Common dental issues series – nervousness
Anxiety around visiting the dentist can often lead to avoidance of routine appointments. This has a long-term impact on dental hygiene. At Walkerston Dental in Walkerston, we try and make every visit positive and comfortable for our patients. We understand that this kind of reassurance may not be enough if you have dental anxiety that goes way back, so you might still feel nervous about your visit. Here we offer a few tips on how to deal with anxiety and information on what we can do to help.
Don’t over anticipate
One of the worst things you can do is imagine what will happen and how things will be when you visit the dentist in Mackay. Not only is this stressful for you before you even get there, the likelihood is that you will anticipate your visit being more difficult than it is likely to be. Remember that the team here are friendly, sympathetic and here to take care of you. Then put the whole thing out of your mind as much as possible until you need to think about it.
Talk to us at the dentist in Mackay
You don’t need to hide the fact that you are feeling nervous when you visit the dentist in Mackay. In fact, we encourage you to talk to us about any specifics you are aware of in relation to your experience. There may be adjustments we can make so that you are comfortable, and your anxiety is less likely to be triggered.
You are in control
Some fear of the dentist comes from the idea that you don’t know what is going on or what to expect. Plus, you are lying back in a chair and being worked on in an area that you cannot see. All of this together is an understandable source of difficulty for many people. We counteract these feelings by supplying you with all the information you need about what is going on. Some patients find it helpful for us to talk through what we are doing while they are in the chair. We can also ensure that you have a signal you can give at any time to show us that you need a break.
Common dental issues series – discoloration
Life has a way of making an impact on the teeth. You can keep up-to-date with all your dental visits and follow a strict oral hygiene routine, but you may still experience some of the common dental issues that we see every day at Walkerston Dental in Walkerston GP SuperClinic, Queensland. This is why we offer extra support treatments and cosmetic procedures to help your teeth to look their best.
Today we’re talking about tooth discolouration. First, it’s important to know that just because you have stains, it doesn’t mean you haven’t been looking after your teeth. When you visit the dentist in Mackay, we won’t be judging you for any issues with your teeth so don’t let any embarrassment or guilt stand in the way of making an appointment to improve your smile.
What causes discolouration?
It is true that discolouration can be caused by lifestyle factors and oral hygiene issues. For example, if you are, or were, a smoker, this is a major cause of stains on the teeth. Drinking red wine or coffee regularly can also affect the colour of the teeth.
Some yellowing can be caused by thinning enamel. This is the tough outer layer of your teeth. It is designed to last a lifetime, but it can be eroded by acids in the mouth. Even with excellent oral care, some thinning is natural as you age.
Finally, tooth decay can lead to some discoloration so dental hygiene is one of the primary ways to keep your teeth looking brilliant.
What can we do about it?
Fortunately, there are several things we can do at the dentist in Mackay to help you create and maintain a bright smile. First, we have a basic cleaning and polishing service which might form part of a routine appointment. This will help to keep your teeth from acquiring new stains as well as ensuring they stay healthy.
Most stains will respond to teeth whitening treatment. We offer a number of different types of whitening at the dentist in Mackay so we can tailor your cosmetic procedure to your teeth and match your idea of a beautiful smile.
Why do I need a check-up?
Some people don’t see the point in visiting a dentist until they have a problem to fix. This is because they see regular check-ups as a time-consuming and costly exercise. However, going to the dentist every 6 months as a minimum is necessary because a dentist in Mackay can check that your teeth and gums are healthy. They can also identify potential problems before they become big ones. It’s also a good idea to get some guidance about looking after your teeth at home to keep them healthy. This can include how to brush effectively and what to include in your diet.
Looking after your teeth
Our team at our dentist in Mackay understands that looking after teeth can seem like a chore. However, for a few minutes a day, brushing teeth and taking time to floss them can be well worth it, as it will prevent future problems.
A welcome from us
It’s in your interest to keep your smile looking as great as it can be and it’s our mission to help you achieve that. When you need a dentist in Mackay, we’re ready and available to accept new patients. Walkerston Dental in Walkerston is a community-oriented dental clinic that can provide routine check-ups and a variety of treatments to help with keeping your teeth and gums in great condition.
We have a comfortable seating area for you to wait before your appointment. It’s our aim for your experience with us to be positive and to help you get the results you want.
Your first visit
You may feel nervous or apprehensive if you haven’t been to the dentist for a while. However, at our dentist in Mackay, you can meet with one of our dental professionals to chat through your worries.
At your first appointment with us, we’ll go into a lot of detail with you about your medical history and check inside your mouth, taking it easy and making you feel comfortable. At our dentist in Mackay, a trained staff member will speak with you about treatment options and go through the details with you. This includes how many appointments it will take to complete the treatment.
Common dental issues series – plaque and tartar
Everyone comes to the dentist in Mackay with their own unique set of teeth and any issues that they might be experiencing. It’s our job, at Walkerston Dental in Walkerston, to ensure that everyone feels like they are getting treatment and care that is tailored to meet their needs. However, there are some common issues that we see over and over again. We can offer advice on preventing some issues and what to do if you see any signs of these common dental issues in your life.
Plaque and tartar
You’ve probably heard these words before from your dentist in Mackay or on an advert for toothpaste, but do you really know what they are and why they affect your teeth?
Plaque is a sticky substance that forms on your teeth all of the time. It contains lots of bacteria which feeds on the sugars in your mouth. This might be refined sugar if you are eating a lot of sweet snacks or drinking fizzy drinks, but they also feed on whatever you eat. During their digestive process, these bacteria produce acids which can eat away at your teeth. Once holes form, they are the perfect hiding place for the bacteria, so the problem perpetuates itself. All of this means that brushing plaque away regularly is vital for the structure and health of your teeth.
If you don’t brush plaque away, it can quickly harden into tartar. This process can happen in just over 24 hours so that’s why twice-daily brushing is highly recommended by your dentist in Mackay. Tartar is a hard substance that usually sits around the base of your tooth at the gumline. It causes discolouration, irritation and tooth decay. Brushing alone will not remove tartar. It needs to be cleaned off by a dental professional especially if it has been forming for a long time and has a foothold beneath the gum tissue.
At Walkerston Dental, we offer cleaning and polishing services in order to support your oral health routine. A regular visit to us ensures that we can remove tartar before it has a strong impact on the health of your teeth. This is a much easier process than repairing damage at a later stage.
New year’s resolution – looking after your teeth
Have you made any resolutions for this year? If not, a good one would be to commit to taking care of your teeth. If you want your teeth to last your lifetime, you need to work at looking after them. That means regular visits to a hygienist and dentist in Mackay, as well as careful brushing and flossing at home.
Here at Walkerston Dental in Walkerston GP SuperClinic, Queensland, we believe that preventive dentistry is the key to keeping your teeth healthy and looking good. We want you to keep your natural teeth healthy and strong, and to help you do this we are happy to give you dietary and oral hygiene advice.
Dietary advice
If you’ve been to our dentist in Mackay to have a cavity filled, you may have been given some dietary advice into the bargain. We try to educate our patients on the dangers of eating a lot of sugar, so you don’t have to come and see us as often. It’s good to be aware of what you’re drinking too, as lots of drinks have more sugar in than you might think, plus some drinks can be very acidic.
Oral hygiene advice
As well as regular check-ups with our dentist in Mackay, you should also see our hygienist for a clean every 6 months or so. The hygienist will be able to clean away any tartar build-up that brushing at home can’t remove, and they will give you advice on the best way to keep your teeth sparkly clean at home. You may think you’re too old for lessons on teeth brushing, but you’d be surprised how many people discover they’ve not been using the best techniques.
Flossing is also an important part of your dental hygiene routine, and it’s something that can be hard to get the hang of so our hygienist can give you some helpful tips.
Fissure sealants
The large back teeth can be prone to cavities, as they have deep grooves in them that are hard to keep clean. One defence against cavities is to use fissure sealant. This is a special sealant that is painted onto the tooth, covering the grooves and protecting the tooth from bacterial attack.
Treat yourself to a new smile this year
If you are one of the many people who can’t smile without feeling self-conscious, maybe it’s time to do something about it and give yourself a boost. At Walkerston Dental in Walkerston GP SuperClinic, Queensland, we offer a number of cosmetic treatments to help you get the smile you want.
Our dentist in Mackay will talk to you about your concerns and advise you on the best course of treatment to improve your smile. This could be one simple treatment, or for more complex issues you may need a combination of treatments.
Treatments covered by cosmetic dentistry
At our dentist in Mackay we have a number of cosmetic treatments available, including:
- teeth whitening, the best, professional option for lightening your teeth
- crowns, to restore and protect fragile and decayed teeth
- veneers, which can cover a number of problems including discoloured, chipped, gappy and misshapen teeth
- clear aligners, to correct misaligned teeth and bite
- gum reshaping, to help teeth which look too short or correct an asymmetrical gum line.
With this range of treatments, we can help you achieve the smile of your dreams.
Spread the cost with our payment plan
You may be put off having cosmetic treatments because of the cost, but we can help with that too. With our Denticare interest-free payment plan, you can spread the cost of your treatment and pay it off weekly, fortnightly or monthly – whatever suits you best. Once you’ve had a consultation with our dentist in Mackay, and we’ve devised a treatment plan for you, we can set up a payment plan to suit your situation.
Give the best first impression with a great smile
We all know how important first impressions are, and your smile is a big part of that. If you’re hiding your smile because you feel too self-conscious about it, it’s not going to give the best first impression to the people you meet.
With a little help from our dentist in Mackay, you will be able to greet people and smile widely, leaving the impression of a confident, happy person who can be trusted. The more you smile, the happier you will feel. A little cosmetic dentistry can go a long way to improving your life.
A family-owned dentist in Mackay
Here at Walkerston Dental, we are a family-owned dentist in Mackay serving the communities and residents in Pioneer Valley, Marian, Mirani, Finch Hatton, Eungella, Eton, and Nebo. While we have the friendly, welcoming, and calming environment of a family owned dental clinic, we are a fully accredited dental practice offering the most up-to-date and advanced treatments, techniques, and technologies to all of our patients. Routine visits to your dentist in Mackay are proven to be important for your overall health, not just your oral health, and we want to help our patients maintain the healthiest smile and life.
Why preventive dentistry is effective
At Walkerston Dental, in Walkerston GP SuperClinic, Queensland, we want our patients to prevent decay, gum disease, and other oral health problems long before they start. We want to introduce healthy and efficient oral hygiene habits to our youngest and oldest patients. Our team of dental professionals, combined with our up-to-date knowledge and technology, can provide you with a more detailed level of care and prevention than you can manage at home. This is why it is important to visit the dentist in Mackay twice a year, even if you do not feel any pain or notice any changes. We may see issues arise before you notice any pain, discolouration, or changes. We can prevent issues before they turn into emergencies involving a lot of pain, invasive surgery, and a high price point.
Cosmetic and restorative dentistry
While our goal is preventive dentistry, we do offer cosmetic and restorative dentistry for damaged, uncomfortable even painful, or undesirable smiles. If you are seeking a dentist in Mackay, that whitens your smile with veneers, restores missing teeth with dental implants, or realigns overcrowded teeth with traditional or clear braces, at Walkerston Dental, we have the staff to help you revive your smile to give you the confidence you missed or maybe never even had.
At Walkerston Dental, we care deeply that our patients receive the best care at an affordable price in a safe and calming environment. We want to instill in our patients effective oral hygiene habits to prevent painful and expensive oral health emergencies.
What can you find at the dentist in Mackay?
At Walkerston Dental in Walkerston, we offer many different procedures. We treat the whole family, from children and teens, through to parents and grandparents. If you are looking for a one-stop shop to meet your dental needs, look no further. After all, who wants to go to one practice for Timmy’s braces and another for mum’s dentures? Here we do it all.
Here’s an overview of the types of treatments we provide as a dentist in Mackay.
The check-up
The bi-annual maintenance appointment includes a tooth-by-tooth examination and sometimes x-rays or photographs. We’ll also do a scale and polish cleaning to remove plaque and hardened tartar.
Restorations
This includes partial restorations to keep the original tooth root in place such as fillings and crowns, and we can also replace missing teeth with dentures, plates and dental implants.
Extractions and root canals
Whether because of decay, infection or overcrowding, sometimes it is necessary to remove a tooth or cut the root. Our dentist in Mackay offers extractions and root canals to deal with these conditions.
Cosmetic dentistry
For our patients with healthy teeth, we offer cosmetic work to help them to enhance their smile. This includes: veneers, cosmetic braces, teeth whitening and gum contouring.
Preventive and children’s dentistry
At any age, it’s helpful to know good brushing technique and which foods are best for your teeth. Our dentist in Mackay can also advise adults on lifestyle habits that create or prevent good oral health. For children, we offer fissure sealants to protect those big back teeth they haven’t got used to brushing properly yet. You can also bring your youngster in for a braces check as young as age 6.
Braces
We offer teeth straightening work for all ages, including children who need to realign their jaw and adults who want a straighter smile.
Nervous patients
We have an in-chair entertainment system, so nervous patients can watch a film or listen to music while having their treatment. We also offer gas and general aesthetic for those who are particularly anxious.
Additional services
As well as taking care of your teeth, we also help patients who have trouble with snoring and sleep aponea, TMJ disorder, teeth grinding and tongue-tie.
Meet your dentist in Mackay
At Walkerston Dental in Walkerston GP Superclinic, Queensland, we have three dentists on our team. Between them they cover a wide range of treatments and approaches, so we believe that we have something for everyone. While some dental practices focus on one or two fields of dentistry, here we offer many. From preventive to children’s dentistry, from cosmetic work to braces and dental implants, there’s something for all ages.
Here’s a bit more about each dentist in Mackay who works at our surgery.
Dr Prathap Kripakaran
Dr Kripakaran, or Dr PK as he is known around the practice, is our principal dentist. He’s worked as a dentist in Australia for 15 years and upholds our surgery ideals of preventive dentistry with excellent patient care, using the best technology available, with high standards of safety.
He practices general dentistry with a focus on oral surgery. Dr PK also strongly believes in dentists continually updating their skills and knowledge to make sure they are offering patients the most up-to-date treatment possible. He is also known as a compassionate and understanding dentist in Mackay who works well with our nervous patients.
Dr Simi Jacob
Simi has been a dentist in Mackay for 8 years. She is an experienced and dedicated general dentist who loves working with children. She aims to help our young patients have a positive experience of dentistry that they can carry through into adulthood, hopefully avoiding any associations of fear and anxiety with visiting the dentist.
She is also passionate about creating beautiful smiles through her cosmetic work. This includes fitting clear aligners, transparent braces that fit neatly into a patient’s lifestyle.
Don’t fear the dentist in Mackay
Here at Walkerston Dental in Walkerston, we know that for some patients, visiting the dentist in Mackay isn’t easy. Sitting in the dentist’s chair can bring up all kinds of fears. This may be because of a difficult experience from childhood, or a fear of pain, needles or bright lights. Whatever the reason, we understand that it can take a lot to bring yourself in even for a check-up sometimes.
The good news is that we are geared up to work with nervous patients. Dental phobia is actually a very common fear, and there are many millions of people across the world who experience it. Modern dentistry recognises this and has developed specific techniques and equipment to help anxious patients get the treatment they need.
There are many different ways this can work. We see that first and foremost, what helps nervous patients is a compassionate and understanding ear. Our warm and friendly reception staff welcome patients into the clinic, so you feel accepted from the moment you step through the surgery door. They can then guide you towards the information you need or arrange an appointment with our dentist in Mackay.
At your consultation appointment, our dental team make time to listen to your concerns and give space for you to air any fears you have about treatment. If you do require a procedure, our dentist in Mackay will explain each step of the process clearly and thoroughly and give you information to take away and read at home if needed. This way you know what’s involved and can make an informed choice about whether to go ahead.
If you do want to proceed with treatment, we have an in-chair entertainment system, so you can relax and listen to music or watch a film during your procedure. You can ask our dentist in Mackay to stop at any time if you feel uncomfortable, and for more complex work, you may also want to receive conscious sedation to help soothe your nerves.
Don’t let fear of the dentist prevent you from getting the treatment you need, work with our dentist in Mackay to find a way ease your anxieties.
