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FAQs

DR Dental accepts HICAPS that enables our patients to claim their health insurance at the time of treatment. Remember to bring your private health insurance card to your next visit. If you have lost your health insurance card, you can make you claim at a later date via your health insurance provider using the provider name and item numbers listed on your invoice.

Your health insurance provider and the level of coverage you have determines the amount you can claim. You can contact your private health insurance provider and quote our provider number and the item number/s relevant to the treatment you have had or plan to have. Our friendly team at Dr Dental can help you with this information. 

Gum infections (gingivitis) are insidious issues that rarely experience pain.

As such, it is important to carry out a dental examination and gum health evaluation on a regular basis to prevent infections getting established.

Leaving dental or gum infections until they cause pain generally leads to extensive and often costly treatments.

Where possible, retention of a natural tooth through root canal treatment is desirable; the supporting structures of a natural tooth (gums and bone) can be treated with higher predictability than supporting structures of an implant especially when an infection develops. Treatment of gum disease around an implant is difficult, and if we can avoid having the implant placed in the first instance this is our preferred option. Nothing is as good as the natural tooth. 

However, when a tooth is severely decayed and broken down, or when fractures extend deep below the gum around the tooth, sometimes root canal treatment cannot be carried out and extraction of the tooth is required. Options for replacement can include a denture, bridge or an implant. 

Advances in implant technology have made this a very good option for tooth replacement in many cases and is often the ideal replacement option when a tooth does need to be removed.  

The cost of dental treatment is variable based on what treatment is required and what option for treatment you decide to proceed with. 

Your initial visit for a comprehensive dental check-up is capped at $220, this allows us to complete a very thorough examination, discuss your preferences in treatment management and allow our dentists to talk to you about all of your treatment needs and options. 

In all cases following your initial appointment, the cost of treatment will be provided to you in a written Treatment Plan allowing you to decide on which option best suits you. 

ZIP money and ZIP pay is available at DR Dental, please feel free to ask our reception staff about your options with a payment plan. 

Anxiety around the dental office is common and our highly skilled dentists, hygienists and support staff are always friendly, approachable and sensitive to our patients past experiences.

 At DR Dental, we aim to provide treatment in the most comfortable way possible, taking the time to understand our patients’ needs individually and determine how we can best provide dental care in a sensitive, caring environment. 

Instead of dentistry previously being stressful, rest assured you are in the most caring hands and can relax and enjoy Netflix in the comfort of your dental home.  

A dental hygiene appointment focuses on the prevention of gum disease, the management of gum disease risk factors and maintenance of optimal oral health. It is based on a detailed systematic approach adapted specifically by each individual’s needs. A dental clean on the other hand often refers to the less detailed removal of tartar/plaque and does not have a well-defined structure for ongoing management.

In our clinic we believe that the ideal care is provided by a multidisciplinary system. Our dental hygienists have the set of skills to specifically dedicate their time in assessing your gum and bone health and assisting you throughout your dental journey. This allows our dentists to work in collaboration with the hygiene department, providing them with the ability to spend more time on other dental treatments.

Even though most people like to resist the advice on flossing to ensure that gum health is maintained and the risk of decay reduces necessitates flossing.

Bacteria in plaque (that sticky film that forms around your teeth) tends to favour the darker harder to reach by toothbrush areas in the mouth. One of those spots is the area in between your teeth and underneath the gum line. The only way this section can be reached is through flossing or interdental brushes.

People that floss tend to have lower levels of gum inflammation and since gum disease has been linked to many other health conditions, picking up that floss is now more important than EVER!



Oral Health Self-Assessment onlineHave you wondered how healthy your mouth is?

Healthy Mouth App

Brush, Floss … and Rinse?   First, all you’ve heard from your dentist is brushing and flossing your teeth every morning and night is the best way to reduce decay and prevent gum infections. New scientific research has suggested that adding a mouthrinse to this nighttime ritual can assist in reducing your risks of gum infection. 

Not all mouthrinses from the supermarket or pharmacy are ideal and the long term use of mouthrinses can lead to bacterial resistance; so check the type and frequency of use with your dentist or hygienist to optimize the results you are looking for.

An X-ray examination consisting of selected individual images or an OPG examination when indicated is recommended. It enables your dentist to look into your teeth and assess if there are issues internally that may weaken or put your teeth at risk of dental decay.

Every day, we’re exposed to radiation. It comes from the sun, our cell phones, and even riding in an airplane (the longer the airplane ride, the more radiation you’re exposed to!)

When you get a set of four individual X-rays (the images that are usually taken about once a year to check for new cavities) the total amount of radiation is less than the average daily exposure to the sun in everyday life. 

Other types of radiation exposure include:

  • a chest xray is around 100 times more than exposures at a dental examination
  • a flight from Melbourne to Sydney is the same radiation exposure as a dental exam 

We suggest you book in for a thorough check up with one of our dentists. A comprehensive examination will be completed of your mouth including oral soft tissues, gums, jaw joints and teeth allowing us to identify any current or potential problems. To assist us in our diagnostic process, dental x-rays will be taken of your mouth in addition to any further tests utilising the latest dental technologies we have available.

A full series of photographs of your teeth and gums will be completed and from this, a clear discussion about your treatment needs and options can be carried out, with you guiding treatment decisions. At your second appointment a complimentary written Treatment Plan will be presented to assist you in making decisions on the various options available to you prior to commencing any treatment.

Long term research has proven that bleaching is not harmful to teeth. The risks associated with wearing a poor fitting bleaching tray include gum irritation so ensure your trays are comfortable and seal bleaching gels at the neck of the teeth.

Ingestion of bleach is not a concern as it breaks down into oxygen and water (which is a sanitising material in its own right)



Teeth whitening is a proven and safe way of providing you with a brighter smile; it is a procedure that lightens your teeth by removing unwanted stains and discolouration from the internal areas of your teeth between the enamel and dentine (inner core).

We use home bleaching where we construct customised thin trays to enable you to apply professional bleaching gels to your teeth twice per day for 30 minutes in the morning and evening before bed.

In-office bleaching is where we apply higher concentrations of bleaching gel in a protected and isolated environment so that your gums are protected from chemical irritation at the higher concentrations. We also provide you with home bleaching gels and trays to maintain your color improvement.

Both systems create a fresh and more youthful appearance albeit one takes around 10 days the other in-house is a much faster process but both achieve the same end result in terms of tooth brightness.

Feel free to ask us as to which procedure would suit your teeth best.

Oral health is established in the early stages of life. As your child’s teeth develop, good habits in oral hygiene, a healthy diet, and the development of normal oral bacteria is created and carried through into teenage years and adulthood. 

Decay in the early years (pre teenage years) can affect the adult teeth developing inside the jaw bones and affect their long term strength, risk of decay and the normal development of a well aligned and balanced bite.

Research has shown that around 50% of primary school children have active decay, so regular checkups starting around 4 years of age are important and behaviorally it allows your child to become used to dental visits and they are made to be a fun time reinforcing teeth cleaning rather than full on dental encounters.

Our recommendation for dental hygiene and dental check up appointment frequency can vary depending on each individual’s circumstances. This is determined after a thorough assessment process with our dental hygienist and dentist and can change over the course of care.

The maximum amount of time recommended between preventative care visits is every 6 months. If your oral health requires extra attention, more frequent appointments such as  3-4 monthly may be advised. 

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.

Phyllis Diller

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