With modern dentistry, patient education, attention to good diet and motivated homecare very good oral health can in most cases be achieved.
Knowing this fact has been the motivation for Dental on Raffles to pursue a very particular direction to help our patients achieve the best oral health possible.
Most of us know when our dental health is not good which can be identified by: pain, obvious cavities, broken and misshapen teeth, loose teeth, bad breath, deposits on the teeth, staining and discolouration or tooth surfaces, bleeding gums and gum recession.
The very first thing our professionals offer to patients is an examination and x-rays to diagnose what the problems are and to provide a range of treatment plans and costings to achieve a desirable end result, putting a strong emphasis on patient education and prevention. For you as a patient its necessary to know what is going on and this is the first significant step towards dental health.
The very first part of any treatment is to stop pain and get a patient comfortable. This is basic emergency care.
The next stage of treatment is dealt with by our dental hygiene department. We have three highly skilled hygiene professionals with auxillary staff who have the most important function of; controlling the breakdown of teeth from cavities, managing the full range of gum disease, teaching the correct home care, diet education and prevention.
Failure to get this stage of treatment correct and successful will prevent any other work carried by a dentist achieving high quality or a long lifespan.
At this stage of treatment several highly important things have been achieved; a halting of continued decay in teeth, a great improvement in gum health that allows healing and repair, a prevention program that gives a patient a good future for his/her teeth and a chance to save for treatment costs without further disease progression and without increased costs.
This gives a great platform for our dentists to do the necessary reparative treatment in a staged approach and achieve the best results possible.
At Dental on Raffles we have many patients who are going through this process and it may take many months or years even to reach the prescribed end result. The point is that successful long term good oral health can be achieved for the patient who is prepared to follow our guidance.
Once stable dental health is achieved maintenance is still necessary and most patients need to have a regular once a year check-up with a dentist and usually six month visits to our hygiene department. These time frames have proven to be the most cost effective for patients. Fillings have a lifespan which can vary. Teeth can fracture and gum treatments need ongoing attention so irregular care is not advised. If the desired results for treatment are achieved then dental costs diminish to a level that most people can easily budget for.
There are still potential patients out there who cannot gather enough courage to make a consultation appointment with us because of anxiety, fear or a past experience.
For this situation we have a tailor made approach for the reluctant patient that is non-threatening and empathic. We have always found developing trust by listening to our patients and progressing through ways to manage situations works wonders. Our professional team are trained in both oral and intravenous sedation techniques to help those that find the whole event too demanding when in a fully conscious state.
Presented by Dr Gary Winter BDS Principal Dentist
Dental on Raffles
106 Raffles Street
Napier
