Services

We are passionate about breaking down the stigma associated with ‘going to the dentist’. A fun and comfortable dental visit for the whole family is our goal.

Our team promotes a preventive approach to dental care. Routine dental visits help to detect dental problems early. Early detection of decay, deteriorating fillings and structural cracks or fractures will help provide treatment options that will maintain your teeth and reduce the potential expense associated with more complicated procedures.

Some dental problems are not painful, such as gingivitis or periodontal disease. These gum conditions may not be painful but can lead to early loss of teeth. Regular professional cleans will remove bacteria from where a toothbrush can’t get to and help prevent the gum infections that silently develop.

Preventive dental care can start at any age! We encourage dental visits by the age of 2 years to start building relationships with our young patients to help ensure a fuss free and fun dental appointment. Although it’s often assumed that “baby teeth do not matter”, untreated problems resulting in the early loss of baby teeth will often result in a crowded adult mouth or problems with the adult teeth in the future. Regular professional dental checks help to educate children and teenagers on how to care for their teeth and detect early decay or problems before it becomes painful.

Our practice accepts patients covered under the Medicare children’s dental benefit schedule. This is a fantastic government initiative, providing free general dental treatment annually, to children under 18 whom are eligible.

Health funds recognise that preventive dental procedures are essential to maintaining a healthy mouth. Contact us or drop in to see how much your private health insurance will cover you, as it depends on the level/policy you have taken out with them. We are proud to be preferred providers for our area with BUPA, HCF, CBHS and NIB. We also accept patients that are eligible for the Medicare Child Dental Benefits Scheme, DVA cards, and patients who are under the BUPA Scheme with ADF (Australian Defence Force). Please contact us for further information should you have any questions.

Periodontal disease affects more Australians than you think. A lot of people don’t even know they have it. The initial stages of periodontal disease is painless, presenting only with bad breath or slight bleeding when brushing. If left untreated, patients may only become aware of their periodontal disease when a tooth or several teeth become painful or mobile. There is significant research to show a link between periodontal disease and other serious health conditions such as Stroke, Heart Disease, Diabetes and even Arthritis. Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection in the gums which causes the supporting jaw bone around teeth to be destroyed. While the affected bone cannot regenerate, removing the bacterial cause can help to control the infection and minimise further bone loss. Treatment of this disease is dependent on excellent home dental care (brushing and flossing) as well as regular professional cleans, to remove hard build up and the bacteria where the toothbrush cannot reach. In some cases patients will be referred to a periodontist for further treatment.

Teeth naturally come in varying shades. Patients will often come to us and say that their teeth have discoloured over time. This can be due to age, tea, coffee, red wine or foods. Factors such as fevers, antibiotics and some other medications can also affect the colour of teeth.

One way to brighten teeth is to have a professional clean to remove stains caused by things such as teas, cigarettes, coffee, wine etc. Some patients elect to have a whitening procedure. Our whitening treatment involves a specifically designed bleaching gel that oxidises the first layer of the teeth, changing the colour of the enamel.

It is recommended to have a pre-whitening assessment prior to any whitening procedure to assess your teeth’s suitability for whitening. At this appointment we would take a shade of your teeth prior to the whitening procedure. It is important for the teeth to be scaled & cleaned prior to beginning any whitening procedure to ensure optimum results. There are various whitening products available on the market today and it is extremely important that you undertake whitening procedures with a dental professional who will use reputable and safe products. Our dental team will be able to take all considerations for your mouth into account before proceeding.

NB Dental offers two professional whitening options:

Polar Take Home Tooth Whitening

Polar Office In Chair Tooth Whitening

It is possible to give children the gift of healthy teeth, plus the added important benefit of not being anxious or afraid about visiting the dentist.

While baby teeth start to fall out from the age of 6, the baby molars often will be retained until the teen years and it is important to keep these teeth healthy until that time comes. The baby teeth play an important part in the development of the jaw and help maintain the space for the adult teeth. Early loss of baby teeth will often result in a crowded adult mouth. Regular professional dental checks help to educate children and teenagers on how to care for their teeth, detect early decay before it becomes painful and also identify orthodontic concerns in children and young adults early which can minimise time with braces and may avoid the need for extractions associated with orthodontic treatment.

NB Dental accepts and bulk bills patients covered under the Medicare childrens dental benefit schedule. This is a fantastic government initiative, providing a free dental treatment annually to those that are eligible.

NB Dental is also preferred providers for BUPA, HCF, CBHS, Mutual Community and Manchester Unity.

Implants are the latest technology in dentistry to replace missing teeth. A dental implant is a two phase treatment option where an artificial root is placed under the gum line. Once this integrates with the jaw bone, it can then support single or multiple crowns.

This tooth replacement option improves function and comfort, as well as providing the closest appearance and feel to natural teeth. Regular 6 monthly check up and cleans are recommended to help maintain the health of the gum and bone surrounding your implant.

Although implants are the gold standard of tooth replacement, like your natural teeth, require excellent home care and professional maintenance. It’s important that the gums surrounding your implant are professionally cleaned every 6 months to ensure the gum and bone support surrounding your implant is healthy.

Crowns

A crown is a ceramic or gold cap that sits over a broken, worn or cracked tooth. This cap will help to hold together and strengthen a tooth that would otherwise breakdown. A crown is made to look and feel just like a natural tooth so it is a great option for both durability and cosmetics.

Bridges

A bridge is a permanent restoration used to fill the space of a missing tooth or teeth by permanently attaching a false tooth to adjacent teeth or implants via crowns. A bridge will improve function and comfort, as well as provide an aesthetically pleasing smile.

What do crown and bridges involve?

Crowns and bridges both take two dental visits to complete. The first visit is to prepare your tooth or teeth and take an impression of the prepared tooth to send to our local dental technician. The technician then very carefully fabricates your crown or bridge from the impression that was taken in your first visit and returns to us in 2 weeks’ time. During the 2 week period where your crown or bridge is being designed you will have a temporary restoration in place to ensure comfort. After 2 weeks you will return to NB Dental to have your dentist place the crown or bridge specifically designed for your mouth cemented permanently. Crowns and Bridges are a great option for improving both functionality and aesthetics of teeth whilst preventing further problems that can arise from broken down, cracked or missing teeth.

All our crown and bridge lab work is made locally here in Brisbane, not from an off shore laboratory.

A veneer is a thin layer of filling material that is placed over the top of the tooth to help improve the tooth’s strength and appearance. This is a good treatment option for worn or chipped teeth.

A veneer can also be a great cosmetic option to improve the colour of stained teeth, close spaces and also improve the appearance of crooked and misaligned teeth. The material options for veneers vary in strength and cost.

Composite Resin veneers

Composite resign veneers are an economical option for veneers, made from tooth coloured resigns it can be often completed in one appointment by a dental professional.  Composite resign veneers can be prone to staining if a very particular home hygiene routine and professional check-ups, cleans and polishing are not maintained. The longevity of Composite resign veneers are dependent on this at home care routine and professional care maintenance.

Porcelain veneers

Porcelain veneers require two appointments as they are prepared by a dental professional and then sent to our Brisbane laboratory to be fabricated by a dental technician. Porcelain veneers generally last many years and are stronger, more durable and less likely to stain in comparison to Composite resign.

Dentures are a removable option to replace a single tooth, a few teeth or even a whole mouth full of teeth. Dentures are typically the most affordable treatment option for tooth replacement. The contour of the oral soft tissues and jaw bone can change with time, which will affect the fit of a denture. Ill-fitting dentures can cause trauma and create infections in teeth and gums if bacteria and food are trapped around the palate and natural teeth, not to mention the embarrassment and frustration if the denture is moving around when talking or eating. It is important to be aware that even with dentures, professional check-ups and cleans are important. Professional guidance on correct maintenance and cleaning of dentures will help to maximise the life and comfort of a denture as well as any remaining natural teeth.

Did you know that dentists must undertake an additional three years of full-time specialist training at university to become an orthodontist?

Orthodontics is a very specialised area of dentistry requiring years of university training in addition to a general dentistry degree. A general dentist that returns to university and specialises in orthodontics will then become a qualified Orthodontist. Orthodontics Involves correcting misaligned teeth and disproportionate jaws, which, if left untreated, affects the development of the face and biting function. Orthodontic treatment is available to people of all ages. Early assessment, correct diagnosis and regular review are crucial to avoid, limit or where necessary, treat any problems which may develop.

At NB Dental we have a visiting orthodontist. Dr Brendan Fitzpatrick from Shine Orthodontics comes to NB Dental each month. Further information on Dr Brendan Fitzpatrick can be seen on Shine Orthodontics Website.

There are other specialist orthodontists close by to NB Dental that we can also highly recommend so please don’t hesitate to call us should you require any further information on any of their services.

Tooth Coloured Fillings

Advances in dental technology have developed tooth coloured filling materials as an alternative to the traditional silver amalgam option. This material is called composite resin. Composite resin fillings are aesthetically pleasing, ensuring the natural appearance of a tooth. These tooth coloured fillings have a functional benefit, chemically adhering to tooth structure, as opposed to the silver amalgam materials. This chemical adhesion ensures only the infected tooth structure is removed and therefore the strength of the tooth is maintained.

Fissure Sealants

The chewing surfaces of the molar teeth have grooves and pits that are deep and too fine for the bristles of a toothbrush to access. Often these grooves will get food caught and decay will develop. With the new technologies in dental materials, instead of waiting for the tooth to decay, we are able to fill in the grooves, making it easier to clean and prevent decay. The treatment is non-invasive, quick, easy and painless. A great preventive option for newly erupted teeth.

Custom made Versus “one size fits all” Chemist mouthguards?

If your child is participating in a sport where there is a risk of contact to the face, the only way to prevent, or reduce the severity of an injury, is to wear a firm fitting mouthguard. It is preferable that they wear a custom fitted mouthguard (made by a dentist) which will be much safer and more comfortable than a store-bought, prefabricated mouthguard (chemist, sports stores). A custom made mouthguard is designed specifically for each individual patient’s jaw shape and teeth. It is the most effective type of mouthguard to absorb the shock experienced by a blow to the face.

It is important that they have the mouthguard before they start training for the sport, as most accidents that we see unfortunately happen during practise or training.

There is nothing quite as frightening for a parent as a phone call from the school or sporting club to say that your child has been injured. Injuries to the face and mouth can be very painful not to mention expensive. As a dental practice in the local area we have noticed an increase in the number of children presenting with trauma to their teeth and mouths due to sporting and playground incidents.

The good news is there is several things you can do to prevent an injury. The most important of these is a custom made mouthguard. NB Dental believes it is so important to have a custom made mouthguard that we want to make it as affordable as possible for our patients. A short 15 minute appointment with us is all that is required to take a mould of your teeth. It then takes a week for the mouthguard to be made. Contact us to find out more!

It is important to check the fit of your mouthguard on a yearly basis for adults and 6 monthly for children. Our children’s mouths are growing and changing all the time and a mouthguard that fitted snuggly last season may not fit anymore. Any adult mouthguard should be checked before every sporting season to ensure it still fits effectively and comfortably. With children’s mouths and jaws growing and changing a mouthguard will need replacement more frequently.

Endodontic treatment also known as Root Canal Treatment is a procedure undertaken to save a tooth that otherwise may need removal due to decay, trauma or injury. During root canal treatment the infected pulp of a tooth is cleaned out, the space disinfected and then filled and sealed. A diseased or infected tooth nerve can be very painful for some people or if it is in its early stages it may not be causing pain just yet. The reason we do root canal treatments is if the patient chooses to try to save a tooth that has a diseased or infected nerve. Root canals are an alternative to tooth extraction. Success rates for the survival of a tooth these days from root canal treatment are now over 90% (depending on your case). In Some cases your general dentist may be able to complete your root canal treatment for you but depending on the severity of the infection and anatomy of the tooth you may be referred to a specialist dentist called an endodontist.

What can I expect during my root canal treatment?

The first half of the treatment focuses primarily on addressing the infection. Your dentist or endodontist will numb the tooth with anaesthetic to ensure you’re comfortable, remove the infected tissue. Once cleaned out your tooth is then dressed with an antibiotic and sealed over to allow to work for a couple of weeks before visiting again.

The second stage of a root canal treatment is all about strengthening the tooth, Once there is signs that the infection have resolved, the pulp chamber can be filled up with a special filling material to prevent re-infection. The major reason people loose teeth once they have had root canal treatments are that the teeth become brittle after losing its nerve supply. It is generally recommended that a crown be placed over a root treated tooth, to ensure that they are structurally reinforced.