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FAQ

Why do my gums bleed?

Bleeding gums can be caused by poor oral hygiene practices. The accumulation of plaque and calculus on teeth and around your gums will cause their irritation and inflammation, and hence cause them to bleed. This bleeding can be reduced and eliminated through regular professional dental cleaning and good home care with correct toothbrushing and flossing techniques.

Bleeding gums may also be one of the first early indicators of gum and bone disease. This needs to be carefully asessed by your dentist, and the correct treatment provided, to ensure that further deterioration of bone support around your teeth does not continue.

How often should I visit for a check-up and clean?

It is generally recommended that you visit your dentist once every 6 months for a check-up and clean so that if any dental problems exist, they can be addressed early and fixed easily. Late detection can often require more complex and costly treatment. Calculus and staining usually build up on teeth again within 6 months and require professional removal to ensure that gums are kept healthy. If you are suffering from a medical condition or gum and bone disease, it may be suggested that you visit the dentist more frequently.  At Concord Dental Practice, we have a regular recall system in place to remind you when you are due for a check-up, including a mail or SMS service.

When should my child first see a dentist?

You should take your child to see a dentist as soon as their first baby teeth start to appear, generally not after the age of one year. Bringing them to the dentist when they are young and have few or no dental problems will make their experience at the dentist more pleasant and ensure they do not develop dental fear and anxiety in the future. Good oral hygiene habits and preventive measures are best instilled from an early age.

What will happen if my child loses their baby tooth too soon?

Generally, we try to avoid extracting baby (primary) teeth early. Primary teeth serve the important function of keeping space available, for the adult tooth to erupt through. If there is inadequate space present, crowding of adult teeth, once they all come through, will inevitably occur. 

However, sometimes it is necessary for us to extract a baby tooth due to extensive dental decay or the presence of an abscess. If an extraction is required, it may be important to maintain the space, before adjacent teeth are able to move around. This can be achieved via the use of a space maintainer - an appliance which is cemented to another tooth and which is removed, once the adult tooth is able to come through properly. We will discuss this treatment with you, if a baby tooth requires early extraction.

I am pregnant. Will dental treatment harm my baby?

We encourage regular check ups and hygiene appointments during your pregnancy. Hormonal changes in the body can often cause gum issues - many pregnant patients have noticed an increase in bleeding gums during their pregnancy. Morning sickness can also have consequences for your teeth - the acid can cause irreversible damage and wear on your teeth.

Whilst elective treatment (such as bleaching and cosmetic treatment) can genererally be deferred until after your baby is born, preventive check ups are important to ensure that your teeth and gums are healthy. Recent research has found links between periodontal disesase and preterm birth. Decay and any other dental problem is best detected early on, so that simple, non invasive treatment can be performed - for example, a filling, rather than root canal treatment or an extraction. Your pain and anxiety is more likely to do harm to your child, than simple dental treatment. 

Local anesthetic is safe to use during pregnancy and also whilst you are breastfeeding. 

Please see our "Dental Treatment During Pregnancy" page for further information.

I have an emergency tooth problem. What can I do?

Often, delaying the treatment of an emergency tooth problem will result in much more complex and expensive dental treatment later down the track. If you have a broken tooth, a swelling or if you are in a lot of pain, prompt treatment is recommended. Every day at Concord Dental Practice, we reserve an emergency appointment slot for these sorts of emergencies - this appointment is available to both new and existing Concord Dental Practice patients. We suggest that you call first thing in the morning to secure this appointment time. If you wish to be seen outside of our normal operating hours, we have an after hours emergency service also available - you can be seen during the weekend, on a public holiday, or late during the night, for emergency treatment. To be seen during this hours, please call 0433 666 725, to speak direclty to a dentist.

Why do I need x-rays?

It is suggested that x-rays are taken every 12-24 months to asess the areas in between your teeth, underneath and around existing fillings, to ascertain that there is no new decay present. Decay in these areas is sometimes not visible when looking directly inside the mouth, so x-rays enable the diagnosis of any hidden decay. X-rays are also useful to check that the bone levels around your teeth are healthy.  Concord Dental Practice offers digital radiography, which means remarkably less radiation exposure to our patients, compared to traditional radiography.

Are silver fillings safe and should I consider having all my silver fillings replaced?

Silver fillings (also known as amalgam fillings) contain mercury - this is why there has been much controversy regarding its use in dental practice. In fact, all Scandanavian countries have banned amalgam use altogether. However, to date, there has been no evidence to suggest that any of this mercury leaches out of the silver filling and into our bodies in quantities to cause harm. Therefore, it can still be considered a safe material for dental use.

The other concern regarding amalgam fillings is the possibility of their causing cracks in teeth. Since they do not bond to tooth structure, amalgam placement requires undermining the strength and integrity of the enamel, in order for them to be retained, and over time, cracks start to form due to stresses placed onto the tooth. Stresses come in the form of every day chewing, or grinding/clenching habits. Once these cracks form, they can only propagate later on, to cause fractured teeth, and/or severe pain due to involvement with the nerve inside the tooth.

Silver fillings are not so commonly used these days, since the majority of people prefer the more aesthetic tooth coloured fillings. Please speak to your dentist at Concord Dental Practice if you have any concerns.

Do I need my wisdom teeth taken out?

Not all wisdom teeth need to be extracted. If there is enough space in your mouth to accommodate your wisdom teeth, you are able to clean them properly and they are not causing any discomfort, then there may be no reason to have them removed. Reasons for the extraction of wisdom teeth include:

  • Inadequate space in your mouth to accommodate your wisdom teeth
  • Pain/infection
  • Decay of the wisdom tooth itself or surrounding teeth
  • Impaction 
  • Soft tissue damage - some wisdom teeth erupt at odd angles which may contribute to painful cheek biting

At Concord Dental Practice, most wisdom teeth can be removed in our rooms under local anesthestic.  More difficult cases may be referred to a specialist oral surgeon.  We offer nitrous or intravenous sedation for those who prefer it. To find out more visit our Wisdom Teeth page.

What are fissure sealants and do I need them?

Every individual is unique and this includes the shape and form of their teeth as well. Some people have very deep grooves in their back chewing teeth, which are high risk areas for decay. These deep grooves make cleaning very difficult, as toothbrush bristles are too big to reach and properly clean these areas. Over time, as plaque and bacteria build up in these grooves, decay will develop.

At Concord Dental Practice, we practice preventive dentistry - before decay can occur, we may recommend a preventive sealant be placed into these deep grooves to block out and prevent bacteria getting trapped inside. Brushing these flatter areas will also become much easier. 

What is an implant and is it painful?

An implant is an artificial tooth root which is placed into the jawbone to support a crown. It is the ideal replacement for a missing tootth, provided that there is adequate quality and quantity of jawbone present at the site of the missing tooth. When a tooth is extracted, the bone in that area shrinks over time. Having an implant placed in the area will prevent this bone shrinkage and allow preservation of your jawbone. The actual placement of an implant is not painful as it is performed under local anaesthesia. The procedure is performed in our rooms at Concord Dental Practice or for more difficult cases, referred to a periodontist (gum and bone specialist). To find out more, visit "Dental Implants" under services.

What is a root canal and is it painful?

When teeth are involved in trauma or become painful due to extensive decay, the nerve inside the tooth can become infected. In such cases, root canal treatment is required in order to save the tooth and eliminate pain. Root canal involves the removal of the dead or infected nerve tissue from inside the tooth, then the removal of all the bacteria. After complete sterility of the canals is completed, the root can then be filled. Local anaesthetic is used before root canal treatment to ensure that the procedure is comfortable and as pain-free as possible.

Should I have my teeth whitened at a whitening booth?

That's up to you. Non dental-affiliated whitening cubicles are often cheaper than what we offer. This is due to several reasons:

1) The qualifications of the people whitening your teeth and their knowledge of the process and potential risks and harms involved. The cause of teeth discolouration needs to be diagnosed by a dental professional, in order to assess whether the individual is a candidate for a successful whitening outcome

2) The products used to carry out the whitening process

3) Is follow up care available?

4) Are your soft tissues, such as your cheek, gums and tongue, protected during the whitening process?

5) Whitening can exacerbate existing dental disease and cause more sensitivity and discomfort unnecessarily. This is why a dental check up is always recommended prior to whitening procedures

The Australian Dental Association has been advocating the closure of such institutions for the reasons cited above. 

At Concord Dental Practice, we use the latest whitening technology - Zoom! - to offer you the most superior results. Although we cannot guarantee the results, since many different shades of teeth whiten at different levels, we take great care to protect the soft tissues to ensure that no harm is done to them. We use a safe, high concentration hydrogen peroxide gel to perform the whitening process - this is further accelerated with the use of a UV light. 
Our appointments are booked for approximately 90 minutes, and includes 4 x 15 minute power bleaching sessions where new bleaching product is applied each time for optimum results. You are also given a take home kit, with customised whitening trays and whitening gel, to top up the color of your teeth every now and then, as you see fit. 

If you're thinking about having your teeth whitened at such booths, please make sure you remember to ask the important questions.

 

 

“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.” ― Voltaire

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