General Dentistry

Preventative Dental

Our philosophy at Donnybrook Dental Surgery is that prevention is better than cure. We also believe that early intervention in the disease process is a better option than “letting things go” until the problem becomes painful or compounded.

We are a family practice and care for all age groups. We provide a wide range of modern diagnostic, preventative and treatment options using state of the art equipment, materials and treatment modalities at affordable prices. We take the long term view of any treatment carried out and aim for long term functional and aesthetic results for our patients. We strive to provide Functional Cosmetic dentistry.

Fillings

Donnybrook Dental Surgery is an amalgam/mercury-free practice.

We only place white fillings to restore decayed or broken teeth. White restorations look natural and have significant strength making them ideal for restoring both front and back teeth

Donnybrook Dental Surgery has the state-of-the-art “Diagnodent”, a laser diagnostic machine that helps in the early detection of tooth decay. This often indicates early intervention, hence minimal tooth loss.

Exam, Scale & Clean

You should have your teeth thoroughly examined and cleaned generally twice a year along with some x-rays to check on the status of your teeth.

Regular preventative dental examinations and cleans are useful for the early detection of issues before they become major dental issues. Your dentist will check your teeth for decay, look at the health of your gums, examine your jaw action, look for any swelling, check your bite action and review your medical history. The dentist may:

Take x-rays to determine if there is any decay under the gum line or in between the teeth
Check the gums and bone around the teeth for any signs of gum disease or inflammation.
Review current fillings, crowns or extraction sites.
Removal any plaque which has formed below and above the gum line. (rushing can sometime miss difficult places to reach and has to be removed with special dental instruments).
Polish the teeth to remove stains and plaque.
Provide some oral hygiene instructions and recommends particular oral hygiene products.

A thorough dental exam and clean involves more than just checking for cavities and polishing your teeth. Our Dentists are committed to providing you with the best possible care, and they will discuss treatment options with you.

Children’s Dentistry

Children’s early dental experiences help form a lifelong approach to dental hygiene and care – why should your child hate a trip to the dentist?

Our careful and gentle staff will teach your child the importance of looking after their dental health and will monitor your child’s oral development, ensuring that their teeth align and function correctly for optimal health and appearance. Any treatment required is carried out in a fun and relaxed manner.

In some cases treatment under general anaesthetic might be called for. This is done in order to minimise any traumatic experiences associated with dental treatment. It is also indicated for children who are too young to cooperate or make the dental treatment possible in the dental chair.

Emergencies

Emergency treatment

We care about our patients and about the outcome they will get from dealing with us. We are open from Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and keep emergency spaces available in our roster to ensure you can get vital when it becomes urgent.

Evenings and Saturdays can be arranged by appointment, but please remember that once we’ve gone home, there’s no one to answer the telephone and book you in.

An emergency involving the teeth or gums is a medical emergency. Pain involving these parts of the mouth, even when minor, can indicate a severe underlying problem that could worsen with time.

It is important to contact a dentist as soon as possible for a professional evaluation to minimize damage to the teeth, gums, and supporting bone. Short-term action can be taken to relieve oral pain, which can be very severe. If you have a dental emergency contact our surgery as soon as possible to discuss your emergency and to make an appointment.

If the emergency involves a tooth that has been knocked out by trauma, please handle the tooth as little as possible and store it in a container of milk (not water). Bring this with you when you come to the surgery. Please do not rub or attempt to wash the tooth as this may damage it.

Gum Disease

Periodontal or gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss among Australian adults and is the most common disease in the world with estimates suggesting that 3 out of every 4 people unknowingly have some form of the disease.

Gum disease causes bad breath, gum bleeding, tooth mobility and eventually tooth loss Gum disease has been linked to uncontrolled diabetes, heart disease, strokes and low birth weight babies.

Gum Disease is a transmissible, bacterial infection that can destroy the attachment fibres and supporting bone that holds teeth in your mouth.

It is caused by plaque, a colourless film of bacteria that forms on teeth. A person’s reaction to the bacteria determines the severity of the resulting disease. Our ability to fight this infection can vary from day to day and week to week, depending on what else is going on with our life and health.

Plaque is most harmful when these bacteria form colonies, which takes about 24 hours. If not removed daily, plaque mixes with sugars and starches in the diet to form acids and other by-products in saliva. Plaque irritates the gums causing them to become red, tender and swollen. If not removed, the plaque hardens to form calculus (tartar) around the necks of the teeth.

Eventually, the tissue that attaches the gums to the teeth is destroyed by the irritants in the plaque, the gums pull away from the teeth and small pockets form between the teeth and gums. These products become filled with more plaque. Finally, the jawbone supporting the teeth is destroyed.

Fortunately, periodontal infection can now be detected and treated early! Periodontal infection is not curable but it is controllable. Each time you see the dentist he/she will do a periodontal evaluation to detect early signs of this infection. With early detection of the infection it can be controlled non-surgically. If the infection has progressed, surgical intervention may be necessary to control it.
We are excited about our ability to detect this infection early and to be able to offer you non-surgical therapy.

The single most important factor in slowing or stopping the disease’s progression is the control of bacteria. This is often accomplished by the removal of plaque. We use the latest instruments and medications to reduce the bacteria levels and toxins to a point where your immune system can control the infection. Our dentists will assist you with specific instructions on your home care, as your active participation with removal of bacteria at home is critical to the control of the infection.

Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth often require to be removed due to infection caused by overcrowding or decay.

At Donnybrook Dental Surgery we competently and routinely carry out surgical wisdom tooth removal, as well as other required surgical procedures under both local and oral sedation.

Crowns & Bridges

In dentistry, crown and bridge (Restorative Dentistry) refers to the restoration of natural teeth that have been damaged, decayed, lost or aesthetically compromised. Once your dentist has examined your teeth and has evaluated your dental and medical history, he/she will be ready to provide a diagnosis, and treatment options. A crown may be constructed to restore an individual damaged tooth to it’s original form and function, while a bridge may be utilized to replace one or more teeth. These restorations are cemented onto the teeth and are referred to as “fixed” dentistry as opposed to a restoration of missing teeth with a removable appliance or partial denture.

A crown is fabricated using an indirect procedure. The tooth is modified and prepared by using special instruments, and a copy of the tooth preparation is made is made by taking an impression. The crown is then “permanently” cemented onto your tooth preparation. A fixed bridge refers to a prosthesis that will span the area of a missing tooth, known as a pontic. The procedure involves a local anaesthetic and the preparation of two or more abutment teeth. Once this has been accomplished, an impression is made and sent to the dental laboratory for fabrication of your new tooth. This procedure will require more than one appointment.

Snore Appliances, Mouth Guards & Splints

We are able to provide appliances which aid in reducing snoring whilst sleeping.

We also construct protective mouthguards for our sporting patients.

We make splints which are often indicated for people who grind or clench their teeth causing long term wear or tooth fracture.

Oral Cancer Scanning

The VELscope is a hand held device that provides the most powerful technology available for assisting in the discovery of oral mucosal abnormalities. It plays a key role in the early discovery of abnormalities, which can be critically important in the fight against oral cancer.