That's a really difficult question - rather like choosing a car mechanic. You should always check that dentists do continuing education, that they have proper sterilisation procedures in place and that they wear loupes (special telescopic glasses). Next, are you comfortable as you can be at the practice and do you trust the dentist? Ultimately, professional relationships like Doctors and Dentists are always based on trust, which normally develops over a period of time. Sorry - that's the best answer we can give you, so beyond that...go with your gut instinct!

Bleeding is generally caused by inflammation of the gums. It is really important to get this under control for healthy teeth and for a healthy body. We will always start with a proper periodontal (literally "around tooth") exam, which will chart the pocket depths of the tissue surrounding your teeth to establish whether you require a general clean or a cleaning process. If deep cleaning is required, this may take several sessions. We believe that healthy gums are about as important as it gets given that your gums keep your teeth in place! Uncontrolled gum disease is also linked to several physical conditions including heart disease, diabetes and more recently Alzheimers disease.

Orthodontic treatments definitely have a profound cosmetic effect, but from a dental perspective, the realignment of teeth means that your teeth will function longer and with far fewer problems over the years. The primary options you have are either traditional - "fixed" braces or Invisalign. Invisalign is much less obvious but costs more and is not an option in all cases. We can advise you on costs and options after a proper exam and records are taken which include photography and bite mould registrations.

First of all, not all teeth respond to whitening, so it's best you let us check first before you spend your money! We offer two types of bleaching. The first is Zoom where the bleaching takes place at the Surgery over a 60-90min period at the end of which your teeth will be whitened. The second is where take home bleaching trays are made in which you put in a small amount of bleach every day whilst you watch TV or read for an hour or so.You then have the trays to keep and maintain the effect as necssary.

Yes - and possibly more often if you have gum issues. Dental caries or decay doesn't always cause symptoms of pain and may not be obvious. It is important to pick up on this early so that proper intervention means minimal consequence. The same is true for gum disease which is mostly asymptomatic until extensive damage is done and can reoccur easily.

The first thing we like to do here is a proper and thorough examination of your teeth & oral health. All our output is digital so once we have completed all assessment tasks, the dentist will be able to discuss all treatment options with you & their cost. Almost always, there are different options with different costs so we believe in giving you all the information so you can make an informed decision. With extensive dental treatment, we do sometimes offer payment plans which have 0% interest.

Your dental records belong to you. You can request they be sent to another dentist at any time. X-rays are normally useful for about 2 years, but not much more than this.

Nothing is going to beat brushing and flossing properly, but mouthrinses can often supplement your specific needs. If you are at high risk of tooth decay, gum disease or have had an extraction/oral surgery, you may consider using a mouth rinse. In these cases you should choose one that suits the required purpose. Generally look for the ADA symbol to ensure it is anti-bacterial which may help reduce gingivitis. In other cases our clinicians can help advising on specifics.

A quick exam will establish if the problem is indeed a wisdom tooth - not always the case! Next is to take an OPG which is an XRay that goes around your head and which will determine where the roots of the tooth go. This XRay enables us to decide whether we can take the tooth out at the Practice, preferred option as it is generally less expensive, or if the roots make extraction problematical and the domain of a specialist. Either way, we or the specialist will require the OPG XRay. If the tooth is severely inflamed, we need to stabilise this first prior to extraction. Warm salty water rinses always aid with drawing out the infection and so reducing pain caused by inflammation.  Once a wisdom tooth "blows up" it tends to do so with increasing frequency. We always recommend their extraction as it is normally only a matter of time - and there is NEVER a good time!

Yes we do - the system is called Hicaps. We swipe your Health Fund card and they credit us the amount they will pay for you . You then simply make up the difference.

Dentists have been delivering cosmetic treatment outside the mouth- specifically for the face – for years!

It’s actually quite logical, as few Doctors give as many injections or have a better understanding of head and neck anatomy. As dentists, we regularly assess and address dental cosmetic issues and nothing can be more satisfying than getting the “frame” around the teeth right!

Dermal fillers can be a painful procedure, but not at the dentist! What’s more, patients enjoy the anonymity of the dentist as opposed to going to a dedicated Botox clinic.