Your first appointment at the Golden Grove Dental Service will involve a session with one of our dental hygienists for an Oral Prophylaxis of your teeth. We will discuss your brushing habits and techniques and give you some tips to help improve your skills. We will also discuss your diet and other lifestyle factors and how they can affect your whole mouth health. The dentist will do a comprehensive examination of your whole mouth to assess for any required treatment and some x-rays may be taken to help treatment plan.

From here your dentist will use the information gathered to formulate a treatment plan tailored to you and your needs which will be discussed at a subsequent appointment. Depending on how long it has been since your last clean or how much calculus is present, multiple cleans may be required.

Oral prophylaxis is more than a clean, it is the scientific approach to preventing the onset of diseases of the teeth and surrounding tissues. It involves the use of fluoride treatment, saliva testing, diet analysis, oral hygiene instructions and both mechanical and hand debridement of the teeth and gums in order to achieve a whole mouth freshness.

We recommend to bring your child to the dentist when you first see a tooth in their mouth or when they reach 12 months old. This is to help assess normal development of your child’s teeth and to show you the best way to care for your child’s teeth. If you notice anything abnormal in your child’s mouth it would also be a good idea to bring them to the dentist.

For children under 18 years old we offer no gap clean and check-up appointments and we also accept the CDBS (Child Dental Benefit Scheme)

At the Golden Grove Dental Service we offer in-chair teeth whitening with custom made trays which are designed for your teeth combined with at home whitening. We find this achieves the best results with whitening for our patients. It is important to have a consultation prior to whitening your teeth – sometimes the darkness seen may have other causes such as decay or old stained restorations which is why it is important for a dentist to assess.

At the Golden Grove Dental Service we are an independent dental practice – as such we are not linked with any particular health fund. We do however receive a rebate from all health funds for services provided.

We accept cash, credit cards and cheques as payments for treatment.

We also offer payment plans through ZipMoney which offer 6 month interest free payment options for treatment.

A tooth can be sensitive for a variety of reasons – it could be due to clenching/grinding, tooth brush abrasion, erosion lesions caused by acid, decay or infection of the nerve. It is best to seek advice from one of our experienced dentists as to what is causing the symptoms and what is the best treatment for you.

In the meantime, you can try using a toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth (i.e. Colgate ProRelief or Sensodyne). This can be used morning and night in place of your normal toothpaste and can also be used to spot apply in hyper-sensitive areas throughout the day and avoid cold drinks/foods.

As stated by the Australian Dental Association, dental tourism can seem appealing as it combines a ‘cheap holiday’ with dental treatment however it does come with increased risks. While Australian dentists are trained to a very high standard, must be registered, and are required to operate in a strictly-regulated environment, not all countries have the same requirements. The overseas dentist may not be as qualified as their Australian peers and may not be working with the same quality of materials as those routinely used here.

Also, long term dental tourism can cost patients a lot more due to failure of work or dental issues that arise from the work completed overseas. The risk of these failures or issues may have been prevented or minimised by having the work done originally in Australia.

If you feel strongly about going overseas for dental treatment, it is always best to do your research and make sure they meet Australian standards where possible.

Yes we make custom mouthguards for all sports. These mouthguards can be made to a colour and pattern of your choosing – so if you would like it in your club colours we can do this!

Our mouthguards are designed for each individual to get the most accurate and supportive fit possible – giving the best protection from injury!

1. Find the tooth and hold it by the crown only, not the root.
2. If the tooth is dirty, rinse it in milk/water but don’t scrub or soak it.
3. Place the tooth back in position, making sure it’s facing the right way round; once in, gently bite down on soft cloth or gauze, or use aluminium foil or your mouthguard to hold it in place. DO NOT REPLANT A BABY TOOTH.
4. If you can’t replant the tooth, transport it in milk or saliva (can be kept in the mouth under the tongue or tucked in between your cheek and teeth).
5. See one of our dentists AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

For other advice on dental trauma, try downloading the ToothSOS app which gives guidance on what to do in different dental trauma situations.

Accredited means we have been assessed and marked against the NSQHS (National Safety and Quality Health Services) standards to ensure the practice is providing the highest quality health care treatment to our patients and are consistently operating at the highest standards.

It means you can put your trust in us and our processes as they have been certified with QIP where we were awarded the accreditation status for the second time in July 2018.