Preventative Dentistry

Regular Recalls

Wanting to keep your teeth and smile healthy for a lifetime?

Please make time with us for a regular check up. A healthy mouth is important for overall health and well being. Healthy teeth and gums play an important part in your ability to smile, eat, speak and socialise.

Regular dental appointments are essential to maintain good oral health and a happy smile. A standard dental check-up is carried out by our dentists and is the best way to spot any problems with your mouth before they become serious. Both adults and children require routine dental appointments on a regular basis because preventative dentistry is the key to keeping your mouth healthy.

Routine dental appointments are usually carried out every six months, although some patients may require more frequent visits, while others may need to come into the practice less often. Our dentist's will advise you on how often you need to come in for a check-up.

What happens at a routine dental check-up? If it is your first appointment at the practice, our dentist will take a full dental and medical history. They will also:

Thoroughly examine your teeth, gums and mouth.
Take x-rays if necessary.
Discuss any dental problems you may have had in the past.
Discuss general health and dietary issues that can affect your teeth and gums, such as alcohol consumption or smoking.
Discuss your teeth-cleaning habits, such as your brushing technique, and recommend any improvements if required.
Explain any further treatment you may need, such as fillings, root canal treatment or hygienist appointments.
Provide you with a full treatment plan if required.
Answer any questions you may have regarding your treatment and what options are available.

If you require no other treatment, your dentist will let you know when you should come for your next routine check-up.

Benefits of Regular Recalls

Helps to maintain good oral health
Early detection of problems
Routine check-ups can, in many cases, help prevent problems before they start

Dental Hygienist

Why is Dental Hygiene treatment Important?

Very few people are able to practise perfect plaque control at home. This means that even after good home care, bacterial plaque will remain somewhere around the teeth and gums. Research shows that plaque is what causes both tooth decay and periodontal disease, and so having all these deposits removed thoroughly on a regular basis is a great way to prevent these diseases.

Looking after your gums is just as important as looking after your teeth, and without routine cleaning gum disease can occur.

The common signs and stages of gum disease are: Red, swollen gums that bleed when you brush them are a sign of a type of gum disease called gingivitis. When gingivitis is left untreated it can develop into a type of infection known as periodontitis, which affects the entire area surrounding a tooth, causing discomfort and difficulty when eating. Eventually this kind of infection can lead to tooth-loss and may require invasive procedures to replace the missing tooth.

Gum disease can be avoided by attending regular hygiene check-ups at the practice and maintaining a good daily hygiene routine. Brushing between the teeth, flossing and replacing your toothbrush every three months can benefit your gum health.

Dental hygiene treatment is delivered by a specially trained dental hygienist who will, amongst other things, help to remove any hard-to-reach plaque from your teeth that may have built up over time.

Here is what you can expect from a hygiene appointment:

Your teeth and gums will be assessed to determine the amount of plaque removal required and any associated risk factors will be explained.
Your teeth will be professionally cleaned with special equipment and pastes. This process is also known as ‘scaling and polishing’.
The hygienist’s role is to then show you how to look after your teeth so that they remain plaque-free in the future. You will be advised on the best tooth brushing technique and given tips on flossing and using interdental brushes.
Dental hygiene at our practice also functions preventatively to treat gum disease and bad breath. If you have a bridge, denture, orthodontic treatment or a dental implant you may have specific hygiene needs that the hygienist will be able to assist you with.

Bad Breath

Bad breath is a very common problem of which there are many different causes. Bad breath can be reduced by following a daily oral hygiene regime and cutting down on sugary foods and drinks. Regular trips to the hygienist will also ensure your plaque levels are kept under control.

Causes of bad breath include:

Chronic bad breath may have an underlying medical cause such as throat, nose or lung infections, sinusitis, bronchitis, gastro-intestinal conditions or diabetes.
Poor dental hygiene. Without regular brushing and flossing, bacteria and bits of food can get trapped in between your teeth, which can then release an unpleasant odour.
Smoking.
Consuming strong, odorous foods like garlic, onions and coffee.

If you are aware that your breath is not as fresh as you would like it to be, make an appointment and we can discuss. It is recommended that you come in for regular hygiene appointments to ensure your mouth stays clean and healthy.

Benefits of Visiting the Dental Hygienist

Helps to minimise the risk of tooth loss.
Reduces the risk of developing tooth decay and the associated need for fillings.
Provides you with fresh, minty breath and helps with avoiding bad breath in the future.
Typically indicates good oral health and clean teeth.
Usually associated with having healthy gums.

MEET OUR DENTAL HYGIENIST

Children's Dentistry and Mixed Dentition Orthodontics

General Dental care is free for all New Zealand children until they are 18.

We encourage our patients to bring their children to the practice from an early age. Regular check-ups from an early age will ensure children don’t suffer from untreated dental decay, which can have devastating effects on their growing dentition. Regular check-ups can also help to spot potential developmental issues with children.

There are several preventive and interceptive treatments that our team can provide for children:

Tooth-coloured fissure sealants can be applied to the biting surfaces of children's teeth to prevent decay.

A space maintainer is an appliance that is custom-made by a dentist or orthodontist in acrylic or metal material. It can be either removable or cemented in a child's mouth. Its purpose is to keep the space open to allow the permanent tooth to erupt and come into place.
Treating a child from a young age also allows the dentist to spot early signs of underbites, cross bites or overbites developing and intervene. As with most dental problems, the sooner we can start to treat it, the quicker it can be resolved. Interceptive Orthodontics enables us to utilise childrens growth and may avoid the need for future extractions and improves facial profile.
Orthodontics treatment (braces) in any form is not covered by this service and privates fees will be charged.

Benefits of Child Dentistry and Early orthodontics

Helps with the development of healthy teeth, gums and facial profile
Reduces the risk of developing tooth decay and reduces need for fillings and small orthodontic problems becoming a permanent deformity and needing extensive adult orthodontics, extracting teeth and Corrective surgeries later.
Helps reduce fears or phobias of the dentist by becoming accustomed to visiting the dentist at an early age.