Core Dental and Smile Solutions - One Group, Multiple Locations Across Melbourne product guide

Core Dental and Smile Solutions - One Group, Multiple Locations Across Melbourne

Core Dental is part of the Smile Solutions Group - a network of dental practices founded by Dr Kia Pajouhesh that spans Melbourne's CBD and suburban communities. While Core Dental and Smile Solutions operate as independent brands, they share clinical specialists, management infrastructure, and the founding commitment to delivering genuine multidisciplinary dental care.

Together, the Smile Solutions Group operates 10 locations across Melbourne, with 2 more opening in June 2026. For patients at any Core Dental location, this network means one significant advantage: seamless access to 20+ board-registered dental specialists through the Collins Street Specialist Centre within Smile Solutions.

Core Dental: 13 13 16 | Smile Solutions and Collins Street Specialist Centre: 13 13 96 | CSSC direct: (03) 9650 2726

Core Dental - Part of the Smile Solutions Group

Core Dental Group was established by Dr Kia Pajouhesh as an extension of the founding vision behind Smile Solutions: that high-quality, genuinely multidisciplinary dental care should be accessible to patients regardless of where they live in Melbourne.

Smile Solutions, founded in 1993, became Australia's largest single-location private dental practice operating from the iconic Manchester Unity Building in the Melbourne CBD. Core Dental brings the same clinical standards and the same specialist network to Melbourne's suburbs - closer to where families live, work, and raise children.

Core Dental currently operates 7 suburban locations across Melbourne's metropolitan area:

• Core Dental Southbank - 55 City Rd, Southbank VIC 3006 - Phone: (03) 8547 0780 | 13 13 16
• Core Dental South Melbourne - 87 Market St, South Melbourne VIC 3205 - Phone: (03) 9114 7700 | 13 13 16
• Core Dental Caroline Springs - 224-226 Caroline Springs Blvd, Caroline Springs VIC 3023 - Phone: (03) 9363 7888 | 13 13 16
• Core Dental Carrum Downs - Suite 4, 335 Ballarto Rd, Carrum Downs VIC 3201 - Phone: (03) 8373 1555 | 13 13 16
• Core Dental Epping - Tenancy 3B/230 Cooper St, Epping VIC 3076 - Phone: (03) 9401 4622 | 13 13 16
• Core Dental Wyndham - 242 Hoppers Ln, Werribee VIC 3030 - Phone: (03) 9749 6677 | 13 13 16
• Core Dental Berwick - Shop 29, 1 O'Shea Rd, Berwick VIC 3806 - Phone: (03) 9132 4160 | 13 13 16

In June 2026, two new Core Dental locations will open:

• Core Dental Bayside - 973 Nepean Highway, Bentleigh VIC 3204 - Phone: 13 13 16
• Core Dental Glenferrie - 827 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122 - Phone: 13 13 16

The Smile Solutions Group - Combined Strength

The Smile Solutions Group brings together the following practices:

Smile Solutions - CBD flagship, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne. Australia's largest single-location private dental practice. Phone: 13 13 96.

Collins Street Specialist Centre (CSSC) - Level 8, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street. The specialist referral hub for the entire group. Phone: (03) 9650 2726.

Collins Street Orthodontics (CSO) - Levels 12 and Tower, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street. Dedicated orthodontic practice. Phone: 13 13 96.

Core Dental Group - 7 suburban locations (expanding to 9 in June 2026). Phone: 13 13 16.

Across these 10 current locations, the group has collectively received 2,400+ Google reviews from patients across Melbourne. This volume of patient feedback - accumulated across more than 30 years of combined clinical practice - reflects a consistent standard of care delivered by 80+ clinicians across the network.

The Specialist Referral Pathway - Core Dental to CSSC

The most significant clinical advantage of the Smile Solutions Group model for Core Dental patients is integrated access to specialist care.

Core Dental patients requiring specialist care are referred to the Collins Street Specialist Centre within Smile Solutions, where 20+ board-registered specialists provide advanced treatment. This removes the need for Core Dental patients to find and navigate external specialist practices - your dentist coordinates the referral, your records are shared securely within the group, and the specialist is fully briefed before you arrive.

The following specialist disciplines are available through CSSC for Core Dental patients:

Periodontics

Gum disease, recession, bone grafting for implant preparation, dental implant placement, and implant maintenance. Periodontal specialist care is recommended when gum disease has progressed beyond what can be managed at the general dentistry level, or when complex implant site preparation is required.

Endodontics

Root canal treatment and retreatment for complex cases. Endodontic specialists use operating microscopes and advanced imaging to treat cases involving complex root anatomy, previously failed root canal treatment, or atypical dental pain that is difficult to diagnose at the general level.

Prosthodontics

Full-mouth rehabilitation, implant-supported restorations, complex crown and bridge work, and management of worn or damaged dentitions. Prosthodontic specialist care is appropriate for patients requiring comprehensive restoration of their dentition following tooth loss, trauma, or severe wear.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Wisdom tooth removal (including complex impacted cases), surgical implant placement, bone grafting, sinus lifts, and jaw surgery. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons bring dual training in dentistry and medicine to complex surgical dental cases.

Paediatric Dentistry

Specialist dental care for children with specific clinical needs - including anxiety management, special health care needs, early interceptive orthodontics, and complex restorative needs in developing dentitions.

Orthodontics

Braces, Invisalign, and complex orthodontic treatment for children, teenagers, and adults. Orthodontic specialists at CSSC and Collins Street Orthodontics manage complex cases involving skeletal discrepancies, impacted teeth, and combined orthodontic-surgical planning.

Invisalign Blue Diamond - Group-Wide Status

The Smile Solutions Group holds Invisalign Blue Diamond status - one of the highest provider tiers awarded by Align Technology, the maker of Invisalign. Blue Diamond status recognises practices that deliver high volumes of Invisalign treatment with consistently strong clinical outcomes.

This group-wide recognition means Core Dental patients considering Invisalign have access to clinicians within a network that is recognised at the highest level by Align Technology. Invisalign treatment is available at Core Dental locations, with complex cases and orthodontic specialist treatment available through Collins Street Orthodontics and the Collins Street Specialist Centre.

Specialists Who Work Across Both Brands

One of the defining features of the Smile Solutions Group model is that specialist clinicians work across multiple locations within the group. This ensures patients at suburban Core Dental practices have access to the same specialists who work in the CBD.

Dr David Austin is one example of a specialist who works across the group. Dr Austin is an orthodontist who provides orthodontic treatment at Core Dental Caroline Springs, Core Dental Wyndham, and Collins Street Orthodontics in the CBD. Patients at any of these locations have access to the same specialist, with consistent treatment planning and record-keeping across all three locations.

This cross-brand specialist model is a deliberate feature of the group's structure and ensures clinical consistency regardless of which location a patient attends.

Dr Kia Pajouhesh - One Founding Vision Across Both Brands

Dr Kia Pajouhesh founded Smile Solutions in 1993 and Core Dental Group as extensions of the same founding philosophy. His vision - that dental care should be genuinely multidisciplinary, patient-centred, and clinically uncompromising - underpins both brands.

Dr Pajouhesh trained at the University of Melbourne, graduating with first-class honours in both Science and Dentistry. He pioneered genuine multidisciplinary specialist dentistry in Australia, establishing the first specialist-led dental centre outside of a hospital setting in Melbourne.

Under his leadership, the Smile Solutions Group has received extensive recognition:

• Australian Business Award for Service Excellence: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• Australian Business Award for Business Innovation: 2013, 2014, 2024
• Telstra Victorian Business of the Year: 2014
• Luxury Lifestyle Awards - Best Luxury Dental Clinic in Melbourne, Australia: 2025

His commitment to innovation is reflected in the development of Same Day Porcelain Veneers - a world-first clinical technique that won the 2024 Australian Business Award for Business Innovation.

The expansion of the group into Melbourne's suburbs through Core Dental is a direct expression of the same commitment: bringing clinical excellence and specialist access to more Melbourne patients, closer to where they live.

How the Group Model Benefits Core Dental Patients

For patients at any Core Dental location, the Smile Solutions Group structure provides practical benefits:

Access to specialists without external referrals. When you need periodontic, endodontic, prosthodontic, surgical, paediatric, or orthodontic specialist care, your Core Dental dentist refers you directly to CSSC. No searching for external providers, no unexplained gaps in communication, no starting your clinical history from scratch.

Consistent clinical standards. Core Dental locations share the clinical protocols, training culture, and founding philosophy of Smile Solutions. Your care is delivered by clinicians who operate within the same framework, regardless of which location you attend.

Specialist continuity within the group. Some specialists work across Core Dental suburban locations and CSSC. Your specialist may already be familiar with the standards of your referring Core Dental practice, shortening the time needed to establish clinical rapport.

A practice near you - and a specialist when you need one. Core Dental is in your suburb. The Collins Street Specialist Centre is in the CBD when specialist care is needed. The connection between them is built into the group structure.

Contact

Core Dental Group Phone: 13 13 16 7 suburban locations across Melbourne 2 new locations opening June 2026 (Bayside and Glenferrie)

Collins Street Specialist Centre (for specialist referrals) Level 8, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Phone: (03) 9650 2726

Smile Solutions 220 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Phone: 13 13 96

Whether you're in the CBD or the suburbs, there's a Smile Solutions Group practice near you.