Table of Contents

• How can I safely whiten my teeth?
• I really don’t like visiting the dentist, is there anything you can do to help me relax?
• I want my front teeth to look better, but do not want to wear braces, can you help?
• My breath has a terrible odour, even though I brush every day.  What can you do to help?
• My husband is a terrible snorer I have heard that you may be able to prescribe an appliance that will help?
• I have to have major dental surgery are there payment plan options?
• How can Dental Implants be used to support lower complete dentures

  How can I safely whiten my teeth?

We offer safe and simple methods of enhancing your smile by the way of tooth whitening. You can come and experience the “in chair” treatment of the popular Zoom procedure (as seen on extreme makeover), or ask us about our easy take home whitening system.  

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I really don’t like visiting the dentist, is there anything you can do to help me relax?

We understand that some patients can be quite nervous or have a genuine fear about having dental treatment. We offer a range of relaxation techniques and products to help calm and relax even the most anxious patient. See our Sedation page for more details.

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I want my front teeth to look better, but do not want to wear braces, can you help?

Dental technology is moving forward at a rapid rate. Our most popular product for straightening teeth are the Invisalign “invisible” braces. These clear, plastic braces are not only invisible, but also very comfortable and practical to wear. Contact us for a complimentary consultation.

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My breath has a terrible odour, even though I brush every day.  What can you do to help?

Bad breath is caused by a build up of bacteria in the mouth. Sometimes simply brushing our teeth isn’t enough to eliminate these bacteria as it can often form a thin, hardened layer around our teeth (called calculus). The hygienists at Mount Pleasant Dental specialise in the removal plaque and calculus from the teeth and gums, therefore helping to combat the cause of bad breath. Regular use of floss and mouth wash is also recommended.

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My husband is a terrible snorer I have heard that you may be able to prescribe an appliance that will help?

We can custom make a small device to help keep the airway open while you sleep, thus helping to prevent snoring. This assists the patient in having a deeper, more restful sleep, leaving them feeling fresher and more rejuvenated in the morning.

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I have to have major dental surgery are there payment plan options?

We will do our best to accommodate you. Please contact our surgery to discuss the payment plan options available.

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How can Dental Implants be used to support lower complete dentures

1. How does it work?

Dental implants act like little artificial tooth roots made of titanium, that are secured into the jaw in a similar fashion to the way an orthopedic surgeon may secure an artificial hip or knee joint to the surrounding bone.

Once healed, connectors can be attached to these implants that allow a denture to clip tightly into place to stop unwanted denture movement.

2. How long does it take?

Once a patient has been planned for surgery (which may involve a few different appointments with the relevant dental care givers to discuss treatment and take x-rays etc), it takes approximately one hour to place the implants.

Typically implants are then left for three months to heal before the connectors are attached.

3. Do I have to go without teeth while the implants heal?

Ideally, yes- although this is not essential.  Wearing the dentures on top of healing implants has the potential to disrupt the healing process and possibly impair the treatment outcome.

However, it is not always possible, practically speaking, to go without the dentures while the implants heal.

As a general rule, the less often you can wear your dentures while the implants are healing, the better.  However, the first two weeks after implant treatment, (and in particular the first few days), are of critical importance.

Typically it would be wise to leave the denture out as much as possible while the soft tissue/gum wounds heal (which may take 10-14 days).  If the denture is to be worn, it is important that it does not rub or irritate the implant site.  The denture can often be modified to fit over the wound without applying excessive pressure.

Where possible, do not eat with the denture in place during this first two weeks.

From two weeks it may be OK to wear the denture if it has been adequately adjusted by the dentist to fit over the wounds without rubbing the implant site.  It is still inadvisable to eat with the denture in, but- depending on a patients individual circumstances- it may be OK to chew if only using the back teeth.

After the 6-8week mark the urgency to leave the denture out becomes less.  By the 12 week mark one would typically be ready to connect the denture to the implants

4. Can I get a medical certificate for time off work?

Yes.  Discuss this with your dentist.

5. Does it hurt?

The implant placement procedure itself is not supposed to be painful as it is done under LA/local anesthetic (ie: a numbing injection) inthe same way that a tooth may be filled or extracted under LA.

After the anesthetic wears off it is normal to experience some tenderness that is usually easily controlled with oral painkillers such as panadol, nurofen, panadeine or similar drugs.  Ask your dentist which medications are best for you.

Often the most annoying part of the post-op recovery is that the stitches placed over the implants may irritate the tongue.

Pain management is rarely a problem in dental implant placement.

6. Will I need antibiotics?

As a precaution, yes.  Our dentist will typically prescribe a moderate dose of antibiotics one hour before your dental surgery, and may advise a short course of antibiotics for the following week or so.

7. Will I have to go to hospital to have it have it done?

Depending on a patients individual case, implant can be placed either:

1. Under local anesthetic (LA), in the dental chair, with just a numbing needle (patients remain awake)
2. Under IV sedation, in the dental chair, where patients receive a numbing injection in the mouth and an anesthetist provides some sedative drugs into the blood stream to put a patient ‘half to sleep’
3. Under General Anesthetic (GA), where an anesthetist typically puts a patient under deep sedation (ie: completely asleep) in a hospital environment

Patients can discuss with their dentist which of the above options is the best for them.  Anxious patients may prefer to opt for IV or GA even  if the implant surgery is expected to be quick and painless.  This is totally fine.

8. Can I drive home after implant surgery?

Depending on a patients individual implant case, it may be fine to drive home after implant placement under LA.  Patients who have had treatment under IV or GA are not allowed to drive themselves home.

9. How much time will I need off work?

Every patient is different, but typically a day or two to recover from implant surgery should be all the average patient needs.  Sometimes patients may elect to take more time off work, especially if they are anxious about leaving their dentures out in public.  The choice is largely up to the individual.

10. How long will they last?

Implants are designed to be very long lasting (some lasting beyond 40years) but, just like a prosthetic hip or knee joint, they are not considered permanent.

If the implants are kept well clean and maintained, including regular review appointments at the dentist, one could expect an implant to survive 10-15 years or more.

Failure to maintain implants correctly may lead to premature failure.  Discuss this with your dentist.

Keep in mind that while the implant may last 10-15years or more, the denture and it’s implant-connecting component may require more frequent replacement, modification or repairs than the implant itself.

11. What if I don’t have enough bone?  Or if the bone isn’t strong enough?

    In the lower jaw, there is rarely a situation where there is insufficient bone quantity or poor bone quality.  Many patients are often concerned that diseases like osteoporosis will prevent them from receiving implant care.  This is rarely the case.  Discuss with your dentist.

12. What if they don’t work?

The success rate for implants in the lower jaw is very high, in the order of 95%.  If an implant fails to be accepted by the jaw at the time of placement, this implant can typically be easily removed and replaced once the jaw is given 6-8 weeks to heal.

Any implant work is guaranteed for 12 months.  Beyond this time any implant failures need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis depending on the cause of failure.

Fortunately failures are rare and usually occur quickly (within six months of implant placement).  Correct adherence to implant maintenance instructions should ensure a long implant life.

13. How much does it cost?

Each patients case my be slightly different, but the approximate cost for a pair of implants and related denture-connecting componentry  is $6000.  This does not include the cost of the denture itself (in some cases, your existing denture may be all that is required), or the cost of other incidental expenses such as painkillers, antibiotics, X-rays etc.

This cost does include all post-op care/ suture removal/ denture adjustments etc required during the implant healing phase.

14. Will my health insurer help with the cost?

Each health fund is different, and it also depend on the level of health cover a patient has.  Ask your dentist for a quotation including health insurance item numbers, and you can check this with them.

15. Do you offer payment plans?

Generally practice policy is ‘pay-on-the-day’.  If you would like to discuss a payment plan, our front desk staff will be able to help.

Interest free finance is also available through GE credit.  Ask our front desk staff about this.