General Dentistry

Scale & Polish

For magazine cover teeth with the gloss to match, come for a scale and polish. This treatment helps prevent gum disease and tooth decay - leaving you with a brighter, healthier smile.

Even the most meticulous brushing and flossing can't get rid of the mineralised plaque bacteria (called tartar or calculus) that builds up on your teeth — a scale and polish involves specialised dental tools to loosen that plaque and make your teeth shiny using tools like an ultrasound scaler or handheld dental instruments to gently scrape away plaque and tartar.

Fillings

Cracked, fractured, or decaying teeth can be repaired with a composite filling to restore your tooth to its original shape and function. By removing the decayed part of the tooth, cleaning the area, and then filling it with a composite resin, we close off the spaces where bacteria enter to prevent further damage. We believe in the art of restorative dentistry and guarantee your restoration to be beautifully sculpted, structurally strong and to match the colour of surrounding teeth. Occasionally fillings may need to be replaced, but they often provide many good years of service before requiring replacement.

Root Canal Therapy

Pain from an infected, inflamed tooth can be relieved with root canal therapy. The soft centre of a tooth becomes infected when oral bacteria cause decay deep in the pulp and nerves in the root of the tooth. As the infection grows in the area, progressive swelling can occur, which applies pressure to the surrounding bone and tissues. This is where the immense pain associated with dental abscesses can be attributed.

Occasionally an infection may follow the path of least resistance and result in a chronic, draining abscess which is often identified as a 'gum pimple' that may swell, burst and drain into the oral cavity. These abscesses are rarely associated with pain due to the constant release of pressure within the space by means of a draining fistula. Think of a water reservoir opening the floodgates to prevent water levels from rising.

Although this process is often not associated with dental pain, any changes in the general health of the patient may cause this infection to flare up due to the body's impaired ability to fight off the infection. These abscesses are aptly referred to as 'Phoenix abscesses'. Whether the pain is present or not, these teeth will require root canal treatment as long-term, low-grade infections can cause heavy bone destruction in the surrounding areas, invariably leading to tooth loss.

Root canal therapy is often required on teeth that have been involved in dental trauma or teeth that are extensively fractured. The tip of the tooth root (apex) has a tiny opening where the blood vessels and tooth nerve enter. When trauma is sustained to a tooth, even in the absence of the tooth fracturing, the tiny blood vessels and nerve may become severed from the tooth root leading to the eventual devitalisation (death) of the tooth. In addition, these teeth often become darker with time as the internal structures decompose and the remaining cells within the tooth root try to repair or reinforce the tooth.

With root canal therapy, we open the root of the tooth, remove the infected or decomposed material then clean out and shape the canal using pre-formed instruments. Then we sterilise the canal with vigorous irrigation and laser disinfection before sealing the canal off in all dimensions. The tooth is then restored with an appropriate restorative material depending on the extent of damage to the tooth - Most commonly, this will be a direct composite resin or indirect ceramic restoration.

Bacteria is eliminated from the root and crown of the tooth, reinfection is prevented, and your tooth is saved — leaving you pain-free!