The answers to all your common questions…

General Dentistry is the area of dentistry that focuses on all aspects of oral health and well being. General dentistry treatments include fillings, cleaning, and regular checkups. This is the basis of any good general dental practice and is applicable for all ages.

In today’s age of technology, your dentist has a range of options to help your teeth look great. Stained teeth, dark teeth, chipped teeth, crooked teeth, and even teeth that are missing altogether, can be repaired or replaced. Cosmetic or aesthetic dentistry is the broad heading under which many dental procedures that improve the appearance of teeth may be described.

The latest developments in dentistry include tooth whitening treatments, micro-abrasion, bonding and veneers. These techniques can whiten and improve the shape and colour of your teeth, even close gaps.

Tooth Whitening – treatments are designed to whiten your own teeth without any artificial additions. There are several ways dentists can whiten your teeth – with very high peroxide gel concentrations, the dentist may very carefully apply the gel and use some heat from a light source (sometimes a laser is used) to whiten the teeth in a short time. This technique is not common, usually expensive and not re-usable. Alternatively plastic trays are custom-made by your dentist using models of your teeth, and then you administer the treatment yourself using safe-strength gels at home. These custom made trays have the big advantage of being re-usable with refill kits.

Micro-abrasion – Micro-abrasion can be used to remove discolouration in the surface layer of the enamel. A paste containing a buffered gel and an abrasive is used to remove a thin layer of the tooth enamel. If the discolouration is deep in the enamel your dentist may need to remove the affected enamel with a bur and place an adhesive tooth coloured filling. Usually an anaesthetic is not required.

Bonding – Bonding is a process whereby your dentist cleans and prepares the surface of your teeth and then bonds tooth coloured resin fillings to them. Bonding can be used to repair chipped teeth, close small gaps between teeth, alter the shape of teeth and sometimes cover discolouration in teeth. Bonded resins are simple to re-polish and replace if they eventually discolour.

Veneers – Veneers are thin (usually about 0.5mm thick) pieces of porcelain or composite material, which are bonded to the front surface of the teeth. Veneers can be used to improve the appearance of teeth by changing the shape of the teeth, by changing the colour of the teeth, by masking stains and by replacing small fractured pieces of teeth.

A bridge is an appliance permanently fixed in the mouth to replace missing teeth. It uses remaining teeth to support the new artificial tooth or teeth. A conventional fixed bridge consists of crowns that are fixed to the teeth on either side of the missing teeth with a “floating crown” placed where teeth are missing. Bridges can be made from a variety of materials and this is selected on a case to case basis depending on many factors.

Bridges are usually placed in today’s dentistry when implants are not an option.  Dr Mandev Singh prefers implants over bridges as implants do not require adjacent teeth to be involved in the treatment and are the closest to your natural teeth with form, function and care.

A denture is an appliance that replaces teeth made out of pink or gum coloured acrylic, a flexible nylon (Valplast) or metal framed. These are full mouth dentures (to replace all missing teeth) or partial dentures. You remove it to clean it after each meal and are recommended to be removed each night before going to bed. Dentures are not as commonly used as a treatment option presently as the alternatives of implants, crowns and bridges offer far superior function and aesthetics. Dentures are also problematic with having to be removed nightly before sleep and requiring far greater oral hygiene care and maintenance.

Removable dentures are those dentures (plates) the wearer can remove and replace at will. These types of dentures can replace one tooth, all your natural teeth, or any number of missing teeth in between.

A crown or a bridge is fixed or cemented in place and cannot be removed. Crowns and bridges are a far superior form of treatment with high function and aesthetics compared to dentures.

Some removable dentures are made to be inserted immediately after the removal of a tooth or some teeth. These types of removable dentures are commonly termed ‘immediate dentures’. They can be constructed to replace only one tooth or many teeth. Your local dentist can undertake all the required stages involved in immediate dentures. This will mean that one person will oversee the whole treatment, assuring you of the highest possible standards.

Small partial dentures can be treatment planned and fabricated within 1 week. Full dentures can be fabricated within 2 weeks from treatment onset.

A dental implant can be thought of as an artificial tooth root that is submerged into the jawbone. When dental work such as a crown, fixed bridge or a full set of dentures is added, one or more missing teeth can be replaced. A dental implant is fabricated from a very strong, biocompatible material placed in a simple procedure that, generally, is as convenient as a tooth extraction. After an initial healing period, during which the implant is buried in bone and left undisturbed under gum tissue, it is uncovered and connected to a small metal post that secures and supports the artificial tooth. The implant material is extremely biocompatible. The bone grows to the implant and bonds to it. This makes the implant very strong. The process is called ‘osseointegration’.

Early visits can prevent minor problems from becoming major ones. At Shailer Park Dental, we advise parents to bring their kids in from 3 years of age. These visits are fun filled and to allow the kids to get used to dental visits. Our therapists will be able to detect early decay. Teach good habits early, as good habits start young for a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums. Brush frequently to keep plaque levels low, reduce snacking and begin dental visits early.

Root canal or endodontic treatment is a process whereby inflamed or dead pulp is removed from the inside of the tooth, enabling a tooth that was causing pain to be retained. Once a tooth has been root canal treated it can remain in service for many years. All root filled teeth require crowns after treatment for additional strength. Front teeth that have had root canal treatment will often discolour and require crowns for aesthetics.

Root canal treatment is often avoided from fear of pain. Many patients have heard that this treatment is painful and problematic. we can assure you that any root canal treatment performed at Shailer Park Dental is pain free, safe and long lasting as long as a crown is placed after. Root canal treatment is highly effective and long lasting.

Home bleaching does not make the teeth pure white like you may see in some advertising. If it did the teeth would not look natural. This form of bleaching is very effective in achieving a much lighter shade of your natural colour. Anyone promising “white” teeth is giving poor advice. Bleaching does not damage your teeth as is often thought by some patients. Patients with very stained and yellowed teeth may require extended application times or even stronger bleaching gels. We will monitor your bleaching progress and advise accordingly.

 

 

Reaching an accurate diagnosis of the cause of dental discolouration allows your dentist to select the most appropriate treatment options. Over-the-counter products may not be effective against some types of discolouration and your dentist can advise you whether the problem can be managed by various professional lightening or whitening treatments, or whether more extensive cosmetic procedures (such as veneers or crowns) are needed.

Some patterns of tooth shade change such as whiteness from fluoride intake can be treated using methods other than whitening to return tooth enamel to its normal colour. They can also provide advice on the type of improvement expected and the duration of treatment. Documenting the tooth shade using a dental shade guide (or taking photographs) is normally undertaken before starting a whitening treatment.

Some people do elect to wait until they are having trouble with their wisdom teeth. Our approach at Shailer Park Dental is determined on a patient to patient basis. Some patients that have no wisdom teeth problems are advised to leave them as is. For those of our patients that have problems, Dr Mandev Singh is highly experienced at removing wisdom teeth. All cases are diagnosed, xrays or Cone Beam Scanned, analysed and planned. Dr Mandev Singh performs these procedures under local anaesthesia with minimal pain, swelling and post-operative pain. Patient fear of the procedure and pain often causes patients to delay treatment. We welcome any questions or enquiries about your wisdom teeth.

The Australian Dental Association recommends that you should visit your dentist for a check-up and clean every 6 months. Regular dental cleans will keep your teeth and gums healthy, helping to prevent dental disease, gum disease and bad breath. If a cavity does begin to form in a tooth, it can be identified and treated at an early stage, preventing the need for any major or expensive dental work. The lack of regular dental check ups is the main cause of of dental treatment that costs more than it should.

We recommend regular check up with scaling/cleaning visits as per the Australian Dental Association. For some of our patients with excellent dental hygiene and good diets, we recommend check ups every 12 months.

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We offer bulk-billing for all dental services included under the Medicare Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
This scheme gives eligible kids & teens $1000 free dental every 2 years, up to the age of 18.
To check your child/teen’s eligibility come into Shailer Park Dental where we can do an instant online check. Remember to bring your Medicare card along for this. Our friendly, knowledgeable and helpful staff will be more than happy to help and advise.

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We offer bulk-billing for all eligible veteran’s affairs card holders. All gold card holders receive free dental treatment (in accordance with DVA dental schedule – some restrictions apply). White card holders can check eligibility by phoning 1800 555 254. Available treatments includes preventive dental, general dental, crowns, bridges, implant & dentures.

Dental crowns (also sometimes referred to as ‘dental caps’ or ‘tooth caps’) cover or encase the tooth on which they are placed. We use crowns when rebuilding broken or decayed teeth as a way to strengthen teeth and to improve the cosmetic appearance of a tooth. Crowns are made in a dental laboratory by a dental technician who uses impressions or moulds of your teeth. Shailer Park Dental is proud to use all Australian owned and operated dental laboratories to ensure the highest quality is achieved. We do not use dental laboratories based overseas. Any treatment performed for our patients is backed with service and support to reflect our high standards.

The type of crown we use will depend on the tooth involved and sometimes on your preference. They include porcelain crowns, porcelain-bonded-to-metal crowns, gold alloy crowns and acrylic crowns. Our preference at Shailer Park Dental is to use all porcelain or ceramic crowns for high aesthetics and strength. Dr Mandev Singh has been placing these all ceramic crowns for over 20 years with exceptional long term results.

Shailer Park Dental accepts all dental health fund rebates. We are linked to all the funds via our payment systems. Shailer Park Dental is not a contracted fund provider or a so called “preferred provider”. Our goal is to offer our patients options and alternatives for their treatment. This is best achieved by us operating as an independent practice without having any third parties having a say in their treatment planning that may be detrimental to our patient needs. We offer payment plans, extended treatment times and staged treatment planning for our patients who require financial assistance.

We recommend to our patients to look into the smaller health funds that return more of your money back as rebates rather than on expensive, slick advertising and corporate sponsorship’s.

Please talk to us about this in person and we can structure your treatment to suit your payment abilities.

Overseas dentistry has become increasingly more common in the last 5 years, especially when the Australian dollar was strong to the US dollar. Dr Mandev Singh was born in Malaysia, lived in Singapore and is familiar with how overseas dentistry operates. Our advice is that it is important to consider your health and not treat it as a commodity. Overseas dentistry is cheaper when compared to here but often results in over treatment, over servicing and poor quality. Many of these overseas dental clinics are lavish and swish but the treatment is performed in a one or two week period, often resulting in treatment that is rushed and of lower quality. Their staff are paid wages that would be unacceptable in Australia and the training and compliance regulations are often low or even absent. Dentistry in Australia is subject to some of the highest and most rigorous standards which we must comply with. This ensures world class quality standards are maintained and improved.

Patients getting treatment overseas cannot also access backup and help when something goes wrong. This is something that is often ignored or forgotten and can result extensive and costly repairs that have to be performed back home. Our advice is “buyer beware”. Please contact and talk to us first if you are thinking of overseas dentistry. Dr Singh has often structured treatment plans for patients still wanting to go overseas so there is no over servicing and quality standards are achieved.

Home bleaching can case some temporary tooth/teeth sensitivity during the bleaching process. This can sometimes be interpreted as causing tooth damage. This sensitivity dissipates or stops once the bleaching is completed. We provide Tooth Mousse gel to counteract the sensitivity during the bleaching process.

Shailer Park Dental offers 2 highly trained and experienced dental hygienists who look after the scaling and cleaning needs of our patients. Regular hygiene visits are usually between 45-60 minutes long and involve thorough ultrasonic and hand scaling, oral hygiene instructions and dietary advice.

Our hygiene and scaling visits are not 5 or 10 minutes long that are “fitted” or “included” in your appointment that are offered by some practices. These are often rushed through and are nothing more than an expensive “toothbrushing” session. Some practices will also offer “rebate free” or “gap free” scaling which is often of lower standards. Dr Mandev Singh prefers all his patients to see the hygienists as he is often will admit that they will do a much better job than he would!

Good hygiene compliance is the basis of good dental health, no pain and lower dental costs. Please call us to book an appointment and try us out to experience the difference for yourself. I assure you you will not be disappointed.

Many dental practices presently offer “deals”, “special offers” or “we will match any price” advertising. Our approach at Shailer Park Dental is you will get what you pay for. This is not to mean we are expensive but that your dental health should be as important as your medical health. Our patients are encouraged to look at their dental health not as a commodity but as a precious asset to be looked after.

These so called special offers are usually designed to attract patients into the practice from which further “dental selling” is done. Shailer Park Dental has a conservative approach where only treatment that is required is planned and recommended. You will not get any “hard selling” from us. We accept patients mainly by word of mouth and personal recommendations from very happy and satisfied patients. We do not depend on special offers and deals to attract new patients.

Shailer Park Dental also allows treatments plans to be structured over time and budgets. Please always talk to us if you have any financial difficulties as we will always try to help.

We understand the pressures and costs in modern day life can make it difficult for patients to access good quality dental care. If you have financial difficulties, please talk to us to arrange payment plans, structured treatment plans and delayed treatment plans. Teeth requiring urgent treatment can often be treated first and the less urgent work can be delayed. We encourage you to be always open with us with your financial situation if it going to affect your ability to receive treatment. We are always here to help in a compassionate manner.

Mouth guards are a must for any children, teenagers or adults playing any type of contact sport. They are invaluable in protecting your teeth and avoiding very expensive dental bills. The best mouth guards are custom made at Shailer Park Dental which fit very snugly and protect teeth properly. Mouth guards are not expensive and I do not encourage over the counter “self fitting” mouth guards available at some stores or pharmacies.

Teenagers need to have mouth guards updated or replaced more frequently than adults to reflect changing dentition. Mouth guards are available in a variety of colours and styles. Please call us to book an appointment for your kids!

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