Preventative Services
Preventative dentistry takes in the education and treatment of anything associated with the prevention of various oral health diseases. Preventive treatments include:
Care and Maintenance
In your quest for optimal oral health wellness, it is generally recommended that you visit your dental team at least twice a year. In some cases, other patients may need frequent visits.
At Q1 Dental, we work to detect conditions and prevent problems as soon as they appear. Finding these problems early will save you a lot of money and hassle in the end. During your regular dental examination, your dentist will perform the following:
- Evaluate your oral hygiene practices
- Assess the structure and strength of your tooth
- Inspect your tongue, throat, cheeks and lips for signs of oral cancer
- Evaluate your jaw joint
Even though you are keen on observing good dental care habits at home, you must still see your dental team regularly. Your dentist is capable of checking problems that you may not see or feel. Many oral health problems don’t become noticeable or trigger pain until they become more advance. Such dental problems include cavities, gum disease and oral cancer.
Gum disease is one of the most common causes of tooth loss in adults (not to mention bad breath and bleeding). It results from the bacteria collecting underneath the gum and weakening the structures that hold the gum onto the tooth and bone. Serious damage can be done before you notice any problems.
We can pick up early signs of gum disease and take simple steps to overcome the problem. This might include removing the plaque and calculus that traps bacteria or showing you better brushing and flossing techniques. If left untreated, gum disease can be difficult and expensive to remedy.
Plaque builds up on everyone’s teeth. You can’t remove hardened plaque (also called tartar or calculus) with normal brushing. To keep your teeth clean and protected, we need to regularly remove this hardened plaque.
Regular dental visits allow your dentist to detect and diagnose the early signs of disease, which means that issues can be treated at a manageable stage. We recommend half-yearly teeth cleaning and check-up for patients not experiencing any discomfort or pain.
Tooth Decay
We believe the earlier we identify and treat tooth decay the better. We recommend x-rays every 24 months to identify any areas of decay between teeth, in the grooves on biting surfaces and around or underneath existing fillings.
In some cases, early decay can be reversed simply by improving your brushing, cleaning techniques and diet. We may also recommend special fluoride containing mouthwashes or treat directly the early decay with concentrated fluoride gels. Less dental work means less inconvenience and expense for you.
Oral Hygiene Instructions
Your dental care partners here at Q1 Dental serve as your guide while you work on keeping a high standard oral hygiene. Good dental care habits will help prevent dental problems, which can save you dental pain and treatments. Dedicating only a few minutes to daily dental hygiene care will help you achieve this type of prevention.
During your periodic examination, your dentist will provide detailed instructions that you can do at home to help improve the health of your teeth and gums. This includes proper brushing and flossing techniques, types of dental diseases and ways to avert them and any treatments you need to perform at home (if any).
Dental Cleaning
Professional teeth cleaning involves eliminating plaque and tartar build-up that have accumulated on your teeth over time. Tartar piles up because your teeth are continually soaked in saliva, which is composed of calcium and other substances. These substances help reinforce and protect your teeth.
On the other hand, while this is beneficial, it also means that you tend to get an accumulation of calcium residues on your teeth. Only your dentist can remove these calcium deposits, also known as tartar, using special instruments. Allowing the tartar to build up on the teeth will provide the right place for bacteria to flourish next to the gums, which in turn can cause tooth decay and gum disease.
The objective of cleaning your teeth professionally is to leave all tooth surfaces clean and smooth so that harmful bacteria won’t stick to them. As a result, you will have a better chance of keeping the teeth clean when you perform your dental care at home.
Dental Fissure Sealants
Fissure seals are plastic coatings that are painted on the chewing surface of the permanent back teeth, which are the molars and premolars. Sealants help protect the grooves of the back teeth from decay. The grooves or fissures of the chewing surfaces of molar and premolar make them susceptible to decay.
Because these fissures can be deep and hard to clean, plaque can easily accumulate and cavities can develop. These deep grooves are sealed to prevent the bacteria reaching the tooth. Ideally, fissure sealants are places on molars soon after they erupt into the gum line, but it can also be applied on adult’s teeth and can still be efficient. Fissure seals require no drilling or anaesthetic, which makes the entire process easy and pain-free.
Topical Fluoride Treatments
One way to defend your teeth from decay and damage is by having fluoride treatments. Fluoride is a mineral that is found naturally in water and the Earth’s crust. Topical fluoride treatments are applied to your teeth to help prevent decay by strengthening the dental enamel while giving it essential minerals. This is now called as remineralisation.
After your teeth and gums are cleaned, the fluoride treatment is applied to your teeth as a gel. The gel, which is a high concentration of fluoride, is placed in a disposable mouth guard that will be worn over your teeth. This is left for around two minutes. Once the treatment is completed, your dentist will advise you to refrain from eating, drinking or rinsing for at least 30 minutes to allow the mineral to integrate with the teeth.
X-rays and OPG’s
Depending on specific needs, X-rays are typically taken every two to three years. X-rays are capable of diagnosing the problems, including the discreet ones such as impacted teeth, damage to jawbones, abscesses, tumours or cysts, as well as decay between the teeth.
At Q1 Dental, we use the most state-of-the-art X-ray machines that emit virtually no radiation – no more than the kind of radiation you would get from the rays of sun or watching TV. We may also suggest an OPG (orthopantomography) x-ray, which will provide a complete view of the lower face, displaying all the teeth of the lower and upper jaw in a single picture. This type of film helps the dentist to understand your bites, including the location of your nerves and the connection between the different teeth in your arch.
Mouth Guards
Q1 Dental provides custom-made mouth guards, which offer better protection for your teeth and are longer lasting and more durable than store-purchased mouth guards. Generic mouth guards are available over the counter however; our custom-made mouth guards offer you the best protection.
A common cause of dental injury is sports; over the years, we have seen varying degrees of damage to the jaw or teeth. First, we assess your jaw and teeth. Then, our specialist-trained dentists will create mouth guards that give you the best coverage, fit, size and thickness to enhance your ability to breathe and communicate whilst offering you the best protection.
No Gap Offer
- No Gap for Checkup and Clean for Medibank, Bupa, HCF and CBHS
Contact us now on (03) 9078 1955 or make an appointment online.