FAQ

A crown is a tooth shaped “cap” that is placed over the top of the tooth to restore its strength. The crown completely covers the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line. This is a great option for teeth that have been weakened through decay, cracks or fillings. Crowns are also recommended to be placed after a tooth has received a root canal treatment to give additional protection and strength to the tooth. A crown protects your tooth in a similar way to motorcycle helmets protect our heads.

Once we have welcomed you and made sure you are comfortable, we will guide you through completing a brief medical history form. Once you have moved on to the clinic, Dr Sam will conduct a new patient examination. This involves a thorough review of your teeth, gums, chewing muscles, and any lumps or bumps in your mouth. We will often take x-rays to discover any decay that is hiding between your teeth, or under old leaking fillings that may need replacement. We’ll also take photos with our intraoral camera, which we display to you on the computer to let you see exactly what is going on inside your mouth. Dr Sam will also give you a thorough explanation of what’s happening with each tooth. At the end of your visit, we will give you a treatment plan of findings and pricing, so you will know exactly what your treatment costs are – no nasty surprises! You will have plenty of time to ask any questions you may have regarding any treatment options so that you are comfortable and confident in the treatment we will be providing. It is a very open and honest appointment and we promise not to push you into having treatment you don’t want or need.

We have free parking, allocated specifically for our patients on site, as well as on street parking. We are wheelchair friendly.

We accept all Australian health insurance funds. Using our HICAPS facility we will be able to help you to claim back the cover immediately; just bring in your health fund card and leave the rest to us! All you need to do is pay the remaining balance. Nice and easy!

We are preferred provider for HCF. This means that patients with HCF membership under the HCF More For Teeth program, are able to get 100% back on (depending on your level of cover), all preventative services such as one or two dental examinations per calendar year professional teeth cleaning, fluoride treatment, diagnostic X-rays and custom made sports mouth-guards.

We tailor your dental appointment to your own personal needs, therefore we can’t predict what dental treatment you’ll need in advance. Instead, we’ll arrange an initial consultation for our dentist to meet you and your teeth.

The standard cost of a comprehensive examination, in which we review of your teeth, gums, chewing muscles, and any lumps or bumps in your mouth, take photos with our intraoral camera, which we then display to you on the chair-side monitor to let you see exactly what is going on inside your mouth, is $70. From this exam we can then provide you with a detailed costing of any of the treatments you will have discussed with Dr Sam. This price is before we process any health fund refunds so you may find your exam costs considerably less (depending on your level of insurance cover).

Yes! We happily accept Medicare for children using the Children’s Dental Benefits Scheme*, unfortunately at this time adults are not covered for dental under Medicare. If you are unsure if your child qualifies for this free treatment please call us on 3465 1199 and we be happy to check their eligibility.

The Australian Dental Association recommends that to maintain good oral hygiene we need to visit the dentist every six months for an exam and clean. Having a regular dental exam with Passion Family Dental can help you guard against painful conditions and toothaches and potentially avoid expensive surprises. This way we can pick up problems early and stop decay from progressing.

There are many options available to patients who have teeth crowding issues or concerns. At Passions Family Dental we are committed to ensuring our patients always receive the very best treatment and care; should you or your child require orthodontic treatment (braces) we are happy to recommend treatments in correcting teeth alignment.

Bad breath (also known as Halitosis) can be embarrassing and unpleasant for those around you. The most common reasons for bad breath are: decay, gum disease, infection, dry mouth or smoking. Some chronic illnesses can also cause bad breath.
To try to avoid bad breath we recommend that you brush your teeth at least twice a day, remembering to floss in between your teeth to ensure all tooth surfaces are as clean as possible. Keeping yourself hydrated is vitally important so make sure you drink plenty of water and even try chewing sugarless gum.
If the bad breath continues, we suggest that you come in for a chat with Dr Sam and he can help you track down the reason for the problem. With a professional clean and a comprehensive examination, he can then determine if it is a tooth or gum issue and advise you what your next steps are. He can teach you correct cleaning techniques so that you can continue your care at home and hopefully avoid similar situations/conditions in the future. When necessary Dr Sam can refer you to a medical provider to follow up health concerns.

Firstly we will need to determine the reason for the staining; is it external or internal staining * If the staining **external** (Extrinsic) it can be caused by smoking or by drinking tea, coffee or red wine. Depending on the cause and the depth of the staining, Dr Sam may be able to simply give your teeth a scale and polish to bring them back to an acceptable shade and sometimes we need to adjust and polish older stained fillings to complete the process. If we find this doesn’t give you a bright enough smile Dr Sam will suggest a teeth whitening (bleaching) treatment. * If the staining is **internal **(Intrinsic) it is often caused by old, leaky, metal/amalgam fillings, previously root-treated teeth, and other genetic conditions. Dr Sam would suggest that you replace the old metal fillings with white tooth coloured resin fillings. Sometimes the best solution to mask the underlying stain is to place a dental crown or veneer.

Thankfully the old days of root canal therapy being painful is long gone! Nowadays we have instruments and equipment that make the process not only easier and faster but also virtually painless! Sometimes after the treatment patients can experience a slight discomfort but usually taking a couple of mild pain killer will alleviate this.

We want children to feel that going to the dentist is just a part of their everyday life and to have them avoid the fear that some adults experience when going to the dentist. Bring them with you when you come in for your treatment, or when an older brother or sister come in. We can give them a ride in the chair and make the entire experience a fun one. We never push treatment on to a child, we take things nice and easy. At Passion Family Dental we recommend that children first visit a dentist when their baby teeth start to come through. This should be before their second birthday.

Remember that even if your baby’s teeth are yet to come through, you can still care for their oral health by wiping their gums with a clean, wet cloth; this will make it easier for when their teeth do erupt as they will be used to having something cleaning their gums.

We recommend that you floss your teeth at least once a day. If you find it difficult to floss Dr Sam is more than happy to show you how, he can also show you some dental products that will make it nice and easy for you. Flossing helps to remove the build-up of plaque from between your teeth and along the gum line, where your toothbrush can’t reach. Remember – you only need to floss the teeth you want to keep!

* Do you experience pain or stiffness in your jaw or temple when you first wake up?
* Maybe your partner has told you that you make grinding sounds with your teeth while you are asleep.
* Are you aware of clenching your jaw when you are angry, anxious or concentrating?
* Are your teeth sensitive and do you experience regular headache, jaw joint or ear pain?
* Have you noticed your teeth are getting wobbly or that you have chipped the enamel off your teeth?
* Do you have raised tissue on the inside of your cheeks cause by cheek biting?
If you answered “yes” to some of these then chances are that you are a tooth grinder! Tooth grinding, or Bruxism, can have several causes such as: emotional stress and anxiety, mental concentration, nutritional deficiency or dehydration, incorrect tooth alignment etc.
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms and think that you maybe grinding your teeth, we suggest that you come in and see us at Passion Family Dental as soon as possible. Dr Sam will carry out a comprehensive examination of your teeth and will possibly take x-rays to check how severe the problem is and how much damage has been done to the teeth and supportive bone. He may suggest some therapy to help assist in the removal or the reduction of the habit and may advise you to wear a night guard (splint) to help alleviate the problem.

Anyone, young or old, who plays contact sport needs to wear a mouthguard both during competition and in training sessions. Dental injuries can be very painful and sometimes quite expensive and having your child wear a mouthguard can help them avoid potentially a lifetime of dental treatment and expenses.
Mouthguards are made and designed to absorb the shock of a hit to the jaw and to protect the teeth and soft tissue. Loose fitting, over the counter mouthguards can be uncomfortable to wear and can easily be dislodged just when they are needed the most. The custom made mouthguards that we provide our patients at Passion Family Dental offer more protection, more coverage and fit more securely, ensuring more comfortable wear.