BEST GENERAL & COSMETIC DENTIST IN BRISBANE

Root canal is a phrase that strikes fear into most people. Pain and money are the first two things you think of. Correct? With good dentistry we can mitigate this.

Root Canal Treatment – What is it?

Root Canal Treatment involves the disinfection of the pulp or “nerve” inside your tooth. This area is composed of multiple blood vessels and nerves and cells with a similar composition to bone marrow. Unfortunately, due to this nutrient rich area, bacteria flourish rapidly. The immune system is incapable of dealing with the infection here and the tooth subsequently dies.

Another situation where a root canal may be required but without bacterial infection is as a result of trauma, where damage to the pulp cannot be healed by the body and the cells within die. These dead cells attract an inflammatory response and lead to similar outcomes as with an infected pulp.

Symptoms include:

• Swollen face
• Swollen gum area where tooth is dying
• Pain, which can be quite extreme
• Pimple like area on gum
• Sensitive or sore due to hot or cold temperatures
• Sensitive or sore due to pressure, especially tapping or biting

At times there may be no symptoms, where teeth can quietly die, however that is unlikely to remain the case. Eventually symptoms do usually present themselves and can be quite severe when they do. For greater personal comfort and greater chances of success it is recommended to have root canal therapy performed sooner to avoid further problems presenting.

Treatment and Procedure

This procedure may need to be completed over several visits. The dentist will make an opening in the top of the infected tooth where the necrotic pulp and bacteria are flushed out with disinfectant and the root canals are cleaned and shaped with fine files. Between visits anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial medicines are then put inside the canals, and throughout your treatment X-rays are used to confirm the length of your canals and that the infection has reduced and begun to heal.

On your final visit, to protect the inside of the tooth and prevent any further infection, the canal is packed with gutta-percha, a firm material to prevent re-infection. A  definitive restoration will be placed and if there is more loss of tooth structure, a post will also need to be cemented into one of the worked canals, assisting in supporting the remaining tooth. Afterwards the tooth becomes somewhat brittle and will be more prone to fractures, to prevent this in most cases a crown will be recommended.

What are the alternatives to a root canal treatment?

• Remove the tooth – Removing the tooth will leave a gap that may need to be replaced by an artificial tooth.
• Leave the tooth untreated – If left untreated the infection can spread and dead tissue may cause damage to nearby structures. Bone loss and spread of infection may extend to neighbouring teeth. Pus can build up and cysts may also develop and need further treatment. Pain is likely to worsen here.

Is root canal treatment painful?

Thanks to the use of local anaesthetics, we are able to completely numb up the nerves responsible for pain in the area, so you will not feel a thing during treatment. However, when inflammation occurs certain “touch” nerves can elicit pain responses. Unfortunately, these do not numb up as successfully meaning some additional injections may be required, and discomfort may still be partially felt. This usually only occurs in very painful or “hot” teeth where the infection is extreme. This will usually only be the first visit if you presented with a tooth-ache, otherwise you are unlikely to feel anything at all. When you return for the next phase the anaesthetic should work with full proficiency. In fact, you may even fall asleep during the remaining parts of your procedure. This is another reason to state the importance of addressing teeth requiring root canal treatment sooner rather than later.

Are there risks involved in a root canal treatment?

Like any medical procedure, a root canal treatment poses some risk and, on rare occasions, there may be complications. These complications may result in a tooth needing additional treatment, referral to a specialist or may result in the tooth needing to be removed. However, in most cases root canal treatment is very successful.

 

 

 

Partnering with local Brisbane dental labs.

Dental Crowns

 

A dental crown is used to entirely cover or “cap” a damaged tooth. Besides strengthening a damaged tooth, a crown can be used to improve its appearance, shape or alignment. It will usually be recommended when the remaining tooth structure is limited or weakened, where a simple filling will not be sufficient to protect it.

You may be advised to have a crown in the following circumstances:

• Greater natural tooth destruction through decay
• If you have had a large filling in the past
• If you have had root canal therapy
• If your tooth is badly cracked or worn
• Over the top of a dental implant

Dental crowns are available in wide range of dental materials, including ceramic, precious metals and porcelain fused to metal. Modern crowns are strong, durable and aesthetically pleasing, with most people preferring to choose all-ceramic dental crowns as they look more like natural teeth. These generally last many years longer than a standard filling as they wrap around the tooth and help to hold it together.

For aesthetic cases we offer the option to visit our local Brisbane labs. There, the technician will assess shade, form, and any particularities of your teeth to make sure your crown will give a supreme finishing result.

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges are used when one or more teeth are missing and a fixed tooth replacement option is desired. Crowns are formed either side of the missing tooth area where false teeth connected to these fill the spaces. The false teeth sit over the top of the gum where chewing forces are distributed to the neighbouring bonded teeth.

As with crowns, you have a choice of materials for bridges. Your dentist can help you decide which to use, based on the location of the missing tooth (or teeth), its function, aesthetic considerations and cost. Porcelain or ceramic bridges can be matched to the colour of your natural teeth.

 

Dental Crown and Bridge Procedure

Fitting a crown or bridge involves two appointments.

• The first stage is designed to remove any decayed or damaged tissue and prepare the teeth for crowning. The decayed tissue is removed and the teeth is cleaned thoroughly and shaped. An impression is taken which is sent to the lab for the crown to be fabricated. A temporary crown is fitted until the next visit.
• The completed crown is received from the lab and fitted onto the tooth. The tooth is cleaned and the crown is cemented in place. Some minor adjustments are commonly made. Now you’re able to chew into your steaks without fear of your tooth fracturing.

 

What are the alternatives?

You can opt for fillings instead of crowns, just keep in mind that fractures have a higher chance here and these teeth may need repair quite frequently. In the case of root canal treated teeth, chances of fractures lower into the roots become higher particularly without the support of a crown. If this occurs the tooth may become non-restorable and may require extraction.

Instead of a bridge you can opt for a partial denture, which is a removable plate to replace the missing teeth. This may be ideal if there are multiple missing teeth in different locations, particularly if you are keeping to a budget. Alternatively, you may consider implants, where a screw is inserted into the bone and a crown is constructed over the top. This option is more expensive and time consuming, but preserves the neighbouring teeth as they will not need to be filed down to hold the supporting crowns. Or you could leave the space as is, some people tolerate this quite well, whereas others find the decreased ability to chew and clean more impeding. Whether to go for partial dentures, bridges, implants, or leaving the space, the decision is determined on a case by case basis, where your dentist will provide you with more information to what may suit your circumstance better.

How long do they last?

Whilst crowns provide a much stronger option to fillings, there is nothing stronger than your own natural teeth. They are the next best thing though. A crown should typically last 5 to 10 years, but in many cases they can last decades. There are several factors which determine this: previous damage to the teeth, gum disease, parafunctional habits like grinding and clenching, a heavy bite or missing teeth in other areas leading to increased load on the teeth worked on, the integrity of supporting teeth in bridges, oral hygiene, aesthetic satisfaction with changes in surrounding teeth, quality of materials, execution of crown and bridge preparation, and cements used. The longevity of crowns and bridges cannot always be predicted but with good oral care you should receive a long lasting desirable result.

 

 

Sometimes braces can’t do the job. They may be too slow or don’t cover or correct the issue you are concerned about. This in when veneers are the perfect solution. Veneers can look amazing, straighten crooked teeth, close unwanted spaces and cover darkened root canal treated teeth.

At Smile Design Dental, we take pride in performing art alongside function in every aspect of dentistry. Our veneers are no different.

There are two main types of veneers, direct and indirect, and we specialise in both.

Direct veneers are known as the ‘filling veneer’. They are made of the same white composite resin filling materials are made of. Some amazing structures can be made from this material and the results look uncannily like any corresponding tooth. An artistic dentist can achieve great results using quality materials.

The alternative is an ‘indirect veneer’. This veneer is composed with a porcelain-like, or glass-like, material that highly mimics the outer structure of our teeth, giving it a beautiful, lustrous composition. It never stains and is highly resistant to further wear. It is more costly than the direct form, but by far the superior option.

For all our indirect veneers we partner with local Brisbane labs giving you the added benefit of being able to meet with your dental technician directly. In person they can assess your tooth shade, form, and any particularities, in far greater detail. Whether you want California-white, natural subtle-shade variance, or soft stains to match your other teeth, our top technicians can confidently achieve your idolised indirect result.

 

We use only the highest grade filings created from white, tooth-coloured composite resin material. This outcome is a look that’s far superior to the old-fashioned metal fillings.

Decay, fractures, and general wear and tear can be restored to highly aesthetic outcomes.

 

Wisdom teeth can be tricky, particularly the bottom ones. General dentists are often scared of removing them because of the difficulty level and as such will refer you to have these extracted under general anaesthetic with a specialist.

At Smile Design Dental, our principle dentist, Dr. Danielle Bolger, is experienced at extracting difficult wisdom teeth and can remove most of these chair-side. This means that a procedure that can cost thousands will become far less. In addition to a gentle local anaesthetic injecting technique, we also offer additional therapeutics to help with pain and anxiety. Once you come in for a consult we can assess what best suits you.

“He had his knee up on my chest!”

When it comes to extractions, we’ve all heard the horror stories. Knees on chests and the unnecessary use of brute force. We promise you’ll never have an experience like that with us! A clean tooth extraction relies on good technique and should take little longer than 30 minutes. That’s including time for diagnosis and the anaesthesia to kick in.

Dr. Danielle Bolger has ample experience with tooth extractions including wisdom tooth removal. While Danielle is an expert in this area, she sees each tooth as a life and always prefers to save the tooth if possible.

After an extraction tooth replacement options can be pursued such as: bridges, partial or full dentures, or implants. To work out the best option for you depends on the health of neighbouring teeth, gums and bone, and your personal financial constraints and preferences.

Early tooth loss is decreasing as we all become more aware of how to correctly look after our teeth and smile. But not everyone is in the same situation. Some of us didn’t have the education growing up, some of us suffered dental trauma, some of us have had other circumstances fall our way.  And let’s be honest, some of us just couldn’t afford to save our teeth at the time. At Smile Design Dental, we don’t judge your circumstances, we care about you!

This means caring about what you need and catering for that now, not berating you for whatever happened in the past. If you need tooth replacement at an affordable cost but still want to feel like the best version of yourself, we have you sorted. We use local Brisbane dental technicians who provide dentures and any other removable dental prosthesis at very high standards.

Do you notice your jaw aching as you clean your teeth? Maybe you are wearing your teeth down. If so, it’s very likely you’re a grinder.

Grinding usually occurs at night whilst you are asleep. But it may also happen when you’re awake, particularly if you are stressed. When grinding or clenching occurs your muscles overwork, sometimes to the point of wearing down your teeth and causing damage to your temporomandibular joints (TMJ). When this occurs, it can be very complicated to treat. That’s why prevention is key.

Splints are the front-line step for nocturnal grinders/clenchers, and for those that have progressed to Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD). Splints consist of a thin piece of custom-made clear plastic fitted snugly to your upper teeth and worn at night and, don’t worry, a well-made splint will not fall off easily while you sleep! Splints may feel odd at first but you will be used to it in just a few weeks.

If this option is not for you, a simple alternative is to inject muscle relaxants into the culpable lower jaw muscles to lessen the grinding/clenching action. You can find more details on our see our injectables page.

Sports are a vital part of life for children and adults that keep us fit and healthy. Sadly, they can also lead to injury that can take you out of the game or rack up your dental bill. So why wear a mouth guard? In the same way helmets protect against head trauma, mouthguards prevent injuries to the face and mouth.

Now you may ask, what is wrong with the old fashioned “boil and bite” mouthguards? these over-the-counter mouthguards are poor fitting, and the lack of resilience fails to provide adequate protection for the entire mouth, and injury still commonly occurs.

Professionally made mouthguards are the best choice for all contact sports because they are specifically moulded to your mouth.  They are perfectly fitted, comfortable, will not shift or fall out, and will not restrict your breathing.

The process is quick and easy. A mould is taken of your teeth where you will choose your preferred colour. Then the mouthguard is made in house, usually taking less than a week to complete.

We’re all about smiles here, including the little ones!

Going to the dentist can feel like a scary experience, especially when you’re small. That’s why we take extra time and care with your kids to make sure their visit is as enjoyable as possible.

With a female lead dentist and kind, nurturing supporting staff, you can be sure your children are in safe hands and treated gently.

We offer CDBS services for those who qualify. Deals are also available for a wide range of children’s dentistry including a $99 check-up, clean and toothbrush demonstration for kids under 12. For those under six, we offer a $59 checkup.