Menu
- HOME
- OUR TEAM
- DENTAL SERVICES
- SYMMETRY SMILES
- RESOURCES
- FORMS
- FINANCE PLANS
- CONTACT
- BLOG
9th Sep 2026 published by: Dr. Patrick Ryan
By Symmetry Dental | Kingston, Canberra
Moving to a new city comes with a long list. Somewhere below finding a school, sorting out a GP and working out the quickest way across town sits a quieter job that is easy to put off: finding a dentist. For a lot of families it only comes up when a tooth starts aching, or when a school form asks when the last check-up was.
It can feel like guesswork when you are new. Back home you probably had a practice you trusted, or a neighbour whose recommendation you could rely on. Starting again from scratch is harder, and a family dentist is not a small choice. This is someone you may see for years, with a nervous six year old in one chair and a parent with a chipped molar in the next.
At Symmetry Dental on Jardine Street in Kingston, we meet a lot of families in exactly this position, whether they have arrived from interstate, from overseas, or from the other side of the ACT. We also do things a little differently. Our team looks at how jaw growth, breathing, sleep and posture fit together, rather than treating teeth in isolation. It is a way of working that many of our patients say they have never heard a dentist talk about before.
There is no single right practice for everyone. What matters is finding a team that suits your family, your schedule and your budget, and one that explains things in a way you actually understand. A phone call and a first consultation will usually tell you a great deal.
It helps to know what you are looking for. You might ask:
This is where our approach differs from a standard check-up. Your airway is simply the passage air travels through, from the nose down to the lungs. The way the jaws grow and sit can influence how easily air moves through that space, which in turn can be linked to how well someone sleeps and how they feel during the day.
Dr Patrick Ryan is a general dentist with a Masters in Sleep Medicine from the University of Sydney, and he provides orthodontic treatment using an airway-first approach. In practice, that means asking questions that go past the teeth. Is your child breathing through the nose or mostly through the mouth? How is everyone sleeping? Is there snoring, restless nights, morning headaches, or a child who is always tired despite an early bedtime?
Growth matters here too. Guided Growth orthodontics works with the way a child's jaws are developing rather than waiting until growth has finished. Because jaw development and airway space are related, guiding that growth may influence more than the appearance of a smile. Every child is different and we cannot promise a particular outcome, but these are connections worth understanding. If any of this sounds familiar, mention it when you book so we can set aside time to talk it through properly.
One of the frustrations of being new somewhere is being sent from one clinic to the next while you are still learning your way around. Our team is built so that most of what a family needs sits under one roof.
Dr Joseph Ryan is an Oral Medicine Specialist based here in Kingston. Oral Medicine focuses on diagnosing and managing conditions of the mouth and surrounding areas, often where dentistry and general medicine overlap: an ulcer that will not heal, an unexplained patch, a persistently dry mouth, or ongoing oral discomfort. Having that expertise in Canberra means many patients no longer need to travel to Sydney or Melbourne for specialist oral medical care. We welcome referrals from GPs and other dentists across the ACT and Queanbeyan.
Dr Robert Waites is a general dentist with a strong interest in restorative dentistry, which is the work of repairing and protecting teeth. Alongside our dentists, three oral health therapists provide preventive care and professional cleans, and they are often the team members your family will see most regularly.
We also use modern digital technology, including low dose digital x-rays and intraoral scanning, so changes can be picked up early and shown to you on screen. For children in particular, being able to see the picture rather than just hear about it makes the whole visit far less mysterious.
You do not need to have your old dental records in hand before you book. With your permission, we can request them from your previous practice. If it has been years since anyone in the family has been seen, that is completely fine. Plenty of our patients start exactly that way, and there is no judgement here.
Our clinic on Jardine Street in Kingston sits a short walk from Manuka and close to Barton, and it is an easy trip for families from Griffith, Narrabundah, Tuggeranong, Woden, Belconnen, Gungahlin, the broader ACT and Queanbeyan in NSW. Kingston sits just south of the lake, a short drive from the Parliamentary Triangle.
How do I transfer my dental records to a new dentist in Canberra? You do not need to chase them yourself. Once you have booked with us, we can contact your previous practice with your permission and request your records and any recent x-rays. Bringing the practice name and rough dates along to your first visit makes that easier.
How soon should we book in after moving to Canberra? A good rule of thumb is to book once you are settled, rather than waiting for something to go wrong. Most adults have a check-up every six to twelve months, and your clinician can suggest a schedule that suits each member of the family after that first visit.
Can our whole family be seen at the same practice? Yes. We care for children and adults, so parents and kids can often be booked around the same time rather than making separate trips across town.
If you have recently arrived in Canberra and dentistry is still sitting on the to do list, we would love to meet you. You can book a consultation at our Kingston clinic through symmetrydental.com.au or by calling our friendly team.
If you have a young child and anything in this article about breathing, sleep or jaw growth struck a chord, early assessments are available and parents are very welcome to enquire. And if you are a GP or another dentist, we accept referrals for Oral Medicine care from across the ACT and Queanbeyan.
