For Patients
What to expect at your initial consultation
Visiting a new dentist can be daunting if you’re not sure what to expect. At Smiles By The Sea our experienced dentists are here to make your Mona Vale dental journey smooth and uncomplicated, our team of experienced staff are dedicated to giving you their best.
On your first visit, one of our experts will discuss in detail all of your dental concerns. We will also complete a comprehensive dental examination, including x-rays and a clean. Following this, a treatment plan will be created to address any further dental treatment needed.
What to expect at your Check-up and Clean visit
To help make sure the mouth, gums and teeth all remain healthy and functional it is very important to visit a dentist every 6 months for a check-up and clean. Regular general dental check-ups help you to keep your teeth and gums healthy, preserving the life of your teeth and preventing the need for invasive and expensive procedures to correct problems.
Scaling of your teeth is performed to clean along the gum line area to remove any plaque and calculus that may be built up.
Next a prophy clean is used to polish the surfaces of the teeth to remove stains and any remaining plaque. If the teeth are heavily stained a prophy clean can often help with making the teeth look whiter and feel smoother.
Fluoride helps to remineralise and strengthen the tooth structure, this protects the teeth from further damage and slows down the activity of bacteria which cause tooth decay and cavities. Research has shown that teeth with fluoride exposure have lower incidences of tooth decay and cavities than teeth without fluoride treatment.
Dental X-rays
Dental x-rays are usually taken to help look under the surfaces of the tooth which can’t be seen by the naked eye. We recommend taking x-rays on your first visit and then updating them every 2-4 years depending on your risk profile to ensure that the teeth and jaw bones are looking good and healthy. Dental x-rays are a very important tool that your dentist will use to help detect things such as:
- Small areas of decay between the teeth that are not visible to the eye
- Problems with existing fillings, root canals, crowns or bridges
- The presence and severity of gum disease or other infections such as an abscess
- The development and placement of wisdom teeth, and if there is a need for them to
be removed
Are x-rays safe? Yes, dental x-rays are very safe for adults and children. We receive small amounts of radiation in our everyday lives and the amount of radiation involved with dental x-rays is extremely low, it is similar to the amount of radiation exposure you’d receive on a 1–2-hour flight on a plane.
Caring for children’s teeth
Help children get off to a good start! What to know and how to do’s – Download this helpful guide.
CDBS
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule, also known as the CDBS, allows eligible children to access up to $1,026 of general dental treatment through Medicare. To confirm your child is eligible, download the fact sheet to find out more or talk to our friendly staff.
