Frequently Asked Dental Questions At Our CBD Clinic

After brushing your teeth, it is important to spit out excess toothpaste as rinsing out can wash away the fluoride which protects your teeth.

Regular check-ups are important as it allows us to check for tooth decay, enamel erosion, as well as oral cancer and gum disease.

While good oral hygiene is a vital part of having healthy teeth, it is still important to make time to visit your dentist. This is an added measure to ensure that your oral health is in the best state possible. Even with regular brushing, mouth injuries and various issues can still arise, and your dentist is the best person to see to these.

Teeth scaling can be uncomfortable; however, your dentist may administer some local anaesthesia to make this process a little more manageable for you. You may feel a little tender afterwards. You will be able to manage this pain with some over the counter pain medication. It should subside after about a day.

While brushing your teeth at home is an important task you should be doing on a daily basis (twice), dental cleanings still have their place. Dental cleanings take the clean to another level and achieve results that you will likely not be able to get at home. For instance, a professional dental cleaning will be able to polish teeth and remove tartar and stains seamlessly.

Gum disease is an inflammatory disease affecting the gums and is often caused by poor oral hygiene. Gum disease presents itself in a few different forms, each with varying levels of severity. If you have gum disease, you may experience swollen, painful and or bleeding gums.

If you suspect the presence of gum disease, the first thing you should do is schedule an appointment with your dentist who can assess the situation. If you do have gum disease, your dentist can advise you on the necessary steps you can take to treat your gum disease.

If your dentist spots tooth decay during your routine check-up, don’t panic! Your dentist will likely take an X-ray to reveal the extent of the decay which will help your dentist determine the best course of action. This may come in the form of a simple dental filling to a dental crown. In more severe cases, root canal may be necessary.

Porcelain veneers are made to last at least 10 years. They can last even longer if you take proper care of them at home.

Certain foods and beverages can stain your teeth and we recommend avoiding them directly after you have whitened your teeth to ensure you maintain your results. These foods include anything with food colouring, coffee and red wine.

Lack of bone density does not necessarily eliminate you for being a candidate for a dental implant. You may simply require a bone graft prior to undergoing the procedure.

The All On 4 dental implants are as successful as any other implant procedures. In saying this, the success of this procedure will also depend greatly on the experience of the practitioner placing the restoration as well as your diligence in following your dentist’s instructions for caring for your restoration at home.

All On 4 aims to provide patients with a restoration that looks and feels like their natural teeth. You can have peace of mind that this restoration has a completely natural aesthetic and feels just like your natural teeth.

The ideal candidate is someone who is currently wearing dentures, or who will need dentures in the near future, and who requires a large amount of tooth restoration – typically an entire arch of teeth (top, bottom or both)

Dental tourism is becoming increasingly popular; however we encourage those who are considering overseas dental work to bear in mind the different regulations overseas. At City Smiles we provide a clean and hygienic dental practice with treatments that are performed by our highly trained professionals. Overseas dental professionals are not always guaranteed to provide the same standards you will receive here in Australia.

We recommend visiting us here at City Smiles in Melbourne at least twice yearly or as you require attention. If you have any concerns in between appointments we advise visiting us as soon as possible. A small concern could become much larger if untreated, which is why we encourage our patients to let us know if they are worried about their teeth, mouth or jaw.

Gum disease is an inflammatory disease affecting the gums and is often caused by poor oral hygiene. Gum disease presents itself in a few different forms, each with varying levels of severity. If you have gum disease, you may experience swollen, painful and or bleeding gums.

If you suspect the presence of gum disease, the first thing you should do is schedule an appointment with your dentist who can assess the situation. If you do have gum disease, your dentist can advise you on the necessary steps you can take to treat your gum disease.

At City Smiles we offer smile makeovers which are treatments that combine cosmetic and restorative dental treatments to completely transform the aesthetics of your face and smile. Whether you suffer from missing, chipped, cracked, broken or discoloured teeth, our elite dental professionals are able to tailor a treatment plan specifically to your needs and wants.

Here at City Smiles we offer quality dental treatments at an affordable price. We understand how difficult it can be to afford dental work, which is why we work to produce cost effective prices for our patients. Our lower prices are not a reflection of the quality of work or products we use, our team of highly trained professionals along with our use of local dental laboratories are able to provide services at a lower cost to fit our patient’s budgets.  We also offer payment plans that can help you pay for your dental treatments.

Yes. Many dentists do aesthetic courses allowing them to administer things such as dermal fillers. This allows us to treat your face as a whole rather than just your teeth.

Those who seek dentofacial treatments are typically patients who are experiencing the effects of the ageing process and are looking for a generally more youthful appearance.

During your consultation we will assess your teeth, gums and soft tissues in your mouth and discuss your treatment objectives to determine the most appropriate treatment for you. It is essential that you have this consultation to help ensure that our team has a good understanding of your teeth and the appropriate treatment necessary.

Our consultation appointment also gives us an opportunity to meet our patients; at City Smiles we pride ourselves on developing a good relationship with our patients.

Professional treatment for teeth whitening helps to ensure the safety of your teeth and general health. Store bought teeth whitening treatments run the risk of harming your enamel, the hard outer protective layer on a tooth. At City Smiles, we offer a take-home and in chair whitening treatment to suit your needs. The professional whitening treatments are safe and effective.

Affordable Dentistry that doesn’t sacrifice Quality

We are respected nation-wide as an efficient provider of affordable dentistry that can be tailored to suit your budget. Our cheaper dental prices are a result of our streamlined processes and do not compromise on safety or quality. We are simply dedicated to improving production and procedures which we do by:

• Using Australian-made lab work from Andent laboratory located locally in Melbourne
• Employing streamlined processes and systems which have been created by our experienced team of dentists
• We work effectively as a team improving production

We also offer payment plans that can help you pay for your high quality dental treatments at City Smiles.

We see patients from Melbourne, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and the Northern Territory

Many patients choose to visit us for an affordable dental holiday as they can be confident in the safety of our procedures while benefitting from our more affordable dental services.

We offer a concierge service  so that your visit to Melbourne will be as comfortable as possible.

Prevent oral problems by regularly caring for your mouth

Regular visits to your dentist are just as important as visiting your doctor, as your dental health can directly affect your general health. In fact, poor oral health has been linked to other diseases in the body such as diabetes, dementia and cardiovascular disease! This is why maintaining optimal dental health, especially into older age, is vital to ensuring a long and happy life.

Maintaining your oral health

Visiting City Smiles every 6 months will ensure that you are protecting your teeth against decay and other harmful dental conditions. A thorough examination and clean will enable us to detect any dental problems early and limit the extent of the problem. As well as this you may also:

• Brush your teeth twice per day (required)
• Floss before bed (required)
• Use an anti-septic and whitening mouth wash (optional or as recommended)

These key factors are required to prevent decay, gum disease and identify signs of oral cancer early. If you have any questions about oral hygiene please ask one of our dentists during a consultation.

At City Smiles we offer effective tooth whitening treatment to combat staining and discolouration…

At City Smiles in Melbourne we offer two different types of tooth whitening treatment:

• In-House Tooth Whitening: At City Smiles we utilise Opalescence Xtra Boost for a powerful tooth whitening solution that provides fast results whilst relaxing in the dental chair. The product is applied to your teeth, carefully avoiding soft tissues such as the gums or lips, and then monitored closely as the light that stimulates the product is directed at your smile.
• Take Home Tooth Whitening: If you have a busy schedule and are too time-poor to take advantage of our in-chair treatment, we are able to provide you with the Opalescence Take-Home System that is customised to fit around your lifestyle.

Our dental professionals will assess the source of your tooth discolouration and recommend which treatment is best for you.

City Smiles has two Tooth Whitening options

• In-House Tooth Whitening: At City Smiles we utilise Opalescence Xtra Boost for a powerful tooth whitening solution that provides fast results during a one hour appointment. The solution is applied to your teeth and then activated by a specialised light. You will also be given a take-home whitening kit to maximise the effectiveness of this treatment.
• Take Home Tooth Whitening: If you have a busy schedule we are able to provide you with the Opalescence Take-Home System that is customised to fit around your lifestyle. We will custom design trays to fit your mouth and provide you with a take home solution that you will apply yourself.

There are 5 main benefits to dental treatment

• Oral health and general well-being
• Facial appearance
• Comfort
• Speech
• Dietary habits

As we age our smiles begin to become more difficult to clean and maintain

There are many different reasons teeth may begin to change colour as we age including:

• Changes in blood supply to the tooth
• Loss of enamel due to wear
• Brushing too vigorously
• Smoking and other negative oral habits

Cosmetic Dentistry is the ultimate mixture of art and dental science

Our cosmetic dental procedures aim to create beautiful, aesthetically pleasing smiles; utilising the latest restorative technologies and 100% Australian materials that preserve as much tooth structure as possible.

Our dentists will conduct a comprehensive examination that takes into account skin tone, lip shape, overall smile proportions, eye-nose-mouth ratios, tooth colour, tooth shape, bite and speech so that we can recommend the optimal treatment.

Candidacy

Every smile can be cosmetically enhanced. Often, we find a smile makeover requires a combination of restorative and cosmetic treatments depending on the state of your natural teeth.

Restorative dentistry involves returning your smile back to a healthy and aesthetically pleasing state

Restorative dentistry is most commonly used to fill in gaps in the mouth or restore teeth that have been damaged by decay, a dental accident or disease. The most common restorative treatments include:

• Dental Implants
• Crowns and Bridges
• Dentures

Candidacy

Before fitting a restorative fixture we will need to ensure your mouth is free of dental disease and decay. We will also have to make sure you have no pre-existing medical conditions that may compromise treatment. Once your mouth is healthy we can install your 100% Australian-made restoration and in turn the function and cosmetic appearance of your smile.

Crowns are required to restore strength to a tooth

Some patients that have undergone root canal treatment find that their tooth is weakened by the procedure. In order to maintain your natural tooth we may install a dental crown to restore the structural integrity of the tooth. This is a necessary measure taken to ensure you maintain your natural tooth which is preferred over extraction.

Post procedure pain and tenderness is normal and could last a few days. Expect to feel tender for at most five days post procedure unless your dentist specifies otherwise.

Jaw pain is normal and you most likely don’t have an infection. If, however, your jaw pain is coupled with excessive bleeding, you may want to consult with your dentist to rule out the possibility of an infection.