Gentle, Family-Focused Ashburton Dentists

An Experienced, Caring Dental Team

Frequently Asked Questions

A Family Dental Practice in Ashburton

Aesthetic Mee Dental has been part of High Street since 2010. We’re a general and family practice: the kind of place you bring your children for their first check-up, come back to for your own cleans, and rely on when a tooth breaks on a Saturday morning. Our three dentists — Dr Mee Kim, Dr Mariana Habil and Dr Jasper Byun — cover the full range of care, from preventive check-ups and children’s dentistry through to root canal treatment, implants, Invisalign and cosmetic work, so you rarely need to be referred elsewhere.

What patients tell us they value most is time. Appointments aren’t rushed, findings are explained in plain language, and costs are put in writing before treatment begins. We consult in English, Korean and Mandarin, we’re wheelchair accessible, and there’s free parking on site.

Preventive Care That Actually Prevents

Most dental problems are silent until they’re expensive. Decay doesn’t hurt until it reaches the nerve; gum disease rarely aches until bone has already been lost. That’s why our approach is built around six-monthly check-ups and cleans — not as a sales tactic, but because catching a small cavity early costs a fraction of a crown, and reversing early gum disease is possible where advanced disease isn’t. Our $199 check-up, clean and fluoride offer exists to remove the excuse: examination, professional scale and clean, and a fluoride treatment for one clear price, with extras rebates claimed on the spot.

Preferred Provider — What It Means for Your Bill

We hold preferred provider status with Bupa (Members First Platinum, the top Bupa tier for independent dentists), HCF (More for Teeth) and nib (First Choice), and CBHS members may pay no gap for check-ups. In plain terms: those funds have agreed fee schedules with us, which usually means a smaller out-of-pocket cost than at a non-participating dentist, and for many members a routine check-up and clean costs nothing at all. Every other fund is welcome, and we claim through HICAPS at reception so you only ever pay the gap.

What to expect as a new patient

Your first visit is about listening before anything else. We ask what brings you in and whether anything worries you, then carry out a thorough examination of your teeth, gums and bite, with X-rays only where they’ll genuinely change what we recommend. You’ll leave with a plain-language summary of where things stand — what needs attention now, what can be monitored, and what’s optional — and written costs for anything we suggest. Nothing is treated on the day without your agreement, unless you’re in pain and want it dealt with.

If it’s been years since your last visit, or a previous experience put you off, tell us. A large share of our regular patients started exactly there. We’ll allow extra time, explain each step before it happens, and stop whenever you ask.

Dentistry for children and families

We see a lot of families, and we’ve built the practice around making that easy. Appointments can be booked back-to-back so one trip covers everyone; children are welcome from their first birthday; and eligible children aged 0–17 are bulk billed under Medicare’s Child Dental Benefits Schedule, so there’s nothing to pay for covered services. First visits are short and low-key — a look, a count of the teeth, a go on the polisher if they’re happy — because the goal is a child who doesn’t mind coming back.

As children grow we watch the things that matter at each stage: fissure sealants when adult molars arrive, jaw development around age seven to nine, mouthguards for sport, and wisdom teeth in the late teens. For parents it’s a chance to ask about diet, brushing and habits like thumb-sucking, where a small change early saves a lot later.

For adults and older patients the same principle applies: catch things early, treat conservatively, explain everything. From routine cleans to implants, dentures and gum treatment, the care is delivered by the same three dentists, so you’re never handed around.

Emergency care when you need it

Toothache, a broken tooth, a lost filling or facial swelling rarely arrive at a convenient time. We hold time in the schedule each day for urgent problems, so calling early gives you the best chance of being seen the same day. The first priority is relieving pain; where a complete repair needs a longer appointment, we’ll stabilise the tooth and book you back with a clear plan. For severe swelling with fever or any difficulty breathing or swallowing, go straight to a hospital emergency department.