We recommend that you bring your child with you to your dental appointments from a very young age, this will allow them get used to the environment, the sounds and become familiar with the surroundings.
Usually around the age of 2 years old they will be ready for their first examination. However, many children are being examined at a younger age so we can “look” and “see” how many teeth are in their mouth.
We make it a fun experience. We take them for a ride in the magic chair and show them how everything works and give them stickers, a special toothbrush, floss, and a tube of children’s toothpaste.
Yes we can still see you for your dental appointments while you are pregnant. Please let our friendly dental staff members know prior to coming in. When you come in for your dental appointment your dental operator will let you know if there any precautions that need to be taken on the day.
We love welcoming new patients!
We make time available every day just for new patients, so you can usually be seen within a few days after your initial phone call. However if it is an emergency we will try our very best to see you the same day.
Life is busy and children make it even busier! However every now and then something catches your eye that does not seem quite right. When you see something on your child’s tooth it can sometimes be hard to tell whether or not it is dental caries (tooth decay). The first thing to do is see if you can brush and/or floss it off. You can also ask if it is sore or sensitive to hot, cold and especially sweet things. If you are unsure then the best thing to do is to have it checked. There are many other conditions apart from tooth decay that could be affecting the tooth or teeth. But if it is tooth decay it is better to catch it early.
The things that we eat and drink everyday can have a big impact on our oral health. Sugars in our diet play a large role in dental caries (tooth decay) and the plaque formed from the things that we consume can contribute to periodontal disease (gum disease). It is a complex process but our diet has an important role. Foods containing natural sugars like fruit and milk or refined sugars like chocolate, lollies, candies, sweets, cakes, and biscuits put you at higher risk of dental disease.
We recommend that you brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste for 2 minutes in the morning and 2 minutes at night time. We also recommend that you floss your teeth for 90 second in the morning and 90 seconds at night time. This is all in order to remove food, plaque and bacteria from against the teeth to try ensure the mouth can be as healthy as possible.
Dental hygienists are advanced diploma qualified oral health professionals registered with the Dental Board of Australia, who provide preventative, educational and therapeutic methods for controlling oral diseases to help individual patients and groups achieve and maintain oral health.
Dental hygienists promote good oral health and treat gum and periodontal conditions using the following skills:
- Preventative and general dental care which includes oral examinations, oral disease diagnosis and treatment planning,
- X-rays and other diagnostic tests
- Educating and counselling on dental health, plaque control, oral hygiene and nutrition
- Scaling and debridement to remove deposits and stains from teeth
- Preventative and therapeutic treatment such as fissure sealants and fluoride therapies
- Take impressions of patients’ mouths
- Stabilise teeth affected by gum disease
- Oral health care advice to individual patients and health promotion for the wider community
- Apply and remove periodontal packs
- Remove dental sutures (stitches) and instruct patients on how to look after their teeth and mouth after operations.
All dental hygienists work in a collaborative and consultative relationship with dental and other health professionals to enable the provision of holistic oral health care and when required, referral of patients for care.
Oral Health Therapists are oral health professionals registered with the Dental Board of Australia, who provide dental and oral health care within a preventative philosophy. Oral Health Therapy includes the practice of both dental therapy and dental hygiene. They provide in consultation with the patient, and/or their legal guardian;
- Oral examinations
- Oral disease diagnosis
- Treatment planning
- X-rays and other diagnostic tests
- Dental fillings or restorations
- Extractions
- Cleaning, polishing and scaling
- Preventative treatments such as fissure sealants and fluoride applications
- Oral health care advice for individual patients, their families and oral health promotion for the wider community
- Services for special needs patients
Oral Health Therapists work with people of all ages to improve and or maintain their oral health by promoting good oral health practices and treating gum and periodontal diseases. They also work with dentists and specialists providing orthodontic treatment, specialist periodontal, paediatric treatment and dental care for other high needs clients.
Oral Health Therapists are educated in universities often in schools of dentistry and work in a collaborative and consultative relationship with dental and other health professionals to enable holistic oral health care.
Before going on holidays we always recommend that you try to address any problems, concerns, queries or questions that you may have before you go. It can be hard to find a good place to go to overseas if any at all depending on where you go. It can also be hard to communicate with who you see due to language barriers. Having routine active maintenance or recall appointments tries to minimize any unexpected things occurring to you both here at home and far away. However on the odd occasion there are sometimes things that we cannot predict. If you are unsure it can be good to do some research before you go as well.
When you arrive for your first appointment you’ll be greeted by our friendly front office coordinator and make sure we have all of your relevant details. When you meet your dentist they will discuss any concerns you may have and address that first. They will perform a thorough dental examination and take digital radiographs (bitewing x-rays) and digital photos where necessary to complete your records.
If you require any further treatment, we will present and explain to you an individual treatment plan with estimated fees along with health insurance item numbers. A complete initial examination usually takes approximately 30 minutes.
We will then refer you to our hygiene department to take care our your gums and underlying structures as they are the foundations of your teeth.
We recommend that you start cleaning the gums with a special gum cleaning device, piece of gauze of soft towel as soon as possible.
Once their first tooth arrives you can start brushing just with the toothbrush and no toothpaste. When they turn 18 months old you can then add a baby pea sized amount of toothpaste unto the toothbrush. Try and get them to spit out the excess as a little bit of fluoride ingested is good for the teeth and very safe to swallow but tooth much is not.
Many babies and toddlers do not often like brushing their teeth or like the taste of toothpaste so it is often best to try and make it as fun as possible and also let them see that you brush your teeth as well.
Usually between the ages of 0 to 6 months of age is when babies start to get their first set of teeth. These have a few names:
- baby teeth
- milk teeth
- primary teeth
- deciduous teeth
During this time they go through teething, which is different for every individual and for every tooth.
ADA – Teeth Chart For Children
Tooth sensitivity is caused by many different factors. The most common one is tooth wear. This can be caused by many things including:
- clenching
- grinding
- erosion
If possible we like to take a minimally invasive approach to treating tooth sensitivity. We do not believe in drill and fill. Firstly we need to find out what is causing your tooth sensitivity. Secondly we need to try and change or modify that habit to protect your teeth from further wear. Thirdly we need to help with your current sensitivity. This can be achieved by using a sensitive toothpaste. You need to brush with it for 2 minutes every morning and then every night, spit out the excess toothpaste but do not rinse, then have nothing to eat or drink for at least 30 minutes. It needs time afterwards to place a plug over the open tubules of your tooth that have been worn away and are causing your sensitivity.
We recommend that you have your teeth examined and checked at lease twice per year, although sometimes your dental provider may recommend more frequent visits, we call these visits “Active Maintenance” appointments. These appointments are essential in preventing dental problems and maintaining the health of your teeth and gums.
Bacteria can build up over time and adhere to the tooth surface, this bacteria is hard in texture and impossible to remove with the toothbrush or floss, regular active maintenance appointments allow for this to be removed regularly, thus preventing gum disease.