1. Dental Benefit Enrolments

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Secondary school students can enroll with us from the 1st of January in year 9. We can provide free dental care until the 18th birthday.

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2. Dental Emergencies

 

We will do our best to see you as soon as possible to at least get you out of pain. 

 

3. Teeth cleaning and gum treatment

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The health of your gums (gingiva) and supporting structures (periodontal ligament and bone) is a primary focus of our practice.

Your oral health is only complete when you know how to maintain your periodontal (gums and supporting structures) health.

We will teach you how to maintain good oral hygiene with your home maintenance and regular professional cleaning appointments.

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4. Teeth Whitening

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Lightening the shade of teeth has become a very popular and safe procedure. Only a very few clients do not enquire about whitening their teeth!

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5. Extractions

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An extraction is the clinical term for the removal of a tooth. We remove all teeth including wisdom teeth and retained roots. If you require a general anaesthetic, or the removal of deeply impacted wisdom teeth, it is in your best interests for us to arrange a referral to a maxillofacial surgeon for your care.

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6. Root canal treatment

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When the nerve (pulp) inside a tooth is damaged beyond repair, or becomes infected it needs to be removed to relieve any discomfort and prevent infection spreading within your mouth. An infection inside a tooth will spread outside a tooth and can be very dangerous; in rare circumstances it can even be life threatening.

Root canal treatment is, in most circumstances, a two or multiple phase treatment depending on the complexity of the treatment required.

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 - Phase 1

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The nerve sits inside the top half (pulp chamber) of a tooth and then runs down inside the roots (root canals) and out the root tips. During the first phase of root canal treatment all the nerve tissue is removed from the pulp chamber and the root canals. All areas are then treated with a solution and paste to kill the infecting organisms. A tooth can have between one to four root canals and sometimes more.

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 - Phase 2

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Once the infection has healed the roots are filled with a rubber like material that seals them to prevent leakage and reinfection. A temporary restoration is usually placed at this appointment so the tooth can be monitored over the next week or two to ensure the tooth remains symptom free and the root canal sealing material can fully set. At this stage a canal can easily be retreated if it is not responding well without interfering with the final (usually expensive!) restoration.

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 - Phase 3

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Once the tooth is symptom free, the top of the tooth is filled with a normal filling material, and a crown is often recommended to be cemented over the top to prevent the tooth splitting. A root filled tooth is not as strong as a healthy tooth as it has had a substantial amount of tooth structure removed internally to access the root canals. It has also become dehydrated and more brittle having lost its internal blood and nerve supply.

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Sometimes the root canals are very fine and difficult to find. In these cases it is in your best interests to be referred to a specialist endodontist (only do root canal treatment) for your care. They use very high powered microscopes and specialist knowledge to do what they can to save your tooth.

 

7. White fillings

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We are an amalgam free practice. Modern day cosmetic restorative materials are very durable and have a broad scope of use.

 

8. Crowns

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All ceramic crowns, partial crowns (onlays) and inlays bonded to your tooth.

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These restorations are made outside of your mouth and then bonded to your tooth. They are strong and less abrasive against opposing teeth compared to older porcelain crowns. Because they are metal free they are very similar in shade to your own teeth. They appear vibrant and not dull like older porcelain fused to metal crowns. A lot of clients also report that they feel light and like a natural tooth, unlike “heavier” crowns they have had placed in the past.

 

9. Gold crowns and inlays

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Gold is a very strong and comfortable material to have in your mouth. Because it is strong in thin section it is a material of choice when the teeth are worn and there is not a lot of space left, or the preference is to remove a minimal amount of tooth structure to stabilise the tooth.

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10. Bridges

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A bridge is multiple crowns joined together which is cemented on top of one or more supporting teeth. This is an option to fill in a gap where you have a missing tooth or teeth.

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Once the gap is restored the adjacent teeth are prevented from moving and are held in their correct position.

 

11. Veneers

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Veneers are thin ceramic restorations bonded to teeth to change their appearance. They do not strengthen a tooth.

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12. Implants

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An implant is a titanium screw like structure that is placed in bone to support a custom made crown on top. Implants are a great option to fill a gap where one or multiple teeth are missing. They can also be used to support dentures to prevent them moving.

For the placement of an implant you will be referred to a periodontist (gum specialist) or a maxillofacial surgeon to have the surgery carried out in a sterile surgical field and with sedation if preferred. Once the implant placement site has healed (integrated) you will be referred back to us to have the top of the implant restored.

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13. Night Guards

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Bite splints are recommended when there is evidence of nocturnal habits that are wearing your teeth down (teeth grinding) or splitting your teeth (clenching).​

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We all do this to some extent and to different degees according to our lifestyle. If you have invested in a lot of restorative work to repair multiple fractured or worn teeth it is in your best interests to consider protecting your teeth at night by wearing a bite splint.

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14. Mouthguards

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Custom made mouth guards are more comfortable and a lot more successful at preventing tooth trauma than an over the counter option.

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The mouth guards are made on a model having taken an impression of your top teeth. They are tighter fitting and less likely to be dislodged during impact.

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They can be made to fit over braces (orthodontic wires and brackets).

 

15. Dentures and partial dentures

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 Partial dentures are a great,cost effective way to fill gaps and prevent adjacent teeth from moving after an extraction. They can be all plastic (resin) or have a less bulky metal framework (chrome-cobalt). We refer to a local Clinical Dental Technician for Full Dentures to be made.

 

We are happy to discuss any other treatment procedures with you. If a procedure is outside the scope of our practice we can arrange a referral to one of our highly experienced affiliated providers.

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