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General Dentistry

Seeing a dentist on a regular basis is an easy and effective way to keep your teeth in optimal condition and maintain oral health. We recommend booking an appointment every six months. While your teeth and mouth may not be experiencing any obvious issues or pain, it is still possible for issues to creep in without being noticed. This is why regular dental visits are important.

The best way to brush your teeth is to hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gum line and begin gently brushing back and forth. You should only try to brush a couple of teeth at a time. Progressively move around your mouth ensuring that all areas of your teeth are brushed.

There are a number of toothpastes that treat specific issues, such as whitening, tart control or desensitising toothpastes. However, as a general rule you should use a toothpaste that contains fluoride, which is a mineral that helps to strengthen the enamel on your teeth.

The World Health Organization recommends that everyone should brush with a fluoride toothpaste, but fluoride toothpastes with a candy-like flavour and containing high concentrations of fluoride should not be used by children. Children typically require less fluoride, and we recommend buying child-specific toothpaste for them.

All Colgate, Macleans, Sensodyne and Oral B brand toothpastes contain fluoride. To make things easy, you should look for the Australian Dental Association Seal of Approval to ensure you are buying a product endorsed by dental professionals.

We suggest veneers or teeth whitening treatment for our patients who want to improve the brightness of their smile. Our recommendation is based on how extensive a treatment the patient wants — some only want to go a shade or two lighter for special occasions, while others desire the true ‘Hollywood smile’. However, brightening teeth can also be accomplished by removing superficial stains with a simple scale and clean. We always recommend patients book a consultation with a dentist or oral health therapist to see what treatment is most suitable for them and provide an idea on cost.

We highly recommend brushing your teeth twice a day for a minimum of two minutes to remove food particles and plaque build-up on the teeth. Brushing should reach all areas of the teeth and around the entire tooth surface. 

We also recommend flossing at least twice a day to remove food and plaque from between teeth and ‘sugar bugs’ from under the gums.

It is not normal for your gums to bleed when you clean your teeth, and can be caused by plaque build-up along the gumline or even gum disease. However, while it can be intimidating to see any bleeding, we always encourage patients to continue brushing twice daily and flossing. Eventually your gums will not be as puffy and the bleeding will stop.

If bleeding continues, contact us to chat with one of our staff.

A soft tissue oral check involves a dentist or oral health therapist examining the soft tissues in the mouth — including the gums, cheeks, lips and tongue — to look for concerns, like infections or unusual lesions. Soft tissue checks typically occur during a patient’s first appointment.

Orthodontics

Orthodontics refers to the science of moving teeth around, typically to correct malpositioned teeth and jaws, fix misaligned bite patterns and to overall improve a patient’s smile.

The correct orthodontic treatment option depends on multiple factors, particularly the age of a patient and the crookedness of their teeth. We often require X-rays or other scans to determine what the best orthodontic treatment would be for any given patient. Treatments like Invisalign, braces or aligners have their different benefits and prices, so it is worth consulting with a dentist or orthodontist to determine what will be most effective for you.

Children’s orthodontic treatments can start from as early as 6 years old. In fact, we recommend parents book an assessment for their children at around 7 years old for their teeth to be inspected, prior to permanent teeth developing. 

Teenage and adult orthodontics typically occur once a person has lost all of their primary teeth (‘baby teeth’) and all of their permanent teeth have developed. For common orthodontics like braces, we recommend undergoing treatment between 10 and 14 years old, but patients can receive orthodontic treatment at any time.

We suggest veneers or teeth whitening treatment for our patients who want to improve the brightness of their smile. Our recommendation is based on how extensive a treatment the patient wants — some only want to go a shade or two lighter for special occasions, while others desire the true ‘Hollywood smile’. However, brightening teeth can also be accomplished by removing superficial stains with a simple scale and clean. We always recommend patients book a consultation with a dentist or oral health therapist to see what treatment is most suitable for them and provide an idea on cost.

X-Rays

Dental X-rays give practitioners the opportunity to examine your teeth and look for any sign of decay or infection beneath the gums and roots of your teeth. They are an essential tool for dentists to effectively treat you and keep track of your dental health.

Patients who attend the dentist regularly and have excellent oral health may only need X-rays every 2-3 years. Patients who are prone to gum diseases such as gingivitis or periodontitis may require X-rays as frequently as every 3 months. Your dentist can recommend the appropriate timeline for you.