Frequently Asked Questions
Who are your Dentists?
Our dentists are Dr. Tim Astley and Dr. Kate Kirkham-Ali. They can help you with all your regular check-ups and any dental procedures you may need. Both Tim and Kate have many years of experience in all up-to-date dental procedures.
What are your opening hours?
Our opening hours are: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 8.30am – 6.30pm and Wednesday, Friday 8.30am – 5.00pm.
How much does it cost for a check-up and clean?
Costs for check-up and cleans or any items, will depend on if you have private health or not, what private health fund you are with (i.e: Bupa, Medibank Private, etc.) and what tier you are on. Feel free to contact us here to ask about a quote.
How often do I need to go to the dentist?
To maintain healthy teeth and gums, it is recommended you see a dentist/hygienist every 6 months.
Why do I need to see a hygienist?
Our hygienist will help you with your regular cleans and any other dental hygiene questions. A hygienist reviews your dental history and overall health by evaluating the condition of your gums, teeth and mouth and can help prevent and manage gum disease. If the disease becomes more advanced, it becomes more difficult to treat. So, make sure you see your dentist and hygienist once every 6 months to maintain a healthy smile.
What is gum disease?
Gum disease is also called Periodontal disease and is the major cause of tooth loss. It is an infection caused by bacteria in the supporting tissues of your teeth which cause large ‘pockets’ between your teeth and bone, compromising the gum and ligaments holding the tooth. It not only leads to tooth loss but also bad breath and painful infections.
What health funds do you accept?
We accept nearly all health funds but are preferred providers with NIB, Bupa and Medibank.
Do you offer teeth whitening?
After an examination with the dentist, we offer a take home whitening system which includes custom trays and Poladay 9.5%. We also offer Polalight 6% whitening system which can be bought over the counter, without a dental appointment.
We are now offering in office bleaching which is done at the practice and is a once off visit using a much more powerful bleach. We use Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed with the blue LED accelerator. The entire appointment will take about 2 hours, but the bleaching portion should only take about 45 minutes. If you are interested, give us a call or use the contact form and see the cosmetic tab for more.
Is it safe to have x-rays while pregnant?
X-rays are generally only taken when a diagnosis is needed for emergencies or treatment, but will only be taken when pregnant for absolute emergencies or the health of the mother is outweighed by the potential risk to the baby. Generally, a dental x-ray machine will emit a small beam aimed at the jaw with very low radiation exposure, but a lead apron can also be used if necessary.
What can I do if I’m scared of the dentist?
All the staff at Prospect Dental are very friendly and understand that not everyone loves to come to the dentist. We have plants to calm and help with air quality, TVs in the waiting room and surgery for a distraction and even a stress ball if you need it while in the chair. Although this may help some, others may need a little more help. Let us know if you are anxious so we can eliminate anything that might make it worse. If you feel like you don’t want to start anything too invasive, ask to book an examination or a consult so we can examine your teeth and work out a treatment plan. This way you can see that treatments and surgeries have changed so much and are a lot quicker than they used to be. Talk to your GP if you are concerned.
At what age should my children see the dentist?
Although baby teeth will inevitably fall out, it is important to your child’s healthy development that their baby teeth are looked after as well as their adult teeth. Their baby teeth play an important role in saving space for their adult teeth and early tooth loss can cause problems in development to their jaw and in the future, possible speech impediments and misalignment of their adult teeth. It is advised that your child see a dentist at about three years of age. We like to make this initial visit as fun as possible and may only count the teeth depending on how shy your child is. We also give them a small treat to make their visit memorable.
Are my old amalgam fillings safe?
The ADA (Australian Dental Association) and WHO (World Health Organisation) have deemed amalgam fillings safe and cost effective as well as having a very low risk of adverse side-effects. We do however tend to use composite filling materials more than amalgam as these are nearly as strong and aesthetically more pleasing. If you have old amalgam fillings and would like them replaced, please talk to your dentist about your concerns.
Do I need to get my wisdom teeth out?
Wisdom teeth can cause a lot of pain and problems for some people or some may not even know they have them. If you are getting pain or ache from your wisdom teeth, or they are not forming straight upwards, you may need to get them removed. An OPG x-ray will need to be taken to determine how they will be taken out, whether in the dental chair or by a specialist or in hospital or not at all.