Visiting the dentist

Going to the dentist can become part of your everyday life to ensure your teeth and gums stay healthy. Not visiting the dentist regularly means that problems, such as plaque, can build up and go unnoticed. At Walkerston Dental at the Walkerston SuperClinic, Queensland, it’s our aim to provide consistent, professional and thorough dental care for you and your family. If you’ve put off the dentist for a while, popping in to our dentist in Mackay could help put you at ease about getting a check-up.

Is it painful to get a check-up?

Having a check-up shouldn’t be painful. The dentist will sit you in the dental chair and ask you to open your mouth. They’ll look carefully inside your mouth using a small round mirror that gives a picture of hidden areas of the teeth and gums. If you feel any pain, you need to let your dentist know. If any issues are found, our dentist in Mackay can explain to you what it is and about treatments to address them.

What happens during a dental X-ray?

The dentist may take an X-ray of your teeth to look at areas below the gumline or other areas not seen with the human eye. They can show issues, such as decay below a filling or areas of bone loss from the jawbone.

What is a cavity?

A cavity means that there’s a hollow part of your tooth, either on the inside or on the outside. This is caused by decay. Your dentist can help by removing the damaged part of your tooth and then giving you a filling to help fill the hollow caused by the decay.

Getting a filling

A filling is needed to fill in a hollow in a tooth, where a tooth has been damaged or worn down over a period of time. The dentist uses a special material to do this. It’s important to take care of your filling, such as by being careful when eating crunchy food and keeping it clean every day. Our dentist in Mackay will check your filling as part of your check-up to ensure it’s in intact and stable. When looked after, fillings can last a long time.