The information on this page is intended as a general guide only and may not apply to specific individual cases. It is subject to change without notice.
Why do I need regular professional cleaning?
Nothing beats a professional clean; no matter how rigorous your home-care habits are.
Our hygienist uses various tools to remove the accumulate calculus (tartar) and plaque build-up around your teeth.
What happens during a cleaning appointment?
Our hygienist will use an ultrasonic tool to vibrate off the accumulated calculus and other unwanted material. The ultrasonic vibrations also remove stains.
Material that is under your gum line is carefully removed with special picks.
After cleaning, your teeth are polished gently and topical fluoride paste may be applied to strengthen them.
Why do I need regular check-ups and x-rays?
Regular examinations are conducted to spot any potential problems early so they can be treated before they get worse.
Problems could be tooth decay, decay under fillings and other restorations, cracks, gum disease and oral cancers.
An x-ray may be required sometimes to check inside teeth and below the gum line. We use the latest digital imaging technology for safe, fast and cost-effective x-rays.
Why would a tooth need to be extracted?
We always aim to save and protect a tooth as much as we can.
When a tooth is damaged or decayed beyond repair, however, or if we need to reduce crowding in your mouth, that tooth will need to be extracted.
How is a tooth extracted?
Extractions are always performed with local anaesthesia injected into the site of the procedure. You can also request additional anaesthesia such as inhalation (gas) sedation, or twilight (IV) sedation.
Once the anaesthetic has taken effect, the tooth is loosened from the jaw and removed in one operation.
The associated bleeding usually stops within the hour. Full healing is normally achieved after a week.
If the tooth is broken below the gum line, surgical extraction may be required. This can also be done in-chair.
What happens after a tooth is extracted?
A missing tooth will cause other problems like bite misalignment and jaw bone loss.
We recommend following up each extraction with dental implants or dental bridges; except where the extraction was carried out to reduce overcrowding in your mouth.
What is a root canal treatment and why would I need it?
A root canal treatment is the last-ditch effort to save a damaged tooth from having to be extracted.
When the living tissue (the pulp) inside the tooth is exposed by tooth decay or breakage, pain and infection can result. Left untreated, the infection could spread into the surrounding tissue or into your jaw bone.
A root canal treatment removes the pulp and infected tissue from inside the tooth. The tooth is then sealed and capped with a crown.
Root canal treatments have a high success rate, with treated teeth often lasting many functional years.
What is involved in a root canal treatment?
Due to our experience and technology, we can typically complete a root canal treatment in just two visits. In some instances however, two or more visits may be needed.
At the first visit, with the tooth numbed, specialised tools are used to carefully remove the pulp, nerves, bacteria and infected material from inside the tooth. The cleaned tooth is then packed with special material to ensure a lifetime of stability. A temporary crown is fitted.
At the second visit, the tooth is assessed and the temporary crown replaced with a permanent one. With our in-house CEREC technology, the entire crown can usually be fitted in this one visit.