Frequently Asked Questions
We have compiled a list of important questions we get asked commonly.
Q: I'm a new patient, how do I prepare for my first appointment? A: Firstly, we suggest you arrive 5-10 minutes early so you will have adequate time to fill out our new patient form. This will include a medical history questionnaire. Be sure to bring in a list of medications you currently take. Allow us to know you a bit more. For example, do you come to the dentist regularly? Do you feel anxious about dental visits? Try to formulate a list of any problems you'd like your dentist to address. Let us know what the concern is, so we can carry out appropriate clinical examinations and reach a diagnosis and treatment plan. For example, it is often more helpful to provide details of a toothache (how intense is the pain/location of the pain etc) than to say 'I have a cavity' or 'I need a tooth pulled'.
Q: I am concerned how much my appointment will cost. What should I do? A: Tell us your concerns. We encourage you to ask about the treatment fees. We always try our best to provide at least an estimate of our fees so there won't be any major surprises. If you feel you have difficulty with the proposed quote, let us know. More often than not there will be an alternative solution to help which fits your budget better. It is important to us that you feel comfortable with the costs prior to embarking on the treatment.
Q: I feel anxious about dental treatments. Do you offer any solutions? A: We totally understand the thought of having dental treatment done can be daunting. The good news is that there are many ways in which we can help overcome this fear. These include pharmacological (such as happy gas) and non-pharmacological methods so stay open-minded about these. It is often helpful to let us know if you are nervous about any specific aspects (needles, the noises we make, the fear of the unknown etc). While we currently do not operate with happy gas, there are other pharmacological alternatives which may be helpful and should be discussed individually. It is in our experience that most patients can eventually overcome the fear through non-pharmacological techniques, starting off with simpler procedures and letting us earn your trust along the way.
Q: Do you use (metal) dental amalgams? A: Typically, we don't use amalgams. We recognise there is a trend to phase down the use of amalgam restorations. This is in part due to our patients increasingly favouring prettier alternatives such as tooth-coloured resin composite materials. However in some specific situations, such as when requested by our patients, we are still perfectly equipped to provide amalgam restorations.
Q: What types of orthodontic retainers are there? A: These can be fixed (can only be removed by a dental professional) or removable (able to be removed at home). Fixed retainers are usually a wire bonded to the back of the front teeth. Removable retainers usually are either an Essix or a Hawley retainer. Essix retainers are similar to clear 'invisible' aligners. Hawley retainers are usually made of an acrylic plate with some metal wires working together to retain teeth positions. We can discuss with you the pros and cons of each of these in each individual situation.
Q: What to do if I wasn't completely satisfied with the service I received? A: We always go above and beyond to ensure satisfaction for every one of our patients. However if you feel that we can do better, we would like to know about it and have the opportunity to improve. In fact we encourage our staff to actively seek patient feedback-whether it's relating to the dental treatment you received, or the customer service and interaction with our staff. The best time to do this is during the same appointment, or as soon as practical. This allows us to respond to your concerns immediately and learn from it. Most certainly this will yield the best possible outcome.