General Dental Services
Here at Narangba Dental, we cannot stress enough that “prevention” is the key to a healthy, happy smile. The Australian Dental Association recommends visiting your dentist once every six months to ensure proper oral hygiene and function. Having regular checkups and oral health maintenance prevents developing serious dental problems such as gum disease and tooth decay, and avoiding potentially costly treatment.
As general dentists, we are the main dental care providers to a wide range of people, from children as young as 12 months to those who are elderly.
Our team will work with you to develop a personalised dental plan that incorporates a thorough dental examination, a professional scale and clean, periodic dental X-rays (and only when necessary), and the use of other diagnostic equipment to prevent, uncover or treat problems as early as possible.
While prevention is definitely better when it comes to caring for your teeth, should tooth decay develop, our team has a range of options for restoring your teeth's shape and function. There are a variety of materials that can be used, all of which have unique properties as well as advantages and disadvantages. We will ensure you are given professional advice on what is appropriate for your situation.
Constant wear and tear can cause fillings to discolour, wear, chip or crack, and the bond or glue holding the filling in place can degrade over time, allowing food and decay to develop. Regular dental check ups allow us to look after these problems before it becomes too serious.
The 3 most common materials used for general dental restorations are:
1. Amalgam
A strong and durable dental material that has been used for over 150 years. It does however, require more tooth structure to be removed, and it can blacken and stain with time. It’s use has certainly diminished over the last few decades and has largely given way to tooth-coloured filling materials. Amalgam is still being used today and the available literature still indicates that it is a safe material. It should also be noted that at Narangba Dental, we are gradually moving away from using amalgam, mainly due to its environmental impact on our beautiful planet and animals.
2. Composite resin
A white or tooth-coloured filling material that can be "bonded" to the surface of the tooth and requires less removal of tooth structure. With a wide range of matching tooth colours to choose from, this material can be blended nicely to the restored tooth. The main disadvantages of using composite resin is that it is more difficult to place (very technique sensitive) and it is not as strong or durable as amalgam.
3. Glass-ionomer cement
Glass-Ionomer Cement (GIC) is another type of tooth-coloured material. It does have some decay-preventing abilities and does bond reasonably well to the tooth. However, GIC's are not as durable or strong as composite resin or amalgam. These materials are often placed in areas where there is minimal biting force, and tend to be good for temporisation or filling baby teeth where time is of the essence.
Following restorative treatment, your tooth may feel sensitive to things like hot, cold, air or pressure and symptoms may last for a few days to a few weeks. This can be perfectly normal, especially if the restoration is very deep. However, should symptoms persist please give our practice a call so we can investigate the cause of the sensitivity.
