Your Initial Consultation

How long does an initial consultation take? +

Initial consultations are scheduled for between 20 to 45 minutes depending on the reason for your referral.

Please attempt to arrive 15 minutes earlier than your appointment to complete your medical history and new patient questionnaire. Alternatively, this form can be emailed to you prior to your consultation for you to complete.

Can my procedure be performed on the same day as my initial consultation? +

Depending on the complexity of your required procedure, it may be possible for Dr Chellappah to perform your treatment under local anaesthesia immediately following your initial consultation. Dr Chellappah will advise you if this is an option at your appointment.

How much will it cost? +

The cost of an initial consultation with Dr Chellappah is:

• $200 for wisdom teeth, dental extraction, implant, oral pathology and facial trauma consultations
• $275 for orthognathic (corrective jaw surgery) consultations
• $500 for facial pain, TMJ (jaw joint) consultations

As Dr Chellappah is a registered specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon you can expect a Medicare rebate of $78.05 for your initial consultation.

Subsequent consultations with Dr Chellappah are $100 and there is no cost for post-operative review appointments.

A quotation for any treatment you require will be provided to you at the time of your consultation.

I have health insurance

If you have health insurance, the whole or part of your costs may be covered by your insurer. This is dependent of the type of cover you have as well as the type of treatment that is required. If you have hospital cover, your hospital visit or hospital stay may also be covered by your insurer.

There are some conditions that are covered under your hospital cover whilst others are only covered by your “extras” or “ancillary cover. It is therefore important to be aware of whether you have hospital cover and any “extras” or “ancillary” cover that might apply to your condition.

I do not have health Insurance

If you do not have health insurance you can “self-fund” your procedure. Should you need a general anaesthetic for your treatment, your total costs will be the cost of the surgery as well as the cost of the hospital and the anaesthetist. We will provide you with details for these at the time of your consultation.

Should you need a local anaesthetic for your treatment, the total cost will only include the cost of the surgery. There are however conditions that cannot be treated under a local anaesthetic and will required a general anaesthetic.

Do I need a referral to see Dr Chellappah? +

Anyone may be seen by a specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, such as Dr Anthony Chellappah, for consultation and treatment. However, in order to obtain any applicable Medicare rebate or private health insurance rebate, you must have a referral from your GP or Dentist.

Please bring your referral to your initial appointment or request that your GP or Dentist forwards your referral to info@drchellappah.com.au prior to your appointment.

What should I bring to my first appointment? +

Please bring the following to your initial consultation with Dr Chellappah:

• Referral letter
• List of medications
• Medicare card
• Health insurance details
• Imaging (x-rays, CT scans, MRIs)
• Relevant blood test results If you are attending for an initial consultation, please attempt to arrive 15 minutes earlier than your scheduled appointment time to complete your medical history and new patient questionnaire. Alternatively, this form can be emailed to you prior to your initial consultation for you to complete.

What is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon? +

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is the surgical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the teeth, mouth, jaws, face and neck. The conditions managed by Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons include a range of common oral surgical problems (e.g. impacted teeth, dental implants), jaw and congenital facial disproportion, facial trauma, oral cancer, salivary gland disease, temporomandibular joint disorders and various benign pathologies (e.g. cysts and tumours of the jaws).

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons work in collaboration with Dentists and other specialists such as Orthodontists, Prosthodontists, Ear Nose and Throat Surgeons, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and Oncologists as part of multidisciplinary teams to optimise the treatment of major conditions and diseases of the mouth, jaws, face and neck.

Within Australia, to be recognised as a specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, a practitioner must have completed:

• A degree in Dentistry (4-5 years)
• A degree in Medicine (3-6 years)
• Medical Internship (1 year)
• Basic surgical training (1 year)
• Advanced surgical training in the specialty (4 years)

Advanced surgical training involves countless hours in clinics, wards and operating theatres in major tertiary hospitals, successful completion of examinations (Surgical Science and Training Examination and the Final Examination) and research. This training is overseen on a regional and national level by the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons.

It is only then that a practitioner is awarded Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (FRACDS (OMS)). This qualification is the mandatory requirement to be registered as a specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon with the Dental Board of Australia, Medical Board of Australia and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). It is also the only qualification recognised by both the Australian Medical Council and Australian Dental Council.

How can I confirm Dr Chellappah is a specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon? +

Dr Chellappah’s registration can be status can be viewed on the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) website Register of Practitioners.

Where will my procedure be performed? +

Dr Chellappah will advise you where your procedure should be performed. The options vary, depending upon the complexity of the treatment required, your medical history and personal circumstances.

Simple treatments are often able to be performed under local anaesthetic in our rooms. We are also able to offer treatment under local anaesthetic with intravenous sedation, administered by a specialist Anaesthetist, in our rooms.

Treatment requiring general anaesthetic will be performed at either:

• The Northern Beaches Hospital
• Pittwater Day Surgery

What if I don’t have private health insurance? +

You are still able to see Dr Chellappah for a consultation and any treatment you require.

If you do not have health insurance you can “self-fund” your procedure. Should you need a general anaesthetic for your treatment, your total costs will be the cost of the surgery as well as the cost of the hospital and the anaesthetist. We will provide you with details for these at the time of your consultation.

Should you need a local anaesthetic for your treatment, the total cost will only include the cost of the surgery. There are however conditions that cannot be treated under a local anaesthetic and will required a general anaesthetic.

You can receive a Medicare rebate for some treatments even if you do not have private health insurance.

How do you handle my information? +

All patient information is handled in the strictest of confidence in accordance with our Privacy Policy.