GENERAL DENTISTRY

General Dentistry involves taking care of your oral health basics to help avoid more complex and detailed dentistry. At Hyde Park Dental we are able to offer a range of services that can be tailor made to your individual needs, helping to prevent future dental complications. Read on for more information on common general dental procedures.

TOOTH COLOURED COMPOSITE RESIN FILLINGS

Tooth colored restorations are the fillings of choice for most people. The position of the tooth and size of the filling required will usually determine the type of filling we would recommend.

Composite resin is a tooth colored reinforced resin filling material that can provide excellent aesthetics in a single visit. They allow for minimal tooth removal and once bonded in, help to reinforce the weak parts of the tooth. Even though they can be used in most applications they are most successful in restoring front teeth and smaller fillings on back teeth.

CEREC PORCELAIN FILLINGS  

Ceramic Inlays and Onlays are the most desired material when it come to fillings on our chewing teeth towards the back of the mouth. Made in a single visit at the chair side, Cerec porcelain fillings have a structurally high durability rate. Cerec is as close as it gets to simulating natural tooth structure with a similar feel, strength and colour. This is your best option for replacement of old silver Amalgam restorations.

For more information on CEREC please visit our cerec menu found on the home page.

While tooth extraction is not usually the first option for treatment of dental disorders, sometimes a tooth needs to be removed.

Reasons for a tooth requiring extraction include;

• significant decay or damage to the tooth
• gum disease
• to improve appearance such as with orthodontics treatment
• extensive tooth fracture            
• poor positioning or functionality
• wisdom teeth

Before any extraction occurs, your teeth will need a thorough visual examination, allowing the dentist to evaluate the position of the teeth and determine if future problems may occur. X-Rays of the tooth to be extracted will also be required to assess underlying bone and root structure. Local anaesthetic is used so your experience will be "pain free"

WISDOM TEETH

Majority of people will at some point be faced with the need to have their wisdom teeth (third molars) assessed for their extraction. Wisdom teeth are notorious for developing into impacted positions ie. they do not grow into the mouth correctly which can cause dangerous and painful gum infections or damage to surrounding teeth. This leads to your dentist recommending the removal of the offending tooth to avoid future complications. Due to the sometimes challenging nature of wisdom tooth removal, we have a close association with some of Adelaide's leading oral surgeons should the extraction be complex or the patient require sedation.  

DENTURES

Dentures are the traditional and affordable method for the replacement of missing teeth. There are Removable Partial Dentures and Full Arch Dentures.

Removable Partial Dentures are used when only a few teeth are missing and can be made from either full acrylic or a metal chrome base. They are held in the mouth by small metal hooks on the teeth.

Full Arch Dentures are used when no teeth remain in the mouth. They rely on constructing a plate that covers the upper and lower arch. Upper full dentures work by covering the entire roof of the mouth, and utilising a suction seal for the denture to stay in the mouth.

Weather the denture is a partial or full, it must be remembered that they can sometimes feel loose, be uncomfortable, alter your taste sensation and affect how you eat and talk.

NIGHT GUARD

A Night Guard is designed to help individuals who are suffering from teeth grinding and clenching issues. These issues can include TMJ (jaw joint) pain, fractured or chipped teeth, tooth ache and poor sleep due to nightly grinding. 
A custom made acrylic Night Guard is made by our dental technician. The guard is fitted by the dentist and the patient is instructed to wear it to bed at nights to ease pressure on the muscles around the TMJ (jaw joint) and to prevent chipping and fracturing of the teeth.

MOUTH GUARD

Worn during sporting activities, a Mouth Guard is essential in protecting teeth from sporting accidents in both children and adults. Sporting mouth guards are made by taking an impression of the teeth. This will provide the best fit, coverage and thickness. Our dental technician then constructs your custom made Mouth Guard in a colour of your choice.

A mouth guard work by helping to absorb the shock experienced by a blow to the face, which might otherwise result in a injury to the mouth or jaw. These sorts of injuries can also occur in non contact sports such as basketball and netball.

The Australian Dental Association recommends that self-fitted, over the counter mouth guards are inadequate for effective protection and that a professionally fitted custom mouth guard is essential.

You should have your mouth guard reviewed every 12 months especially in children who are continuing to lose baby teeth and are growing adult teeth, to ensure it continues to fit correctly.