Dental & orthodontics · Beaconsfield
Multi Award-Winning Dentist 2007Most Outstanding Female Candidate — Dental Council Examination (Women's Dental Association of Victoria) 2020Pierre Fauchard Academy Fellowship — an invitation-only honour from this international dental organisation, recognising outstanding contributions to dentistry. Dr. Sofia Monter was distinguished for her ongoing excellence in orthodontics. Medicare (CDBS) bulk billing for eligible childrenHealthy Lives Start With Healthy Smiles
Minimising Extractions and Preventing Health Complications via Holistic Oral Care for the Whole Family
- 5 star Google rating (114 reviews)
- Payment plans available
- Complimentary oral care packs every check-up & clean
- Free orthodontic consultations
Our philosophy
Minimising Extractions and Preventing Health Complications via Holistic Oral Care
We are changing what it means to be your dentist. Most dental problems don't start in the tooth that hurts. They start with how you breathe, how you eat, how you sleep, and the balance of bacteria in your mouth. Treat those, and you fix causes instead of chasing symptoms.
- GentleOur goal is to give you world-class treatment and care, at your pace. Nervous patients welcome, and sedation options are available.
- MindfulFrom day one we aim to keep you smiling at all times, yes, even during your treatment.
- HolisticOne team for your check-ups and your orthodontics, planning both around your breathing, sleep and long-term health.
Complimentary every check-up & clean
Complimentary Oral Care Packs
Our service doesn't stop when you leave our doors. Keep your teeth in top-notch shape between appointments with our care packs.
- 2 Toothbrushes
- Toothpaste
- Floss
All you have to do to keep receiving your free care packs is stay subscribed to our Daily Smiles Newsletter.
The bigger picture
Do You Know How Your Dental Health Directly Impacts Your General Wellbeing?
Do you know how jaw alignment and the size of your palate affect the way you breathe and sleep?
Because we take a holistic approach, we'll explain the interesting scientific links between oral disease and systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and why establishing a healthy airway through childhood and adulthood, with orthopaedic and/or orthodontic treatment where needed, matters so much.
What holistic actually means
Your Mouth Affects Your Whole Body
This isn't a marketing word for us. Three real connections drive how we practise:
- The oral microbiomeYour mouth hosts billions of bacteria. Inflamed gums give them a doorway into your bloodstream, which is why gum disease is linked in research with heart disease and diabetes.
- The airwayThe roof of your mouth is the floor of your nose. A narrow palate means crowded teeth and less room to breathe, and that affects sleep, energy and how a face grows.
- Your teeth themselvesEvery natural tooth is worth keeping. Our orthodontic planning grows the jaw to fit the teeth rather than pulling teeth to fit a small jaw, which also protects the profile of the face.
Not our opinion. Research.
The Evidence Behind Our Approach
You shouldn't have to take a dentist's word for it. Here is a sample of the published research that shapes how we treat:
Blocked nasal breathing changes how faces grow. Classic experiments found that obstructing nasal breathing in primates altered jaw growth and produced malocclusion, and studies of children with enlarged adenoids documented the same pattern of longer, narrower facial growth.
Harvold et al., American Journal of Orthodontics, 1981 · Linder-Aronson, Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 1970Poor night-time breathing is linked to behaviour and focus problems in children. In a cohort of over 11,000 children, sleep-disordered breathing in early childhood was associated with behavioural difficulties, including hyperactivity, at age seven. Related work found these problems often improve after the airway obstruction is treated.
Bonuck et al., Pediatrics, 2012 · Chervin et al., Pediatrics, 2006Teeth grinding in children is strongly tied to the airway. Studies of children who had enlarged adenoids and tonsils removed report large reductions in grinding after surgery, in one study falling from 25.7% of children to 7.1%.
DiFrancesco et al., International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 2004 · Eftekharian et al., 2008Widening a narrow palate can improve nasal breathing. Systematic reviews report that maxillary (palatal) expansion increases nasal cavity width and can reduce nasal airway resistance, with effects maintained long term.
Baratieri et al., American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, 2011Children grow during deep sleep. Growth hormone is secreted mainly during deep, slow-wave sleep, which is exactly the sleep that snoring and obstructed breathing disrupt.
Takahashi et al., Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1968Treating gum disease helps control diabetes. A Cochrane review found periodontal treatment produces a meaningful reduction in HbA1c (a key blood-sugar measure) in people with type 2 diabetes. Gum disease is also recognised as being associated with cardiovascular disease in international consensus statements.
Simpson et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2022 · Sanz et al., Journal of Clinical Periodontology, 2020The mouth-brain link is real research, not a wellness meme. Gum-disease bacteria and their enzymes were found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, and meta-analyses link gum disease with depression and cognitive decline. Associations, not causes, and exactly why gum care is health care.
Dominy et al., Science Advances, 2019 · Araújo et al., Journal of Clinical Periodontology, 2016The tongue matters more than you'd think. A short, tight tongue-tie is a frequent finding in children with sleep apnoea, and tongue exercise therapy roughly halved sleep-apnoea severity in adults in a meta-analysis. It's why we check tongue function, not just teeth.
Guilleminault et al., ERJ Open Research, 2016 · Camacho et al., SLEEP, 2015Early assessment is the professional standard. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends every child have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven, while the jaws are still growing and problems are simplest to correct.
American Association of Orthodontists, aaoinfo.orgDr. Sofia Monter trained in the full-face, airway-focused approach taught by specialist orthodontist Dr Derek Mahony: Assess early, look at breathing and sleep rather than just crowding, expand rather than extract, and refer to ENT and sleep physicians when the airway needs medical care. The studies above describe associations found in research, not guarantees about any individual's results.
Transparent pricing
Know the Cost Before You Sit Down
Braces
From $3,500 6 to 24 month interest-free payment plans- Free consultation
- Professionally designed smile
- Tailored periodic adjustments
- Free teeth whitening
Clear Aligners
From $4,000 6 to 24 month interest-free payment plans- Free consultation
- Professionally designed smile
- Tailored periodic adjustments
- Free teeth whitening
Check-Up & Clean
From $202.50 Dental care pack included- Full mouth check-up and diagnostics
- Clean, with fluoride or fluoride-free Coming soon
- Preventative care
- Leave feeling refreshed
Interest-free payment plans for all your general, cosmetic and orthodontic needs. We accept all major credit cards, cash and EFTPOS, claim on the spot with HICAPS, and eligible children are bulk-billed under the CDBS.
Health funds
Do You Take My Insurance?
Whether you have dental insurance or not, our doors are open to you. We accept most major health funds and can arrange payment plans.
For kids and adults
The Right Treatment at the Right Time
For kids, timing is everything. We recommend a first check-up by 12 months of age, then a growth and airway assessment around age five, when jaw growth can still be guided gently. Snoring, mouth breathing, grinding and crowded teeth are the signs worth checking, and plenty of kids simply get the all clear.
For adults, it's never too late, and nobody has to know. Clear aligners and tooth-coloured braces both straighten teeth without the metal look. And if you grind, wake unrefreshed or live with jaw pain, the airway side of our assessment often explains why repairs keep failing.
Meet your dentist
Dr. Sofia Monter
Dr. Sofia Monter has 30 years of experience in general, children's and orthodontic dentistry. She completed the EODO two-year orthodontic residency in Sydney with world-renowned orthodontist Dr Derek Mahony, training in the full-face, airway-focused approach that shapes this practice.
She has won multiple awards of excellence, from graduating Cum Laude in 1989 to being the number one candidate of her graduating class in 2007, and receiving a prestigious fellowship in 2020.
Orthodontics
The Experience for Any Problem Type
Overbite
Upper teeth overlap the lower teeth too far.
Underbite
Lower teeth and jaw sit in front of the upper teeth.
Crossbite
Upper teeth sit inside the lower teeth.
Spacing
Gaps present between teeth.
Crowded Teeth
Not enough space, so teeth twist or overlap.
Not Sure?
Book a free orthodontic consultation and find out.
Braces & alignersGood to know
Questions We Hear a Lot
What does "holistic" actually mean here?
That your mouth is part of your body. Gum bacteria reach your bloodstream, your palate shapes your airway, and your sleep depends on your breathing. So we check all of it, keep treatment as conservative as possible, and offer choices like fluoride-free cleans Coming soon and amalgam-free fillings.
What if I'm afraid of dental procedures?
You're in good company, and we're set up for it. Calm rooms, no rushing, everything explained before it happens, and sedation options if you'd like extra help relaxing.
How do payments work?
All major cards, cash and EFTPOS. HICAPS for on-the-spot health fund claims, payment plans for larger treatment, and CDBS bulk billing for eligible children.
Beaconsfield · Berwick · Officer · Pakenham & surrounds
Ready When You Are
Book online in under a minute, or give us a call.