In this section we aim to give you answers, explanations and insights into some of the common dental problems we get asked about everyday.
Click on a question to find out more.
Does your tooth hurt? Dental pain or a toothache can be absolutely terrible. Even if it starts as a niggling pain that comes and goes, it can quickly develop into an intense pain that is so overwhelming that it is hard to think of anything else.
This is a common condition that we see patients in and the more pain people are in usually equates to the length of time they have waited, often hoping that the pain and problem will just go away.
If you are experiencing dental pain then please call us and explain the nature of your pain. We save a handful of appointments on any given day to attend to people in your position.
Call us on (08) 8004 8013.
When patients come in with tooth staining we start by seeing whether the staining is intrinsic or extrinsic.
The type of staining depends upon the cause of the staining, but also has implications for the treatment. Intrinsic staining is staining that comes from within the tooth, whereas extrinsic is on the surface of the tooth.
Intrinsic tooth stains can be due to a number of reasons:
Extrinsic tooth stains, on the other hand, are on the surface of the tooth or teeth. The common causes of extrinsic tooth discolouration are:
This type of extrinsic tooth staining can cause yellow teeth, grey teeth and in extreme cases brown teeth.
The options for treating discoloured teeth depends on two things:
Extrinsic staining is often easily polished away. This can be done our oral health therapist or dentist at your regular 6 monthly active maintenance visit, or dental check-up.
It is a common misconception that tooth whitening or bleaching is the main treatment for stained teeth. In reality most extrinsic tooth staining can be removed by simply removing the stained layer above the white tooth enamel.
If there is a lot of extrinsic staining, for instance if you have smoked two packs a day or drink lots of coffee, then you might need a bit polishing than the average person. This might involve coming in for a polish every 3 months until the tooth colour returns to white. At your initial consultation we will decide together with you a treatment plan and then adjust along the way depending on the results we are able to achieve. There is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution for tooth staining.
Intrinsic tooth stains are a little harder to treat than extrinsic. Depending on the severity and cause of the tooth staining there are a number of treatment options available:
Most of the time the dentist can assess which treatment may be effective in each case. When making our assessment and recommendations for tooth staining, as with any dental treatment, we tend to err on the side of caution for two reasons:
This is why an assessment by the dentist or oral health therapist is important: to find out a suitable way to treat the tooth staining.
In the cases where a root canal treated tooth is stained from the inside dentists have the option to whiten the tooth from the inside. In these cases, we would whiten the tooth from the inside out using the original access hole for the root canal work.
We see these type of cases where, for example, someone got a front tooth with a crown on it 10 years ago. The crown will still be beautifully white but the rest of the teeth are now looking darker.
In this case we will treat the tooth or teeth around it with either polishing or bleaching to bring the colour back to the same colour as the crown.
Patients often use the term ‘tooth cap’ for what we know as a tooth coloured filling, and sometimes in these cases we may need to replace the tooth coloured filling to change its colour or bleach around it to change the colour of the tooth next to it.
If the treatment is professionally applied, rather than with a take-home tooth whitening kit, then it is possible for us to target a single stained tooth or a group of stained teeth.
We will often do this to bring one tooth back in line with the colour of the surrounding teeth.
If you have any other questions or wish to discuss your individual situation then contact us now.
Call us on (08) 8004 8013 or get in touch via our contact form.
Tooth alignment problems arise when the line of the teeth don’t flow directly from one tooth to the next.
We see alignment problems in both our adult and child patients, although serious alignment problems are often tackled in early to mid teens.
Common problems or symptoms adults and children with alignment issues include:
Functional problems such as:
Aesthetic or cosmetic problems with how their teeth appear when they talk or smile
Alignment issues can affect how easily people can clean their teeth and floss well between their teeth. Unfortunately this gives people with alignment problems a predisposition to cavities.
With alignment issues many people think that we should be more worried by the functional problems than the cosmetic, but the impacts of the ‘appearance’ of someone’s smile can be quite significant.
How a person’s smile looks and how they feel about their smile is a huge issue and one that many patients are reluctant to bring up, even with their dentist. A person’s own concerns about the appearance of their teeth may influence:
It’s not something many people feel at ease talking about with their dentist but the range of options differ greatly in terms of the level of intervention, time of treatment and naturally the cost of the treatment.
We describe the second option as more invasive because in order to put a crown on a tooth you’ve got to cut away a lot of the enamel of the tooth that is being crowned. This doesn’t necessarily make it a worse treatment or less desirable; it is simply another option for patients with alignment issues to consider.
It is a lot more common and accepted nowadays to see adults with braces, and we have a lot more options with colours and design. So having braces doesn’t have to look terrible anymore.
As everyone’s situation is different we recommend you start your discussion with your dentist around the problem you are trying to solve, rather than the treatment that you think you need.
E.g., 'I don’t like how these teeth are crooked. What are my options?'
verses 'I think I need Invisalign. How much will it cost?'
There are many elements that impact the cost of your treatment. These include:
If you are concerned about alignment issues with your smile or teeth then contact Adelaide Quality Dental to discuss your options.
Call us on (08) 8004 8013 or get in touch via our contact form.
Sensitive teeth are a very common dental problem. Many of our patients experience sensitivity to hot, cold or sweet food and drinks. If you have sensitive teeth, just the simple act of brushing your teeth can cause discomfort.
It is important to investigate the cause of sensitivity with your dentist as it could be a sign of a more serious problem, such as tooth decay.
The reasons why teeth may be sensitive:
If you are experiencing any issues with tooth sensitivity, please try to find a time to see to one of our dentists.
Call us on (08) 8004 8013 or get in touch via our contact form.
Losing a tooth as an adult can be distressing, especially if it is a front tooth. Not only is there the impact to your appearance and your smile, but also the functional loss of chewing or sometimes speaking.
There is also the long term consideration that if nothing is done that the surrounding teeth and gum move in on the space, causing that ‘shrunken’ face look that you may have seen.
There are several options to replace a missing tooth that allow you to continue life as normal, the most common now being the dental implant.
Advances in dental technology have made tooth implants a much more desirable choice than previous tooth replacement options.
The main options for replacing a tooth are:
If you are not sure what is right for you and your situation or if you would like to know more about the costs contact us now and arrange a consultation.
Call us on (08) 8004 8013 or get in touch via our contact form.
Sudden and severe tooth pain, toothache or accidents often happen outside of business hours. If you suffer toothache or damage to a tooth, it is important to seek emergency dental care as soon as possible to minimise discomfort.
Depending on the type of toothache or damage, there are several steps you should take immediately:
Call us for emergency appointments. Please explain the nature of your emergency so we can prioritise an appointment for you.
Call us on (08) 8004 8013.
Cancellation policy
We understand emergencies do occur. If you need to reschedule an appointment for you or your family please give our office at least 48 hours’ notice. This provides the practice with an opportunity to offer the appointment to other patients from our waiting list. Failure to attend your appointment without notice on more than two occasions will result in a $50 fee for a dental hygiene appointment and a $100 fee for a dental treatment appointment, to be re-appointed.
We ask patients to make every effort, please contact the clinic via phone or email if any changes to future appointments need to be made.
