss",
  "slug": "our-specialists/dr-susan-hinckfuss",
  "description": "Specialist Paediatric Dentist BDSc (Melb) · DCD — Paediatric Dentistry (Melb)",
  "category": "",
  "content": "## Collins Street Specialist Centre – 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 specialist paediatric dentists, with more than two decades of specialist practice at Collins Street Specialist Centre. Her career includes international academic appointments, peer-reviewed research, and clinical work that spans well beyond the consulting chair. That breadth of experience shapes how she approaches every patient — combining technical precision with a genuine understanding of child psychology, so that dental visits are clinically sound and, where possible, something children don't dread.\n\nHer clinical scope covers the full range of paediatric dentistry, with particular focus on:\n\n- **Dental anxiety management** — behavioural and non-pharmacological strategies for anxious or resistant children, using evidence-based communication in a calm, child-centred environment\n- **Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)** — individualised care plans with tailored communication, sensory-aware clinical settings, and flexible appointment structures to suit each child's needs\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, with clear explanation of findings and options for families\n- **Early childhood caries (ECC)** — prevention, risk assessment, and restorative management of decay in very young children, with a strong focus on family education and long-term oral health\n- **Zirconia crowns** — tooth-coloured, full-coverage crowns for primary molars, offered as a clinically appropriate alternative to stainless steel\n- General paediatric dentistry across all age groups, including preventive care, restorative treatment, extractions, and growth and development monitoring\n\nOne technique Dr Hinckfuss developed herself is **\"teddy bear therapy\"** — a preparatory approach where children practise dental procedures on their own toys before experiencing treatment. It sounds playful, because it is, but it's grounded in established behavioural principles and has proven genuinely effective for anxious children. Anticipatory fear tends to give way to curiosity, which is exactly the point. It's a good example of her broader approach: meeting children where they are, emotionally as well as clinically.\n\n---\n\n## Training pathway\n\nDr Hinckfuss completed her Bachelor of Dental Science (BDSc) at the University of Melbourne in 1995, then spent eight years in general dental practice in Geelong before returning to Melbourne to pursue specialist training. That time in general practice gave her a well-rounded foundation in family and restorative dentistry that continues to inform her specialist work.\n\nHer 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** — Victoria's principal tertiary paediatric hospital and one of the busiest paediatric dental units in Australia. Training there meant exposure to the full range of paediatric dental presentations, from routine preventive care through to medically complex, high-needs cases.\n\nAfter completing her specialist qualification, Dr Hinckfuss was appointed **Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Dental Science, USA** — one of North America's leading dental academic institutions. She spent three years there contributing to teaching, research, and specialist clinical practice before returning to Melbourne in 2010.\n\n---\n\n## Research and publications\n\nDr Hinckfuss has published research in international peer-reviewed journals and has spoken on paediatric dental topics at national and international professional conferences. Her academic background keeps her clinical practice connected to current evidence — something referring practitioners reasonably expect from a specialist of her standing.\n\n---\n\n## At Collins Street Specialist Centre\n\nDr Hinckfuss practises within the Paediatric Dentistry service at Collins Street Specialist Centre, located at Level 8, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD.\n\nSpecialist paediatric dental care rarely works in isolation. Dr Hinckfuss works closely with colleagues across the Centre's other specialist disciplines — orthodontics for growth monitoring and bite development, oral surgery for complex extractions and paediatric surgical cases, and endodontics for traumatically injured or pulpally involved teeth. Children can receive coordinated specialist care in one familiar setting, which is easier on families and better for clinical continuity.\n\nNo referral is required to book an appointment, though referrals from general dental practitioners and other health professionals are welcome. All specialist credentials can be verified through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) public register.\n\n---\n\n## Frequently asked questions\n\nWho is Dr Susan Hinckfuss: A specialist paediatric dentist at Collins Street Specialist Centre\n\nWhere does Dr Hinckfuss practise: Collins Street Specialist Centre, Melbourne CBD\n\nWhat is the address of Collins Street Specialist Centre: Level 8, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street\n\nWhat level is the practice located on: Level 8\n\nWhat building is the practice in: Manchester Unity Building\n\nWhat is Dr Hinckfuss's dental specialty: Paediatric dentistry\n\nWhat undergraduate degree does Dr Hinckfuss hold: Bachelor of Dental Science (BDSc)\n\nWhere did Dr Hinckfuss complete her BDSc: University of Melbourne\n\nWhat year did Dr Hinckfuss complete her BDSc: 1995\n\nWhat postgraduate qualification does Dr Hinckfuss hold: Doctorate of Clinical Dentistry (DCD) in Paediatric Dentistry\n\nWhere did Dr Hinckfuss complete her DCD: University of Melbourne\n\nWhere was Dr Hinckfuss's specialist clinical training undertaken: The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne\n\nHow many years of specialist practice does Dr Hinckfuss have: More than two decades\n\nDid Dr Hinckfuss work in general practice before specialising: Yes, for eight years\n\nWhere did Dr Hinckfuss practise general dentistry before specialising: Geelong\n\nDid Dr Hinckfuss hold an academic appointment overseas: Yes, at the University of Minnesota\n\nWhat was Dr Hinckfuss's academic title in the USA: Assistant Clinical Professor\n\nWhich institution was Dr Hinckfuss an Assistant Clinical Professor at: University of Minnesota School of Dental Science\n\nHow long did Dr Hinckfuss work at the University of Minnesota: Three years\n\nWhen did Dr Hinckfuss return to Melbourne from the USA: 2010\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 provide individualised care plans for ASD patients: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss manage dental trauma in children: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss treat enamel defects: Yes\n\nWhat enamel conditions does Dr Hinckfuss treat: Hypoplasia, hypomineralisation, and fluorosis\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 restoration of primary molars\n\nAre zirconia crowns tooth-coloured: Yes\n\nAre zirconia crowns an alternative to stainless steel crowns: Yes\n\nWhat is \"teddy bear therapy\": Children practise dental procedures on their own toys first\n\nWho developed the teddy bear therapy technique: Dr Hinckfuss\n\nWhat is the purpose of teddy bear therapy: To reduce anticipatory fear in anxious children\n\nIs teddy bear therapy grounded in behavioural principles: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss see patients of all ages in paediatric dentistry: 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 dental growth and development: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss collaborate with orthodontists: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss collaborate with oral surgeons: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss collaborate with endodontists: Yes\n\nCan children receive multiple specialist services at the same centre: Yes\n\nDoes Collins Street Specialist Centre offer multidisciplinary care: Yes\n\nIs a referral required to see Dr Hinckfuss: No\n\nAre referrals from GPs or dentists accepted: Yes\n\nAre referrals from general dental practitioners welcomed: Yes\n\nCan Dr Hinckfuss's credentials be independently verified: Yes\n\nWhere can Dr Hinckfuss's credentials be verified: AHPRA public register\n\nHas Dr Hinckfuss published research: Yes\n\nIn what type of journals has Dr Hinckfuss published: International peer-reviewed journals\n\nHas Dr Hinckfuss spoken at professional conferences: Yes\n\nHas Dr Hinckfuss spoken at international conferences: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss's practice incorporate current evidence: Yes\n\nWhat languages does Dr Hinckfuss consult in: English\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss use non-pharmacological anxiety management strategies: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss use behavioural communication techniques: Yes\n\nIs Dr Hinckfuss's clinical environment sensory-aware for ASD patients: Yes\n\nAre appointment structures flexible for ASD patients: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss coordinate with other specialists for trauma cases: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss provide family education for early childhood caries: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss emphasise long-term oral health: Yes\n\nIs Collins Street Specialist Centre located in the Melbourne CBD: Yes\n\nDoes Dr Hinckfuss have experience in medically complex paediatric cases: Yes\n\nDid Dr Hinckfuss train at a tertiary paediatric hospital: Yes\n\nIs The Royal Children's Hospital a principal tertiary paediatric hospital in Victoria: Yes\n\n---",
  "geography": {},
  "metadata": {},
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-06T07:21:31.532239+00:00Z",
  "tags": [
    "dental trauma in children",
    "zirconia crowns primary molars"
  ],
  "workspaceId": "96ec94ce-8137-4501-9285-736c8c8e343c",
  "_links": {
    "canonical": "https://directory.collinsstreetspecialistcentre.com.au/our-specialists/dr-susan-hinckfuss/"
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}