We understand, we aren’t the most popular place to visit but it needn’t be the worst place. Patients can be fearful of dentists for many reasons and our philosophy is to make your visit as comfortable and stress free as possible.
Often patients who are anxious hold onto past dental experiences or worst still, have read online forums or heard ‘horror stories’ from friends or loved ones, which build over time to become their reality. However, dentistry has come a long way, and thankfully, nowadays we have a variety of techniques and tools to make the dental experience more pleasant and as painless as possible. Our staff are happy to ‘hold your hand’ or if listening to your favourite music will help you relax, bring in your headphones. From reception to the chair, we strive to make your visit as comfortable as possible.
X-rays usually assist the dentist in diagnosis and management of many dental conditions. Using radiographs, your dentist can detect problems that may not be seen during a routine examination, and some-times before symptoms appear such as:
Without an x-ray, these and other symptoms would have otherwise gone undetected. With early detection, a problem can be treated before it becomes serious or requiring treatment that is more involved and expensive.
X-rays are necessary before procedures such as tooth extraction, placement of crowns, dental implants, fitting of dentures and root canal treatments.
If you are a new patient, your dentist is likely to want you to undergo some x-rays to evaluate your general oral health. Dentists usually recommend radiographic examinations regularly to their patients. A set of x-rays every couple of years is usually the standard of care.
Modern dental practices have greatly reduced the risk once associated with x-rays. Our x-ray equipment complies with Australian Standards and our staff follow strict guidelines to minimise exposure to radiation. We use digital radiography, which generally needs a significantly lower dose of radiation than traditional radiographic procedures. The radiation you receive from one dental radiograph is less than that you receive on any given day from background radiation from the atmosphere, the sun and the stars. It is also less than you would receive on a single interstate flight.
Patients who are pregnant or could be pregnant: please advise your consulting dentist at the time of your visit as we may want to keep dental radiographs to strictly necessary cases or avoid them altogether.
Extensive decay or trauma may affect the tooth structure to a point which renders it beyond repair. If there is no sufficient part of the tooth to support any type of restoration, whether it’d be a filling, a pre-made restoration or crown, the tooth becomes non-restorable and needs to be extracted. Having an affected tooth unrestored, even if it is not aching, may contribute to further problems, such toothaches, infections, decay or damage to adjacent teeth, bite problems, etc.
Unfortunately, for some people tooth decay remains silent for a number of years until the tooth breaks or shows a cavity. Patients may feel they only require a filling to “patch’ up the hole or break. However, the extent of the decay is such that it is now in close proximity to the nerve of the tooth. Trying to remove deep decay, using rotary, high speed tools and sprays may ‘upset’ the nerve which can result in pain you didn’t feel prior. Dentists do not ‘hit’ the nerve on purpose, or due to lack of skill, but it becomes a necessity as decay cannot be left behind. Some patients report tooth sensitivity after a filling but this should only be for a few days and then settle, particularly in younger patients. However, in some cases, if the pain after a filling does not settle over time this may indicate the need for a root canal treatment or a ‘nerve treatment’. If you do not wish to have a root canal treatment, the tooth may need to be extracted.
Our priority is to save your natural teeth. We will always make every effort and exhaust every treatment option available to try to save your teeth. However, there are situations where a tooth cannot be fixed or saved. A tooth is considered beyond repair if it has severe structural damage, root fractures, extensive infections, unable to support a crown, non- responsive to root canal treatment, or which has extensive bone loss due to gum disease. Please feel comfortable to discuss in depth your current condition and options with the dentist.
Accredited practices go through regular quality control assessment by an independent evaluator. This process is not mandatory in Australia, however, is a way for dedicated practices to ensure they are meeting the highest safety standards. Accreditation is a lengthy process to ensure all standard procedures, infection control, human resources, occupational health and safety policies are met, as well as compliance with licenses and regulatory bodies.
No, unfortunately we do not have concession or pensioner card discounts. However, we regularly offer specials, including senior, women and children dental discounts via our website and Facebook sites.
Greenvale Dental Group requires that all accounts are paid on the day of treatment. We accept all major credit and debits cards. If you wish to consider payment plans, we can help you apply for a MacCredit loan. It is a special, low interest line of credit specifically for medical and dental treatments. Application is online and approval is usually within 24 hours.
At your consultation, we provide you with an itemised quote and treatment plan, so you know exactly the costs involved. We can also assist in easing the financial burden by spreading the appointments of your treatment plan, whenever possible. Please feel free to discuss your preferred choices with our friendly staff.
The Health Industry Claim and Payment Service (HICAPS) is an automatic, integrated, Australia-wide system which allows all patients to present on-the-spot claims to their health funds. Our patients can use the HICAPS system to get instant rebates from their health fund with only the ‘gap’ or out-of-pocket expenses payable on the day of treatment. Patients must present their health fund card on the day of treatment in order to use this service.
We understand our patients’ time is valuable and will make every effort to stay on schedule. However, this sometimes may not be possible due to a variety of reasons completely out of our control. Treatment procedures often can become more complex than initially expected. Emergency situations do arise on a daily basis and we will accommodate patients in critical need.
Greenvale Dental Group policy is to abide by our appointment times as much as practically possible. We are aware that this is not always possible. If you have time constrains or simply prefer to be right on schedule, please let us know when making an appointment. Our friendly staff is very accommodating and is here to help you. Often patients will book the first appointment of the day to ensure they are seen to on time.
We are conveniently located inside the Greenvale Shopping Centre, near the food court opposite the florist.
Local suburbs include:
Roxburgh Park 6kms (approx.)
Meadow Heights 6kms (approx.)
Craigieburn 10kms (approx.)
Oaklands Junction 6kms (approx.)
Yuroke 4kms (approx.)
Mickleham 8kms (approx.)
Bulla 12kms (approx.)
Attwood 3kms (approx.)
Gladstone Park 6kms (approx.)
Glenroy 11kms (approx.)
Pascoe Vale 17kms (approx.)
Essendon 14kms (approx.)
Airport West 12kms (approx.)
Sunbury 21kms (approx.)
Donnybrook 20kms (approx.)
Sydenham 22kms (approx.)
The difference between take-home and in office whitening is basically time frame.
In-office whitening is performed with highly concentrated whitening products which need to be applied and supervised by a dentist. Patients can expect on the spot results and this treatment can be particularly beneficial for people with severe time constraints.
Take-home products are made with gels containing lower concentrations of the bleaching agent, which makes them safer to be used at home. Patients are provided with a demonstration by the dentist along with instructions within the kit for home use. Take-home products provide similar results to the in office varieties but take longer to achieve. On average, patients can expect to see a result between 5-7 days.
The results from teeth whitening are difficult to predict and vary from patient to patient. Factors such as individual characteristics, responses, time, consistency and expectations will affect the overall result. Patients often are under the impression that a quick round of whitening will give them premium results with little to no effort or ongoing maintenance. This is not the case, and patients should be aware of any product offering as such. Sometimes, whitening is not the solution, and it could be other factors such as shape or alignment of teeth that the patient wishes to rectify. Patients should discuss the results they wish to achieve with their dentist who may recommend other options.
Over-the-counter products have a minuscule amount of whitening agent, enough to market them as ‘whitening’ product and safe to be sold and used unsupervised. However they do not have the concentration needed to provide effective or reliable results, particularly in heavily discoloured dentition.
Root canal treatment is usually the last resource to try to save a tooth which otherwise would be indicated for extraction. It is usually performed under local anaesthetic and apart from a longer appointment, it shouldn’t feel any different from having a filling. In very rare cases, some patients may continue to experience sensitivity even under local anaesthetic. This may be due to infection, root cracks, unusual tooth configuration and shape, extra nerves, etc. Your dentist will discuss your options if this was the case. Technology in this field has improved over the years and patients shouldn’t be deterred from this treatment from experiences in the past.
Greenvale Dental Group understands that situations arise and there are times when a patient is in need of immediate treatment. We are committed to servicing our local community, and therefore, allocate appointments daily to accommodate emergencies. Please inform our friendly staff of your situation and we will make every effort to attend to your emergency as soon as possible.
Our surgery hours are Monday to Friday 9am – 6pm. For patients who are unable to attend the practice during business hours, we offer Saturday morning appointments between 9am – 1pm.