General Dentistry
Check-ups
Dr Phillip and Dr Rex are dedicated to providing you with the highest possible quality of treatment, in a relaxed and comfortable setting. You won't find a dentist in Bella Vista, or anywhere else, who is more gentle and caring in providing expert and sensitive treatment for your dental, or emergency dental needs.
Bella Vista Family Dental Centre provides you with a full range of dental treatment options and gives you the information you need to enable you to make the best possible decision about your dental needs, or emergency dental treatment
Healthy teeth are the foundation for a beautiful smile and a healthy body.
Maintaining great dental health involves performing daily dental hygiene, such as brushing and flossing, in an effective manner. It also involves visiting your dentist regularly to review your dental condition, and to treat or prevent any serious dental problems. Oral hygiene is essential to a person’s overall health. In fact, problems that start out in the mouth have been shown to affect our health in other parts of the body.
All routine dental examination visits include:
Restorative dentistry
Fillings are performed for a variety of tooth related issues the most common being cavities (or caries). When detected early enough a tooth with a hole can be filled. For this the soft and diseased tooth structure is cleaned away and the area restored back to its original shape and size with a filling material. Regular check-ups (we recommend 6 monthly visits for most patients) are essential to this as the earlier a cavity is detected the less tooth structure damage that occurs and the stronger the remaining tooth will be once filled. This can avoid more extensive and expensive procedures such as root canal treatments, crowns or extractions. At Bella Vista Family Dental Centre we suggest you have regular (at least every 2 years) dental x-rays so that we can check the areas of your teeth that we cannot see visually. This is very important as often holes in teeth are not symptomatic even when very large and sometimes your dentist cannot see the hole with a visual exam alone until it is too late to fix the problem with a filling by itself. At Bella Vista Family Dental Centre we use the highest quality composite bonding techniques and materials to provide beautiful looking fillings that in many instances are hard to pick from an unfilled tooth, are strong and long lasting.
Dental Cleaning
At Bella Vista Family Dental Centre we understand the importance of meticulous gum maintenance. We use both specialised ultrasonic instrumentation and delicate hand instrumentation on every patient to ensure the best possible outcomes. Dental prophylaxis is also performed to polish and clean surface stains on the teeth and six monthly fluoride treatments are generally carried out at the same time to protect against decay.
So why is cleaning so important? Why can’t I just brush my teeth at home?
We all know that we should clean our teeth twice a day. Brushing with a soft toothbrush and flossing reduces plaque accumulating on the teeth. Plaque accumulation leads to holes, bad breath and gum problems. But brushing and flossing alone are not enough as over time we also accumulate calculus which is a calcified build up that forms under the gums and on the surface of our teeth. This build-up of calcified bacterial deposits is harmful to the gums and bone that support our teeth. The calculus will not brush off with normal brushing and flossing and it is this that we remove during your dental cleaning visits along with areas of plaque accumulation and surface stains on the teeth. The damage caused by calculus is often not noticed early on as it is not painful but our dentists will be able to identify the early stages of gum problems before they progress into more extensive issues.
Initial signs of gum disease include unsightly red puffy gums, bleeding gums and bad breath. If left untreated the bone and gums around the teeth will begin to breakdown which leads to bone loss and gum recession. Teeth with recession are often more sensitive to hot, cold and sweet things. Left to progress eventually we can start to get painful infections around effected teeth and unfortunately if too much bone is lost and the teeth no longer have sufficient bone support to stay in the mouth they can become loose, painful and need to be removed. Bone loss and gum recession are permanent changes and these structures will not grow back once the damage has occurred.
With a comprehensive dental examination all patients are screened for signs of gum disease and where appropriate time is spent to help educate the patient on the problem and to discuss what would work best for there situation to help manage and treat the issue. All our patients are encouraged to have regular hygiene cleaning visits as they are essential to maintain healthy, attractive teeth and gums, reduce bad breath, reduce gum recession and prevent bone loss.
Sealants
Some teeth will naturally have pits, groves or crevices that create an area that traps plaque and is at higher risk than usual of forming a hole in the tooth. If an area such as this is evident then your dentist may recommend a fissure sealant. This is a process to seal or cover the defect in the tooth so that it is less likely to trap plaque and food debris and as such reduce the risk of developing a hole in the area. Fissure sealants are a simple process that just requires the tooth to be cleaned or lightly prepared prior to the application of the preventative sealant onto the tooth surface.
Athletic mouthguards
In the Norwest area we are lucky to have a fantastic sporting culture. Sporting activity is a tremendous opportunity for your kids and people of all ages to stay fit & healthy, make lifelong friendships and just have good fun. We literally throw ourselves into these activities and at the end of the day those lunges, slides, tackles and bumps are what give us the big grin, the stories and more often than not maybe a bit of a bruise and some grass burn.
Generally a bruise will mend, some grass burn may be a little annoying for a few days, even a broken bone will usually heal pretty much as good as new with a little help. But we only get one set of teeth and injuries to teeth can be permanent. Here at Bella Vista Family Dental Centre we see the more serious outcomes an unlucky mishap can have to teeth.
Dental trauma from sporting injuries mostly affects the front teeth so when they happen they can have a dramatic effect on the appearance of the teeth. The injuries are varied but the outcome is often the same and that is an ugly looking tooth that stares back at you in the mirror and pops up in photos. At Bella Vista Family Dental Centre we have years of experience in correcting such defects. While it is often possible to achieve some truly spectacular repairs to severely damaged, displace, discoloured and even completely lost teeth, this treatment is often both time consuming and can come at considerable expense.
Importantly the majority of these incidents would have been prevented simply by wearing a properly made and well-fitting mouthguard. There is much choice in the range of mouthguards available. Over the counter “stock” which have no adaption to the teeth and “boil and bite” type which are heated and adapted at home following the directions on the packet. These types of mouthguards offer very limited protection and studies have demonstrated that the level of protection is almost as bad as wearing no mouthguard at all. I know that surprised me too and I do this for a living. For these reasons the Australian Dental Association as well as Standards Australia only recommends the use of a properly made mouthguard which is provided by your dentist. They are custom made to fit each individual patient, can be adapted specifically for the sport involved, will have the best chance of staying in place during an impact, will be more comfortable, wont restrict breathing and most importantly will offer the best protection possible.
Compared to the cost of an injury they are cheap and in many instances will receive a significant rebate from your dental health insurance provider so often the out of pocket expense can be even less than the total purchase price of the over the counter products. So please don’t risk it and make sure you or your kids have the best protection possible. See your dentist to have a proper mouthguard made.
Dr Phillip and Dr Rex are dedicated to providing you with the highest possible quality of treatment, in a relaxed and comfortable setting. You won't find a dentist in Bella Vista, or anywhere else, who is more gentle and caring in providing expert and sensitive treatment for your dental, or emergency dental needs.
Bella Vista Family Dental Centre provides you with a full range of dental treatment options and gives you the information you need to enable you to make the best possible decision about your dental needs, or emergency dental treatment
Healthy teeth are the foundation for a beautiful smile and a healthy body.
Maintaining great dental health involves performing daily dental hygiene, such as brushing and flossing, in an effective manner. It also involves visiting your dentist regularly to review your dental condition, and to treat or prevent any serious dental problems. Oral hygiene is essential to a person’s overall health. In fact, problems that start out in the mouth have been shown to affect our health in other parts of the body.
All routine dental examination visits include:
- Check teeth and gums
- X-rays
- Screen for any signs of oral cancer
- Check all muscles which enable correct jaw movements
- Check for signs of teeth clenching and grinding. Early detection prevents the need for more complex dentistry later on
- Offer advice on preventative care
Restorative dentistry
Fillings are performed for a variety of tooth related issues the most common being cavities (or caries). When detected early enough a tooth with a hole can be filled. For this the soft and diseased tooth structure is cleaned away and the area restored back to its original shape and size with a filling material. Regular check-ups (we recommend 6 monthly visits for most patients) are essential to this as the earlier a cavity is detected the less tooth structure damage that occurs and the stronger the remaining tooth will be once filled. This can avoid more extensive and expensive procedures such as root canal treatments, crowns or extractions. At Bella Vista Family Dental Centre we suggest you have regular (at least every 2 years) dental x-rays so that we can check the areas of your teeth that we cannot see visually. This is very important as often holes in teeth are not symptomatic even when very large and sometimes your dentist cannot see the hole with a visual exam alone until it is too late to fix the problem with a filling by itself. At Bella Vista Family Dental Centre we use the highest quality composite bonding techniques and materials to provide beautiful looking fillings that in many instances are hard to pick from an unfilled tooth, are strong and long lasting.
Dental Cleaning
At Bella Vista Family Dental Centre we understand the importance of meticulous gum maintenance. We use both specialised ultrasonic instrumentation and delicate hand instrumentation on every patient to ensure the best possible outcomes. Dental prophylaxis is also performed to polish and clean surface stains on the teeth and six monthly fluoride treatments are generally carried out at the same time to protect against decay.
So why is cleaning so important? Why can’t I just brush my teeth at home?
We all know that we should clean our teeth twice a day. Brushing with a soft toothbrush and flossing reduces plaque accumulating on the teeth. Plaque accumulation leads to holes, bad breath and gum problems. But brushing and flossing alone are not enough as over time we also accumulate calculus which is a calcified build up that forms under the gums and on the surface of our teeth. This build-up of calcified bacterial deposits is harmful to the gums and bone that support our teeth. The calculus will not brush off with normal brushing and flossing and it is this that we remove during your dental cleaning visits along with areas of plaque accumulation and surface stains on the teeth. The damage caused by calculus is often not noticed early on as it is not painful but our dentists will be able to identify the early stages of gum problems before they progress into more extensive issues.
Initial signs of gum disease include unsightly red puffy gums, bleeding gums and bad breath. If left untreated the bone and gums around the teeth will begin to breakdown which leads to bone loss and gum recession. Teeth with recession are often more sensitive to hot, cold and sweet things. Left to progress eventually we can start to get painful infections around effected teeth and unfortunately if too much bone is lost and the teeth no longer have sufficient bone support to stay in the mouth they can become loose, painful and need to be removed. Bone loss and gum recession are permanent changes and these structures will not grow back once the damage has occurred.
With a comprehensive dental examination all patients are screened for signs of gum disease and where appropriate time is spent to help educate the patient on the problem and to discuss what would work best for there situation to help manage and treat the issue. All our patients are encouraged to have regular hygiene cleaning visits as they are essential to maintain healthy, attractive teeth and gums, reduce bad breath, reduce gum recession and prevent bone loss.
Sealants
Some teeth will naturally have pits, groves or crevices that create an area that traps plaque and is at higher risk than usual of forming a hole in the tooth. If an area such as this is evident then your dentist may recommend a fissure sealant. This is a process to seal or cover the defect in the tooth so that it is less likely to trap plaque and food debris and as such reduce the risk of developing a hole in the area. Fissure sealants are a simple process that just requires the tooth to be cleaned or lightly prepared prior to the application of the preventative sealant onto the tooth surface.
Athletic mouthguards
In the Norwest area we are lucky to have a fantastic sporting culture. Sporting activity is a tremendous opportunity for your kids and people of all ages to stay fit & healthy, make lifelong friendships and just have good fun. We literally throw ourselves into these activities and at the end of the day those lunges, slides, tackles and bumps are what give us the big grin, the stories and more often than not maybe a bit of a bruise and some grass burn.
Generally a bruise will mend, some grass burn may be a little annoying for a few days, even a broken bone will usually heal pretty much as good as new with a little help. But we only get one set of teeth and injuries to teeth can be permanent. Here at Bella Vista Family Dental Centre we see the more serious outcomes an unlucky mishap can have to teeth.
Dental trauma from sporting injuries mostly affects the front teeth so when they happen they can have a dramatic effect on the appearance of the teeth. The injuries are varied but the outcome is often the same and that is an ugly looking tooth that stares back at you in the mirror and pops up in photos. At Bella Vista Family Dental Centre we have years of experience in correcting such defects. While it is often possible to achieve some truly spectacular repairs to severely damaged, displace, discoloured and even completely lost teeth, this treatment is often both time consuming and can come at considerable expense.
Importantly the majority of these incidents would have been prevented simply by wearing a properly made and well-fitting mouthguard. There is much choice in the range of mouthguards available. Over the counter “stock” which have no adaption to the teeth and “boil and bite” type which are heated and adapted at home following the directions on the packet. These types of mouthguards offer very limited protection and studies have demonstrated that the level of protection is almost as bad as wearing no mouthguard at all. I know that surprised me too and I do this for a living. For these reasons the Australian Dental Association as well as Standards Australia only recommends the use of a properly made mouthguard which is provided by your dentist. They are custom made to fit each individual patient, can be adapted specifically for the sport involved, will have the best chance of staying in place during an impact, will be more comfortable, wont restrict breathing and most importantly will offer the best protection possible.
Compared to the cost of an injury they are cheap and in many instances will receive a significant rebate from your dental health insurance provider so often the out of pocket expense can be even less than the total purchase price of the over the counter products. So please don’t risk it and make sure you or your kids have the best protection possible. See your dentist to have a proper mouthguard made.