FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Established in 1998, Phoenix Road Dental Surgery aims to provide all of our patients top quality treatment. We are a friendly team who are dedicated to making sure that every patient has a pleasant experience at our Spearwood dental clinic.
All of our team are committed to lifelong learning which means that we are able to keep up with all of the latest developments in dentistry. Through education, prevention and reconstructive dentistry we are committed to the promotion of long term dental health.
How often you need to visit a dentist varies from person to person depending on your individual needs. However, as a general rule we’d advise a check-up and clean every 6 months to keep your smile looking its best and your oral health at its optimal level.
No matter how often and vigorously you brush your teeth there’s always going to be a buildup of plaque over time. Coming in regularly for a check-up & clean (involving tooth scaling and cleaning) will help to treat minor problems before they turn into major problems and keep your smile bright and healthy.
Generally speaking, a good time for a child’s first visit to the dentist is around age 2 when they have all of their primary (‘milk’) teeth. Getting them in early and allowing them to become comfortable with the dental surgery is a great way to avoid lots of anxiety and tears further down the line. It also sets them up for a lifetime of good oral health too.
An attractive alternative procedure to replace missing teeth. It can be considered a good alternative to dentures or bridges. Dental implants are artificial titanium tooth roots that are inserted into the jawbone with a porcelain crown connected to it to replace missing teeth. They’re the closest prosthesis we have to look and function like a natural tooth.
Periodontal disease is the term given to the negative impacts of the bacteria found in plaque. If not regularly removed it can calcify into rough, porous deposits called calculus (commonly known as tartar) and irritate the gums causing them to become red, tender, swollen and prone to bleeding.
If left untreated for lengthy periods of time the supporting periodontal structures begin to breakdown and can result in tissue loss, bone loss and eventually tooth loss.
Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to erupt (come through your gums) at the back of your mouth. This usually happens between the ages of 17 and 25, however some do so much later and others never erupt at all.
As we evolve to have smaller jaws, many people find that there just isn’t room in their mouths for these late-comers to the dental party. They can cause the existing teeth to become crowded and pushed out of place and are often the cause of much pain and discomfort. As such wisdom tooth extraction is a common and totally normal (if not sometimes discomforting) part of modern dentistry.
Of Course! Often patients can be anxious at the thought of having a large amount of dental treatment which may include multiple tooth extractions or wisdom tooth surgery.
We offer IV sedation where a medical anaesthetist brings their equipment to our surgery for you to have treatment while you are ‘asleep’ so you don’t have to travel to a hospital for this treatment.
For a more cost effective alternative, you can have Nitrous Oxide gas (commonly known as laughing gas) to relax you during your dental treatment in the chair.
The short answer is a soon as is humanly possible! Getting to a dentist within 30 minutes can make the crucial difference between saving and losing a tooth.
If a tooth is knocked out, you should follow these steps:
- Immediately contact your dentist for an emergency appointment.
- Handle the tooth by the crown and not the root (the top and not the bottom in more simple terms). Doing otherwise can damage cells necessary for successful bone reattachment
- Gently rinse the tooth in water to remove dirt but do not scrub it.
- As gross as it sounds, place the clean tooth in your mouth between your cheek and gum to keep it moist. If it dries out it won’t be able to be saved.
- If this isn’t possible then wrap it in clean gauze or cloth and immerse it in milk.
There are lots of different options to replace missing teeth including dentures, dental bridges and dental implants. Whatever it takes, we’ll get your smile back to looking its best again!
Yes we do! We always aim to help our patients have a beautiful smile with lovely straight teeth, so we use Invisalign technology to achieve this without the use of intrusive, unsightly metal wires and brackets.
Because the confidence of having beautiful teeth can be just as important as the health related aspects of dentistry, cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of your smile. This includes treatments such as crowns, bridges & veneers, composite bonding, micro-abrasions.