FAQ

Do not eat or drink anything for 30 minutes. This allows the fluoride to penetrate and remineralise your teeth. In between dental cleanings, you should maintain good oral care habits. This includes brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing at least once a day.

Your cleaning will consist of a visual examination of your teeth and gums. You may also need X-rays for a more comprehensive view of your teeth and bone. The dental hygienist will record your oral health status and any problems that you may have. Special instruments will be used to remove hardened plaque from your teeth. Your teeth will then be polished and fluoride applied for one minute.

Yes. Even if you brush and floss your teeth twice a day, plaque that contains bacteria still accumulates in the grooves and pits of teeth and along the gum line. Over time your teeth will begin to decay in those areas, which may result in pain and/or partial or total tooth loss.

You will receive special care instructions following your treatment. For example, if you had your teeth whitened, you should avoid highly pigmented food and beverages for at least eight hours after to prevent staining. On the other hand, a dental implant may require a limited but temporary diet.

Due to the diversity in dentistry, cosmetic, restorative and general dentistry can overlap in a single visit. This includes in-office teeth whitening, tooth coloured fillings, different bonding techniques to restore chipped/cracked teeth, veneers, crowns and implants.

Your first visit focuses on getting a comprehensive overview of your dental health, defining your personal goals and putting together a treatment plan.

You may be a candidate if your healthy teeth have imperfections that you would like to change to enhance the appearance of your smile.

If you prefer to preserve as much of your natural teeth as possible, instead of extracting your teeth, then a root canal may be the right treatment for you.

Local anaesthetic is used to numb the tooth, which makes root canals highly tolerable. The procedure is often no less comfortable than getting a standard filling.

It is normal for teeth to be slightly sensitive for a few days following treatment. However, normal brushing and flossing habits should be resumed immediately after treatment.

The first step in the procedure involves a local anaesthetic. Once your tooth is numb, the diseased portion of your tooth (the infected pulp) is removed. The remaining tooth is then disinfected, sealed and filled. At subsequent visits, your tooth will be restored with a crown.

It is essentials to follow your post-operative care instructions to ensure healing and prevent complications. You will be instructed to avoid rinsing and smoking for 24 hours following the extraction. If an antibiotic has been prescribed, it is important to complete the course to avoid infection. Finally, you may be advised to avoid drinking through a straw, certain foods and smoking as this will delay the healing process and cause a condition known as ‘dry socket’ – a painful complication you would want to avoid.

If it is an uncomplicated extraction that does not need referral or a course of antibiotics to clear up infection first, you will be assisted at the same visit. You will be given a local anaesthetic to prevent pain during the procedure and may be prescribed medication to help manage pain in the hours following the extraction.

The most common cause is teeth that have become unrestorable due to decay or infection. However, many patients also undergo extraction for impacted teeth – particularly wisdom teeth. Other causes for extraction include advanced periodontal disease, extra teeth blocking other teeth from coming in, dental trauma or to create space for orthodontic treatment.

It’s completely normal to experience slight discomfort after an implant placement. You should take the prescribed antibiotics and pain medication to prevent inflammation and infection of the implant area. Mouth rinse should be used three times daily and smoking should be reduced for a period of eight weeks after the implant has been placed.

No hard forces should be applied directly to the implant. For example, no hard chewing and tongue pressure. You must brush over the implant as bacteria and food particles can accumulate on the implant. After two weeks of placement, you must have another X-ray taken to assess whether the implant is integrating. After three months, an impression will be taken for the crown attachment to be cast in the lab. Book your follow up visit before you leave.

The placement and restoration of implants is a multi-step process that typically takes between six and nine months to complete. This depends on whether you need a tooth extracted before implant placement. The procedure begins by placing a titanium rod where your natural tooth used to be. A healing cap is placed to protect the exposed titanium rod. It will begin to heal by fusing to the surrounding bone. At the end of the healing period, you will be fitted for permanent crowns and have them placed.

You may qualify for dental implants if you are in good health – orally and medically. However, the only way of determining whether implants are right for you is to schedule a consultation to identify whether you have adequate bone support and healthy gums that can support the new tooth structure.

Once treatment is complete, you will no longer wear the clear aligners but will require a retainer. Retainers are removable/fixed oral appliances designed to help retain the new position of your teeth and to prevent them from moving back to their prior position.

If clear aligners are right for you, your treatment will begin with impressions of your teeth. Those impressions will be used to create 3D printed study models to produce a prescriptive set of custom aligners designed to slowly move your teeth into alignment. You will wear these aligners at all times unless you are eating, brushing or flossing your teeth. You will have to check in approximately every two weeks to get the next set of aligner trays and/or to monitor progress.

To find out, you have to schedule an appointment so your dentist can analyse the condition of your teeth and discuss your personal goals. A quotation will be sent to your respective medical aid.

Instructions vary from patient to patient and according to treatment. If you have a fixed orthodontic appliance/braces you will need to follow special dietary guidelines to prevent damage to the appliance/braces. Most dietary restrictions include avoiding foods that are very hard and sticky or chewy sweets.

• Thumb-sucking or tongue-thrusting habit
• Breathing through your mouth rather than your nose
• Milk teeth that fell out too soon or too late
• Visible crowding of your teeth
• Crossbite (some of your bottom teeth bite in front of your top teeth)
• Asymmetry of the face
• Jaws that click or pop when opening or closing

Your dentist will take an impression of your teeth to make study models. These models will be used to formulate part of your orthodontic treatment plan. Photographs will be taken of your teeth and smile, as well as an X-ray. After evaluating your needs, potential treatment options will be discussed.

It might take some time to get used to your new dentures, but with proper care and a few adjustments, they will soon feel natural.

Bacteria accumulate in the micropores of your denture. This may lead to inflammation of your gums. It is therefore recommended to remove your dentures at night to let your gum tissue rest and recover from wearing the dentures during the day. Not doing so will lead to a painful condition called denture stomatitis.

To minimise staining, clean your dentures with a denture brush or a soft-bristled toothbrush. This will prevent your dentures from becoming permanently stained. Moisten the brush and use a non-abrasive toothpaste (gel-type) or denture paste and gently scrub every surface, inside and out. A variety of over-the-counter denture cleansers can be used safely by following the instructions. After rinsing your dentures thoroughly, soak them in water overnight.

The state of your gums and teeth will be examined to make sure they are healthy and ready for dentures. Sometimes an X-ray may be needed to prevent unforeseen challenges with the underlying bone. Your different denture options will be discussed with you, along with any benefits or drawbacks of each. After deciding on a denture type, an impression will be taken and your dentist and the lab will work together to model your denture.

• Full Denture – A full denture is placed in your mouth after any remaining teeth are removed and tissues have healed. Healing may take several months. You will be without teeth during this period.
• Immediate Full Denture – This denture is inserted immediately after your teeth are removed. During a prior visit, your dentist would have taken impressions to make models of your mouth. Immediate dentures mean you never have to be without your teeth, but they must be relined several months after insertion. This is because the bone that supports the teeth reshapes as it heals, causing the denture to become loose.
• Partial Denture – A partial denture can be either resin-based or metal, which rests on your natural teeth. Partial dentures offer a removable alternative to bridges.

Toothache: Use paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve pain. Rinse the mouth thoroughly with warm salt water. Do not place aspirin on the gum or on the aching tooth. If your child’s face is swollen, apply cold compresses. Call your dentist immediately.

Cut or bitten tongue, lip or cheek: Apply ice to the injured areas to help control swelling. If there is bleeding, apply firm but gentle pressure with a gauze or cloth. If the bleeding can’t be controlled by simple pressure, call your dentist.

Knocked-out permanent tooth: If possible, find the tooth. Handle it by the crown, not by the root. You may rinse the tooth with water only. DO NOT clean with soap, scrub or handle the tooth unnecessarily. If it’s sound, try to reinsert it in the socket. If you don’t manage to re-insert the tooth, put the tooth in a cup that contains your child’s saliva or in milk. If your child is old enough, the tooth may also be carried in his/her mouth (beside the cheek). Your child must see the dentist IMMEDIATELY! Time is a critical factor in saving the tooth.

Knocked-out baby tooth: This is usually not an emergency and in most cases, no treatment is necessary. DO NOT TRY TO RE-INSERT THE TOOTH.

Chipped or fractured baby/permanent tooth: Rinse the mouth with water and apply cold compresses to reduce swelling. If possible, locate and save any broken tooth fragments and take it along to your dentist.

Possible broken or fractured jaw: Keep the jaw from moving and take your child to the nearest hospital.

The best preparation for your child’s first visit is to maintain a positive attitude about the dental visit. We treat our little patients in a fun and caring environment. 

It is recommended that a child is seen within six months after his first tooth erupts or by their first birthday, whichever is first.