• Your first visit

    Your first visit

    A comprehensive introductory examination
    On your first visit to Cameron&Co, we will complete a comprehensive examination and survey of your dental health. This enables us to gather the information we need for complete diagnosis and treatment planning, helping us to maintain your smile for life.

    Areas we will cover include

    • Your dental health and medical history
    • identifying any conditions, allergies or medications
    • identifying any habits or risk factors
    • identifying any special needs or concerns

    This helps us to provide you with dental care that’s comprehensive, effective, comfortable and safe. If necessary, we will consult with your GP or specialist.

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    Full mouth charting

    • enabling a complete diagnosis of your mouth
    • addressing health, function and aesthetics
    • looking at your mouth and the supporting structures of your teeth as a whole 

    Proper diagnosis enables us to better plan your treatment and continuing care, establishing priorities for the best long-term results.

    Oral health examination

    • checking for any unhealthy lesions in the glands, jaw and soft tissue
    • checking for oral cancer, which accounts for 4% of all cancers

    As with any medical condition, early detection is crucial for successful treatment. We can refer you to a specialist to further investigate or treat any problems we identify.

    Periodontal charting

    • checking the supporting structures of your teeth—the gums and bones
    • checking for various forms of gum and bone disease, such as gingivitis and periodontitis.

    One in four adults loses teeth to periodontal disease. We’ll explain the essential relationship between your oral health and your overall health.

    Occlusal analysis

    • identifying habits—such as teeth clenching or grinding—that may affect your teeth and restorations
    • documenting the alignment of your teeth
    • assessing bite forces that may affect restorations
    • protecting the longevity of your teeth and restorations

    Smile assessment

    • assessing the appearance of your teeth and smile
    • assessing your gum height and other soft tissue
    • discussing what you like and dislike about your smile
    • discussing your expectations and desires
    • explaining how your smile can be enhanced

    Shade assessment

    • assessing the shade of your teeth
    • identifying your desired shade
    • assessing the potential benefits of teeth whitening
    • identifying shade guides for any restorative work, such as veneers, crowns or composite restorations

    Imagery

    • intra-oral and digital camera imagery
    • showing you what we see
    • demonstrating our concerns
    • revealing more detail
    • visually recording the teeth, lips and smile
    • creating “before and after” imagery

    X-rays

    • x-rays may be taken to provide a more detailed view of any areas of concern
    • revealing hidden tooth decay, such as under restorations or between the teeth
    • revealing any other hidden conditions

    Early detection and intervention enable us to prevent any future problems and discomfort.

    OPG film

    • a valuable diagnostic tool that provides a panoramic image of your teeth—both above and below the gum line
    • a bigger picture look, from the sinuses to the chin
    • revealing how the teeth are positioned in the jaw
    • revealing un-erupted teeth, such as wisdom teeth
    • revealing any abnormalities and hidden conditions
    • revealing the pathology of the jaw and any bone and tooth loss

    Upper and lower study models

    • providing a diagnostic record of your existing teeth and bite
    • monitoring wear
    • helping to plan and present your treatment
    • helping to monitor and preserve your teeth and bite for the long-term
    • providing a reconstructive guide in case of an accident

    TMJ assessment

    • detecting abnormalities and dysfunctions with the jaw and the jaw joint can reveal causes of certain headaches

    Orthodontic considerations

    • if required, we can refer you for orthodontic treatment, for aesthetic or functional reasons
    • in some cases, this is required before preparing and proceeding with the treatment plan

     

  • General & Oral Health

    Recent research reveals strong links between oral health and general health. Good oral hygiene – controlling bacterial plaque and preventing periodontal or gum disease inflammation and infection – is an essential part of maintaining good overall health.

    Put simply, keeping your mouth happy and healthy will help to keep your whole body smiling.

    Research reveals 

    • Chronic periodontal disease is a risk to the heart and circulatory system, increasing the chance of heart attack and stroke. While oral bacteria can enter the bloodstream through bleeding sites in the mouth and spread throughout the body, a greater risk  comes from the increased levels of inflammation from untreated gum disease.
    • Chronic periodontal disease is also a risk for people with diabetes as it can worsen blood glucose control and place them at risk for diabteic complications.
    • Osteoporosis can result in decreased jawbone density and tooth loss. Chronic periodontal disease is another risk factor for patients with osteoporosis as the breakdown of bone and ligaments caused by untreated gum disease further increases the problem.

    • Chronic periodontal disease is a risk during pregnancy, being linked with preterm, low-weight births. Some studies show that pregnant women with untreated gum disease are 4.28 times more likely to have preterm, low birthweight babies.
    • It is also associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia. This is particularly a risk for the elderly or infirm in care units, hospitals and nursing homes.
    • There may be connections to other medical conditions such as obesity, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis but more work is needed to understand the interactions.

     

    Stay healthy and keep smiling!

  • Children's Department

    Children's Department

    Parenting is one big learning curve! Not long after you’ve mastered baby bathing and bedtime stories you are juggling homework help and after-school sport. Not to mention self-esteem and relationship advice. It’s little wonder you run out of time for dental appointments.

    So at Cameron&Co we make looking after your family’s dental health as easy as 1, 2, 3.

    We understand you can’t wait weeks for an appointment. Contact us and we’ll find a time that works for you.

    We’ll schedule an appointment with our experienced therapists and dentists who will help your child grow a happy and healthy smile.

    We’ll work with you to find the best payment options. Not only do we accept all private health insurers, but under the Child Dental benefits schedule (CDBS) we provide eligible clients with $1000 of preventative and maintenance treatments.

    Pop in or call us to find out more. We’d love to help give your family a smile for life!

  • Dental Phobia

    For many of us, the poor old dentist is right up there with spiders and snakes when it comes to the things we fear most. Why are some of us so scared of the dentist’s chair? And what are dentists doing to make that twice-a-year trip a little easier?

    Dental phobia is defined as the severe and irrational fear of dental treatment. It’s estimated that around 75% of us experience some degree of anxiety when visiting the dentist. Although only 5% may be classified as having extreme dental phobia, the problem raises serious health concerns.

    Dental phobia can cause the sufferer to frantically avoid dental treatment. It can lead to panic attacks, severe anxiety and serious oral health problems, which create further anxiety and require more invasive treatment. The phobia is more common in children and women and I generally find that sufferers had a bad experience at the dentist’s in the past – often when they were children. There’s usually nothing else wrong with them, other than an overwhelming aversion to all things related to dental care.

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    Of course, the chair-side manner of the dentist, and the physical environment of the dental practice, play a big role in aggravating or alleviating fears. Those all-too-familiar sights, sounds and smells of the dental clinic can trigger bad memories. Just as a favourite piece of music can trigger happy memories, the sound of the drill can take us back to the dreaded dentist from childhood.

    It’s in the interests of both patient and dentist to have a relaxed treatment. So what are we doing to make life easier for anxious patients? 

    These days, we try to create a comfortable and relaxing experience that’s more like a health spa than a medical clinic. We’ve replaced the whirr of the drill with headphones and the music of your choice and have chill-out rooms with Zen music, aromatic oil burners and zero-gravity chairs. We bake bread and light aromatherapy candles to overcome the clinical smells and we provide little comforts like hand massages and cool refresher towels.

    Improvements in oral hygiene and preventive dentistry mean we’re also much less likely to require dental procedures. Technical advances like the dental laser are putting an end to tools of terror like the needle and drill. Advances in anaesthetics make treatment much less discomforting.

    In some cases, oral sedatives are given to relax the patient. I’ve seen this work wonders, helping to calm extremely anxious patients who couldn’t sit through a treatment.

    If you or your children experience dental phobia or anxiety, please don't be afraid to tell us. It’s your right as a patient, and our job as dentists. Dental phobia is a problem we take as seriously as tooth decay or gum disease. And yes it can be treated and prevented.

    Discover how we helped Peter overcome his dental phobia.

  • Post-operative care

    Post-operative care

    After dental surgery or an extraction, taking extra care with your oral hygiene will ensure that you heal quickly and that any discomfort is minimised.

    Here are our recommendations for healing quickly and happily

    • Continue to bite gently on the gauze pad provided for at least 20 minutes after your treatment.
    • If bleeding persists, make a fresh pad and bite gently for another 15 minutes.
    • As usual after dental anaesthetic, be careful not to bite your lip or tongue.
    • Do not rinse your mouth or have anything to eat or drink for at least four hours after your treatment.
    • Four hours after your treatment, rinse your mouth gently with warm, salty water – roughly 1.5 teaspoons of salt to 250 ml of water. You can repeat this every four hours if you wish.
    • Avoid hot, cold or hard foods and beverages for the next 24 hours.
    • Do not drink with a straw – this may disrupt the blood clot and allow bacteria to enter the socket.
    • Favour foods that are nutritious and easy to eat, such as scrambled eggs.
    • Do not smoke, drink alcohol or undertake any strenuous activity for the next 24 hours.
    • As a painkiller, take paracetamol rather than aspirin, as aspirin may promote bleeding.
    • If excessive bleeding continues, or if you experience a fever or severe swelling, call Smile Dental.

    Remember – for 24 hours

    • Do not drink hot or cold beverages.
    • Do not eat hot, cold or hard foods.
    • Do not smoke.
    • Do not drink alcohol.
    • Do not take part in strenuous activity.