Patient Information

The first visit is to establish a baseline and obtain all your records. We then find out what your goals and expected outcomes are and together formulate a treatment plan and timeline. We then finish by doing an ultrasonic scale and clean, polish and prophy, apply fluoride and we also give you a bag of goodies to take with you.

Calculus builds up and can not be removed by simple brushing. This calculus sits above and below the gums and leads to gingivitis and periodontitis. We use an ultrasonic scaler to remove this calculus and plaque restoring your oral and gingival health. Subgingival calculus can lead to tissue and bone loss and in the long term mobility of teeth.

Bleeding gums is usually a sign of gingivitis or periodontitis. Simply brushing will not resolve the problem, sometimes a deep clean is necessary to remove the plaque, calculus and decrease the bacterial load in the mouth, thereby allowing the gums to heal, hence reducing the inflammation and putting a stop to the bleeding. 

A sore tooth can be due to many reasons, some of which are; grinding, decay and infection. If pain has come and is now gone, this can be a good or a bad thing, and difficult to assess without having a look. If the pain has gone as the tooth was inflammed from grinding and has subsided, then this is good. However, if the pain was due to a dying tooth and the pain is gone as the tooth has died, then it is very possible to have an infection in the jaw that is yet to cause pain. This is why some people have some pain, then no pain then present with a swollen face. 

It is very difficult to say how much a health fund will cover over the phone, however, when you come in we can physically swipe your card and give you a quote prior to any treatment. 

This is because there is over 30-40 private health insurances in Australia alone. Furthermore, everyone has a different level of coverage, waiting periods and remaining balance. 

We accept all major health funds. If for some reason your fund is not accepted, we will give you a fully itemised receipt in which you can send to your health fund and be reimbursed. 

The tooth has 3 main layers; the outer white enamel layer, the middle yellow dentine layer and the inner layer, the nerve (i.e. pulp). The enamel layer is similar to your nails in the way that it does not have any nerve endings and hence no pain when decay goes through this layer. The nerve endings start in the pulp and go into the dentine layer , so when decay starts entering this layer, some people may feel something like sensitivity, others don’t. By the time there is significant toothache or pain, more often than not it has reached the nerve.

Hence it is very common to have decay with no pain, and this is why it is essential to always get checked.

Most people tend to brush their teeth quiet adequately, but yet find that they need to get fillings. Unfortunately when we brush, the bristles do not get in between the teeth as well as we would like. If there is any plaque or calculus between the teeth, this can lead to decay which enters from between the teeth and tends to spread leading to decay and a need for a filling.

Bitewings are the type of X-rays that we take every 2 years. They mainly show us what is happening between the teeth and under the gums (areas we can not see well clinically). Since decay can usually spread with no pain, and decay that starts between the teeth can not be seen clinically, these X-rays are an amazing tool to prevent pain before it begins and catch decay early.

These days with the improvement in technology, X-ray dosage are ridiculously small and most major health funds cover the cost, why would you not do it?