services

OVERVIEW OF THE SERVICES OFFERED:

At RDC, we constantly strive to offer you the latest and the best possible treatment in dentistry. We know that a trip to the dentist is not something everyone looks forward to, so we make sure that you are made comfortable and well looked after. Our staff is very courteous, friendly and always smiling. We highly recommend you to get your I- Pod (or any other music player) during your dental treatment, so that you can stay relaxed in the chair, listening to your favourite music.

CHECK UPS AND CONSULTATIONS

We welcome all new patients for a thorough check up. During your initial visit, we take X rays, perform scale and polishing, take x rays and do fluoride treatment. We spend time showing you the concerned problems with a camera and also on the X-ray. We spend time explaining you the problem, the possible outcome if ignored and its solutions. We offer a range of treatment options for you to choose from and make sure that we deliver that option to the best of our ability.

We firmly believe that prevention is better than cure. All our existing patients visit us on a regular 6 monthly basis for their dental check-ups and clean. It’s during these visits that we are able to make sure that the mouth and the teeth within are sound and intervene in case something needs to be fixed. It’s better to arrest and fix problems when they are small, rather than wait for the problems to pile up and regret it later.

DENTAL EMERGENCY

Dental emergencies can happen anytime or anywhere. And what more frustrating can it be if you cannot get to see a dentist to fix the problem. Be it a broken tooth, a toothache, an existing crown come off or any other dental trauma, we are here to help.
We try seeing our dental emergency patients either on the same day or the next day, depending on the severity of the problem. We will assure you to temporarily fix your problem at your emergency appointment and later get you to come back to properly fix it, if need be.
We can be contacted on 54842010.

ORAL HYGIENE

Our dentists and oral health therapists perform professional dental cleaning to effectively remove a build-up of plaque, stains and calculus from the teeth. Routine scale and clean can significantly reduce teeth stains, gum disease and bad breath. By utilising gentle and modern techniques, they can clean hard to reach places in between the teeth and help you maintain a healthy mouth.
In order to maintain the highest level of oral hygiene, we recommend you to receive professional dental cleaning every 6 monthly.
http://www.colgateprofessional.com.au

DIGITAL X-RAYS

RDC takes pride in being up to date with all the modern technology in dentistry. We use digital X-rays and OPG which not only are comfortable for the patient but also ensure limited radiation exposure to the patient as compared to the old conventional x rays. Having these services on site means patients do not need to be referred to the radiology clinics for routine checks and minor dental procedures. It also helps the patient to have an instant radiographic report from the dentist and saves you the travel and anxious wait for your results.
We recommend taking x-rays once every 2 years during your regular check-ups, unless required otherwise.

RESTORATIVE FILLINGS

We provide both amalgam (silver) fillings and tooth coloured fillings, depending on the location of the tooth, amount of mechanical stress and wear on the tooth and patients preference.

Silver fillings have been around in dentistry for more than 150 years. They have proved that they last for a very long time. These fillings are more preferred in patients who grind their teeth and have a heavy bite. As they stay in the tooth due to the mechanical locking, it needs more tooth reduction. Just like any other product, once in the mouth it should be replaced after 10-15yrs.

Tooth coloured fillings or composite fillings are highly aesthetic and are now available with strength that are in par with silver fillings. They also need less tooth reduction, making them more conservative restorations. They stay in the mouth for around 5-8 years. Unlike amalgam which breaks the tooth when they start deteriorating, they chip or break off.

On a day to day basis we see patients coming to the clinic with old broken teeth due to old fillings. We recommend you to get your old fillings checked and let the dentist decide if your old fillings have leaky margins or warped and pitted alloy or fractures in the tooth itself ,to advise you on the need for changing them.

CROWNS AND BRIDGES

We use crowns and bridges made by one of the best Australian Laboratories, to help restore the strength and function of our patient’s smiles. We ensure that our treatment is reasonably long lasting and gives you the confidence to chew back on those teeth as if they were your natural teeth. The colour matching of these crowns and bridges is very similar to your natural teeth, giving you a natural looking smile.

TMD TREATMENT

More often than not we go to see a chiropractor or a masseur as our jaw, neck, shoulders or all of this has gone stiff. Numerous visits to the other allied health professional simply does not solve the problem and the pain persists.
The answer to this problem lies sometimes with your dentist who can investigate the problem. Clicking or popping of jaw, soreness or stiffness of jaw early in the morning when you wake up, frequent migraine-like headaches throughout the day, feeling of tiredness and pain in the jaw, neck and shoulder muscles are some common signs of TMD.
The Temporo-Mandibular Joint dysfunction or TMD as many may know it, is a condition that affects the jaw joint (TMJ) where it sits into the skull. It’s a very complex joint and needs a multi-disciplinary approach to correct it.
The treatment ranges for simple physiotherapy, mandibular splint, and use of Botox in the sore muscles to relieve spasms, medications, orthodontic treatment to treat malocclusion to complex surgeries of the jaw.
The team at RDC carefully investigates the problems and works towards its management. Sometimes we refer the patients to a dental specialist or a team of other allied health specialist for further investigation if the problem persists.
http://www.somnomed.com.au/
http://www.botoxchronicmigraine.com/

ROOT CANAL TREATMENT (RCT)

When the tooth decay goes undetected or unattended for a long time it travels deep into the tooth and involves the pulp inside. In simple words it is an irreversible damage of the tooth which cannot be fixed by just putting a filling over the tooth.
The dentists at RDC are highly trained and experienced in most facets of dentistry. They perform RCTs on a regular basis and have a very high success rate. This treatment, like any other surgery does carry a small risk of failure. In case the treatment fails or if the root canals are very curved or calcified or hard to negotiate, we refer our patients to Root canal treatment specialist (Endodontist) for further investigation and treatment.

TEETH WHITENING

Whitening is a cosmetic procedure where the teeth can be whitened to make them look pleasant to the eye.
Teeth whitening can be of two types:
Internal Whitening is a procedure where a previously Root Canal Treated tooth has turned black and is lightened by placing a whitening agent inside the chamber of the tooth and sealed with a temporary filling for a month or more. The treatment is repeated again if the tooth hasn’t changed enough colour or if the seal was lost and the tooth hasn’t lightened enough compared to the adjacent teeth.

External whitening is a procedure done to all the teeth to lighten them to the desired shade. It can be either done in the dental clinic if the patient expects to have his teeth whitened instantly. This type is a little more aggressive as compared to the take home whitening. In this technique, trays are fabricated to fit your teeth and a whitening kit is given for you to whiten your teeth at the comfort of your home with the flexibility of a convenient timing that best suits you at any time of the day. This technique is least aggressive and ensure no or minimal sensitivity, if at all. TIP– Check the sclera of your eye. If your teeth are a lot darker than the sclera, whitening will help you

ORTHODONTICS

Having straight teeth not only looks nice but also ensures the best occlusion for the teeth and thereby reducing the chances of TMDs. It also helps cleaning your teeth easy as there are no difficult spots to clean which is usually the case in crowded teeth.
The earlier the malocclusion is intercepted, the easier it gets to have perfectly aligned teeth. Orthodontic treatment can be done at any age or stage of life. We cater to a large number of teens and adults who feel confident flaunting their perfectly aligned teeth.

Did you know that a majority of kids and adults snore or suffer from sleep apnoea due to a collapsed or small upper jaw .This gives the tongue very minimal space to sit, thereby rolling at the back and obstructing the airway. Early intervention with orthodontics can help stop snoring and sleep apnoea, which sometimes can get fatal in some cases as the person stops breathing numerous number of times thereby stopping oxygen flow to the brain.

ATHELETIC MOUTHGUARDS

According to the ADA, a custom-fitted mouthguard not only protects the teeth but also can prevent or reduce the impact of injuries to other part of your head and jaw.
We make mouthguards on site and ensure a perfect fit for every individual. We also organise to make mouthguards at a discounted price once a year before the start of the footie season to ensure an opportunity for all players to have a safe sports season.

For more information on mouthguard awareness please visit:-
www.mouthguardawareness.info

DENTAL IMPLANTS AND CROWNS

We use Bio Horizon implants for replacing single missing teeth in the mouth. After careful evaluation and studying the bone pattern with the help of the C T Scan, we decide whether the Implant should be placed by us or the specialist. If it has to be done by the specialist, the RDC front staff will organise to send your C T Scan to the specialist and if you prefer, also book an appointment for you on your behalf. Once the implant is stabilised, the dentists at the RDC will get a crown placed over the implant.
For more information regarding dental implants, please contact the friendly staff at RDC.
http://www.biohorizons.com/patients.aspx

FULL MOUTH REHABILITATION (FMR)

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On a day to day basis, the dentists at RDC see mouths that need very little attention to a full mouth of broken down teeth.
The reason of breakdown of the teeth can range from sugar syrup based multiple medications, dry mouth, disability, substance abuse, smoking, trauma, heavy wear from teeth grinding, to simple neglect.
FMR can range from single build ups with composite fillings to the desired height and occlusion followed by management with an occlusal splint to manage the grinding to multiple teeth needing Root canal treatment, crowns, implants or dentures.
There is a vast range of treatment options and every individual needs to get a consultation appointment with the dentist to find out what suits them.

ORAL SURGERY

Our highly experienced dentists perform normal and sectional extractions, frenectomy (frenum excision surgery), crown lengthening, surgical extraction of broken down teeth, implant placement, selective wisdom teeth extractions, and gum re contouring both in the clinical and hospital settings under General Anaesthesia.

SNORING AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNOEA (OSA)

Most adults do not taking snoring seriously. Snoring has been reported in 40% of the adult population. In many cases it is an early sign of obstructive sleep apnoea.

So what exactly is snoring? As we drift into sleep, the muscle of the tongue and the back of the throat relax and fall back, thereby obstructing the respiratory passage. This fluttering noise of the soft tissues at the back of the throat caused by partial obstruction is called snoring.
Many a times it is easy to manage the snoring. An consult with a dentist who can refer you to a sleep clinic for a sleep test by a sleep physician is the best approach to get working on the problem.
When the obstruction at the back of the throat starts getting severe, many a times the person stops breathing. There is no passage of air from the respiratory passage, leading to oxygen supply cut off to the brain. Depending on the severity of OSA, which can be as severe as 100 times per hour, the sleep physician will either refer you back to the certified dentist for fabrication of a mandibular advancement splint or get you use a positive airway pressure device called the CPAP machine.
For more information regarding OSA please contact the Somnomed certified dentists at RDC.

For further reading please check the Patients and Families section on the following website:
www.somnomed.com.au

CHILDRENS DENTISTRY

The Oral health therapist and the dentists at RDC are focused to work towards a caries free adulthood on children who see them regularly since the age of 2yrs of age. Proper dental education, oral hygiene and dietary instructions are emphasised on the very young minds.
Kids who visit the dental clinic regularly get very comfortable of the clinical environment and seldom have the dental phobia.
At RDC, we not only educate the kids but ensure that the kids who need dental treatment do not feel scared to see the dentist again after their first treatment.
In case of anxious children or kids needing extensive treatment, we offer the parents to get the treatment done under Nitrous oxide sedation in the clinic or General anaesthesia at the Echuca Regional Hospital . We have General anaesthetic sessions once a month for treating both the kids and the adults. Child Dental Benefits Schedule As of 1st January 2014, Medicare will provide financial support for basic dental services for children aged 2-17. The schedule provides “eligible” children up to $1000 in benefits capped over two consecutive calendar years.
RDC is participating in this CDBS scheme. Eligible children will need to sign a form before any getting started with any treatment in the clinic. There is “Bulk Billing” available at the clinic with certain dentists/ Oral Health Therapist. Certain procedures like root canal treatment, Nitrous oxide(happy gas) will be charged at private fees. You can however use your CDBS as your insurance and pay the gap amount. ANY TREATMENT DONE AT THE HOSPITAL UNDER GENERAL ANAESTHETICS IS NOT COVERED BY THE CDBS AND FULL PAYMENT IS EXPECTED BEFORE THE COMENCEMENT OF THE TREATMENT. Parents, who have private dental insurance need to check with their insurance about the rebate. Some dental insurance pay higher rebate as compared to Medicare. RDC is not responsible for accessing the rebate amounts or financial recovery/disagreement with Medicare over any procedure.

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/

CDS, CDBS, VTA, VGDS, VEDS, TAC and WORK COVER PATIENTS are welcomed. Prior approval from the concerning department is a must before starting any dental treatment. Patients are responsible for their treatment fees in case the concerned third party refuses to pay the treatment fees due to any reason.

DENTURES

We offer both chrome-cobalt (metal) and acrylic (plastic) dentures to the patients according to the patient’s needs and demands.
Sometimes it is not possible for a patient who needs to get his front teeth extracted to go without a denture for a few months without a denture. In these cases we pre fabricate the denture, called the immediate denture, before the extraction appointment. The denture gets inserted straight away in the mouth after the appointment. The patient is then recalled for denture adjustment and placing a soft liner inside the denture after a weeks’ time. We keep changing the soft lining inside the denture base once every 6 weeks for 3 months, to compensate for the shrinkage of the gums after the extraction. After 3 months, provided the gum shrinkage has stopped we either send the denture back to the lab for a permanent acrylic lining or make a new denture altogether depending on the extent of the shrinkage.

SEDATION DENTISTRY

Be it the dentist’s phobia or just the noise of the dental drills, some patients find it very hard to be in the dental chair.
We at RDC understand this and work with you to get rid of this phobia. Sometimes it is just impossible to be comfortable in this setting. In this case, we offer our patients, both young and old, either nitrous oxide conscious sedation (laughing gas) or Penthrox sedation. Penthrox or methoxy- flurane is the green whistle that the ambos use, during an accident for pain relief. In extreme cases, we see the patients in a hospital setting for treatment under general anaesthesia.
To discuss about your dental phobia or treatment options, please contact the friendly team at RDC.

STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENTS

We believe in staying up to date with the modern dental equipments. In fact, a lot of our new patients who have been previously seeing the city dentists compliment us for the advanced technology we use at the clinic.
Right from going paperless for our notes to our x rays we have gone digital. It is not only convenient but also environmentally friendly.
OPG machine to soft tissue lasers to painless needles (wand); we have all the latest gadgets that an ultra-modern clinic would have.
Rest assured, you are in good hands.