Services We Offer
At Vivid Dental we offer you a full range of services to help you smile more confidently. Click on the links below to find out more about our services or ask us a question.
- General & Preventative Services
- Orthodontics
- Restorative Services
- Smile Enhancement
- Tooth Replacement
- Emergencies / Removing Dental Disease
- Anxious Patients
General & Preventative Services
- Hygiene
Research shows that the simplest way to reduce dental disease such as gum disease (which includes gingivitis and periodontal disease) is to have your teeth cleaned professionally at least every 6 months. This removes the build up of calculus, commonly called tartar or plaque which is that furry feeling you get on your teeth and surface staining caused by things like tea and coffee. Hygiene visits address other concerns such as bad breath and rough areas on your teeth.
- Checkups
A regular check up is the corner stone of good preventive care. With regular check up we can pick up any problems with your teeth like cavities, chipped/worn fillings and broken teeth early before they lead to bigger problems such as pain and infection. For your convenience we always combine a check-up into the same visit as a clean.
At Vivid Dental we pride ourselves on being proactive and during these regular visits we can address other issues that you may have or discuss procedures that you may be interested in such as orthodontics and teeth whitening.
- Aches and Pains
If you find you have dental problems between visits or if you have not been to the dentist for a while we are always here to help you find out what the cause is and direct you down a path to recovery. We always try to make a trip to the dentist as easy and comfortable as possible.
- Snoring and Sleep problems
Do you or your partner snore at night? A lot of snoring issues are related to the mouth and this is something we can help you with to make sure you get a good night’s sleep. Snoring can also be a part of a larger health issue called sleep apnoea that causes daytime tiredness and high blood pressure. If you think this could be affecting you, contact us to discuss this further.
Orthodontics
Orthodontics is typically used to correct the appearance and function of teeth. Orthodontics can also improve hygiene, tooth wear, gum damage, joint and speech problems.
If you find yourself feeling unable to smile the way that you would like because you don’t like how your teeth look – whether this is because of crowding or something you can’t quite put your finger on, orthodontics may be a good option for you. There are many dental conditions that can be improved with orthodontic treatment. These include crowded teeth, a deep bite, overbite, missing teeth and impacted teeth. Besides traditional braces, we also focus on the following areas of treatment:
- Early intervention and Facial Growth Management
Especially in children the timing of some orthodontic treatments is quite important. If evaluation is done early enough we can time preventative treatment so that it can maximize the child’s growth potential and minimize the length and complexity of treatment in the future.
- Invisalign
Invisalign is a great option for older teenagers and adults. The Invisalign system consists of a series of clear removable aligners that are worn full-time. These are a great, virtually invisible option to move teeth.
- Lingual Braces
For an easy invisible option for more minor crowding issues. In these cases braces are attached onto the inside of your teeth making is a great option for adults.
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Orthodontics – Before |
Orthodontics – After |
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The specifics and timing can vary greatly depending on what you want to achieve. Orthodontics can be as simple as a removable plate or full fixed appliances. The first step is as easy as seeing us for a consultation to find out what options are right for you.
Restorative Services
At Vivid Dental we are experts in minor to major teeth reconstruction. We offer the following services:
- Fillings
This is our first line of response for most new areas of decay and smaller restorations where a part of the tooth has been damaged or chipped. Most restorations carried out are tooth- coloured and shaped so that they will look and feel like the undamaged tooth.
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Filling #1 – Before |
Filling #1 – After |
Filling #2 – Before |
Filling #2 – After |
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- Inlays and Onlays
These are great to use when you’ve lost a lot of a tooth. They are a lot stronger than fillings and support the tooth and the rest of your teeth from the stresses of chewing where an ordinary filling would not. Inlays and Onlays are a lot stronger because they are made out of porcelain which is the closest material to your real tooth and are especially good for replacing old, large metal fillings on back teeth.
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Onlay – Before |
Onlay – After |
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- Dental Crowns
We look at crowns as our last line of defence, dental crowns are the strongest type of restoration we have. It is like a cap that completely encircles what’s left of your teeth. With teeth that are heavily broken, without a crown you can lose whatever is left. Sometimes for cosmetic reasons and to correct a collapsed bite dental crown may also be needed.
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Dental Crowns – Before |
Dental Crowns – After |
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At Vivid Dental we will sit down and discuss what treatment we think is appropriate for your situation.
Smile Enhancement
At Vivid Dental we want you to be able to smile confidently so if you look in the mirror and there is something you don’t like about your smile, we can help. We have a range of services ranging from lifting and brightening the appearance of your teeth to changing the shape and positioning of teeth.
- Whitening
This is the most commonly used method of smile improvement used. It’s easy, safe and reversible. There are two main options, one that is done in our surgery, and customised home whitening.
The option that is best for you depends on your lifestyle and the current colour of your teeth so come in and speak to us so you can find out what will work for you.
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Whitening #1 – Before |
Whitening #1 – After |
Whitening #2 – Before |
Whitening #2 – After |
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- Dental Bonding
Is a great option for people that notice specific problems with their front teeth such as chips, blemishes, a tooth that is pushed back and not in line with the rest of your teeth, gaps between teeth and irregular edges.
Dental bonding uses a filling material and is bonded and blended in to match your tooth colour.
It’s also a great option for children who are self conscious about gaps and chips.
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Dental Bonding – Before |
Dental Bonding – After |
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- Porcelain Veneers
For those that are looking for a smile makeover then veneers are a great way to achieve that result. A veneer is a thin piece of porcelain like a fingernail placed over the front of your teeth.
Full veneers are used when there is a larger change required and where there are a combination of cosmetic concerns such as crooked, deeply stained, chipped teeth and gaps.
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Veneers – Before |
Veneers – After |
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- Crowns
In cases of Smile Improvement, dental crowns are used to restore the look and function of badly broken down teeth and to improve the bite plane in cases where the bite has collapsed. Since a crown encases the whole tooth, it can improve the look, especially in teeth that have had root canal and are quite darkly stained.
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Crowns – Before |
Crowns – After |
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Tooth Replacement
If you are missing a tooth or a number of teeth there are a number of good options to fill the space to improve the look of your smile and function. When you are missing teeth the most noticeable issue is if you have lost a tooth that is visible when you smile. Or if you’ve lost several teeth this can make eating less enjoyable because chewing becomes more difficult and people start to avoid hard, chewy food. Longer-term issues occur because the remaining teeth can collapse into the space. This affects your bite and can cause stress and damage to your other teeth.
- Dental Implants
Dental Implants are the most modern and biological way to replace a missing tooth. The process involves a titanium fixture (implant) surgically placed into the bone of the jaw. Over a period of a few months this integrates/ fuses with the bone and becomes a strong foundation for a new tooth/ crown. The great thing about implants is that you can replace a missing tooth with something that looks and feels when chewing the most like a real tooth.
- Crown & Bridge
Bridges, now considered older technology are also a good option to replace missing teeth especially in cases where an implant cannot be placed usually due to health reasons and lack of bone. A bridge is placed by preparing the neighbouring teeth for crowns and when permanently fixed in place you will have three crowns fused together – two on your real teeth and one that fills in gap.
- Dentures
Although many people do not like the idea of dentures, they remain a good option for people who have been missing a number of teeth over quite a few years. When these are custom fit patients can bite and chew with dentures like teeth. They are also removable and make cleaning of the remaining teeth easier.
Dentures become a problem if you wear the same pair for too many years. After a period of time they become loose and ill fitting which can cause problems with other teeth and make chewing more difficult. In some situation if you’ve been missing teeth for a long time the jawbone shrinks away and even a well-fitting denture by itself may be uncomfortable. In these situations combining a denture with implants can give your denture a much stronger grip, which significantly improves function.
Emergencies / Removing Dental Disease
- Root Canal Therapy
This treatment is usually performed to save a tooth that has been heavily damaged by decay or trauma. Without it the disease process destroys the rest of the tooth resulting in pain and eventually loss of the tooth. Even though by the time a tooth needs root canal therapy it has had significant trauma, it is still better to maintain the real tooth than try to fill the space with an artificial tooth or having nothing at all.
Root canal therapy, also called Endodontics is treatment of the nerve/pulp area inside a tooth. When you’ve had a large cavity in a tooth or had a tooth that has been heavily restored, the chances of the nerve/ pulp inside the tooth becoming irritated is high. As the irritation continues it constricts blood flow to the tooth and the pulp dies. When this happens the tooth can become infected. Root canal therapy removes the infected tissue and the area is then filled to prevent new infection.
- Periodontal Disease Treatment
Also known as gum disease. What many people don’t realise that untreated this can cause the loss of multiple teeth. It starts as a low grade infection of the gum around the teeth caused by the build up of plaque, and without adequate at home brushing and flossing this process starts to penetrate deeper around the tooth underneath the gum and this is the point where destruction of the bone holding the teeth in place starts to begin.
- Wisdom Teeth Management
These are the teeth that grow right at the back of your mouth, usually between the ages of 16-25. There is often not enough room for these teeth to erupt into the mouth properly and they can cause many problems because of this. Problems include localised and more general facial pain, infection in the gum and bone, cysts and damage to neighbouring teeth.
- Trauma, broken or knocked out front teeth
Out of any dental emergency a knocked out tooth is the one that needs immediate treatment. If your child has knocked out a baby tooth this does not need to be put back in place as this could damage the permanent tooth underneath. If a permanent/ adult tooth is knocked out it is important that it is placed back into the tooth socket as soon as possible. After about 30 minutes the chance of saving the tooth becomes very low.
If a permanent tooth is knocked out only handle by the part of the tooth that you normally see. If the tooth is clean (no dirt and gravel stuck to it) and you are confident enough, the best course of action is to place the tooth back into the socket with light pressure straight away and see a dentist or medical emergency room straight away.
If you are unsure what to do or the root of the tooth is dirty, gently rinse the tooth with saline or milk. NEVER USE tap water as this kills off the live tissue on the root. After this store the tooth either by placing it back in the socket and apply light pressure to stabilise or store the tooth in milk. Again see a dentist or emergency room straight away.
Anxious Patients
Our first experiences in the dental chair often shape our perception and attitude towards dental treatment and level of stress or fear that people feel. We find that often the longer that someone has avoided going to the dentist the more their fears take hold and this can develop into a phobia of dental treatment.
If you are already a bit nervous about going to the dentist and then you only go if you are in pain, the stress of this sort of situation does not allow you to develop a familiar and comfortable relationship with someone you can trust. At Vivid Dental we work hard to develop these relationships with out patients so that our patients feel in control and at ease. We understand how they feel and are work to reduce their level of stress, not add to it. You may not get to the point where you “enjoy” coming to the dentist but over time if you see us regularly and before you have major problems we can gradually build your confidence that you are in control and that you can handle the situation.