“Never Treat a Stranger…”

A consult with a Prosthodontist is the first step to see if we can help you with your dental problems. A consult is an absolute necessity to allow the dentist to properly diagnose and customise a treatment plan for each patient. At your consult appointment a history will be taken, problems assessed and discussed and an initial plan to proceed will be formulated.

When missing teeth, dental implants are a front line choice for restoring the function and aesthetics of our patients. Dental Implants are generally a titanium anchor that is placed into the jaw bone which can then have a tooth, bridge or denture attached to it.

While the implant placement can be quite simple, ensuring it is in the correct position involves meticulous planning, aided by the skill and experience of the surgeon (statistically, the most important factor in success). Success of an implant also takes into account the quality and quantity of bone and soft tissue, the expected functional load the implant will endure and of course the aesthetics of the restoration. If any of these criteria are not adequate, we may need to do further work such as bone or soft tissue grafting or restoring adjacent teeth to ensure the optimal result functionally, aesthetically and for longevity

A referral to us usually means that there are some problems to be solved that are beyond the scope of a General Dentist. A Prosthodontist is uniquely qualified to not only diagnose your issues, but also to educate you on your options, costs and suitability of each treatment. They will then formulate a treatment plan to achieve your chosen goals. This may involve only the Prosthodontist, or they may enlist the help of other specialists or referring dentists to complete phases of the treatment. Often these plans are very complex and may take years, and as such be broken down into phases to allow reassment of progress at the end of each phase. Maintenance is also considered in the long term patient management.

When a tooth is compromised either functionally or aesthetically, we may choose to restore the tooth with Composite Resin. Composite Resins are “Fillings” that are placed directly on to the tooth and cured. They are very versatile and durable, but can be very technique sensitive. They are great for correcting dental issues conservatively with a minimal reduction of your natural tooth structure. The quality of the material used is a primary factor in the result, and we ensure we only use premium materials to allow us to achieve the best results. While Resins restorations are excellent, and a front line choice on many situations, they are not as strong or durable as indirect restorations and may attract increased staining and need more maintenance over time (polishing/replacement).

When a tooth has become compromised beyond where a conservative filling will suffice to restore it, dentists resort to Crowns Bridges and Veneers to best restore the teeth to optimal function and aesthetics. This class of restoration is made by removing the damaged tooth structure, removing some enamel to allow room for the restoration, and then making an impression or 3d scan of the tooth to make a restoration outside the mouth which is then bonded into place, restoring the function and aesthetics of the tooth. A Crown (or variations called inlays or onlays) restores a single tooth, a Bridge is several crowns joined together to span a gap to replace a missing tooth, and a veneer is a thin restoration bonded onto the front of teeth to improve the shape, shade and alignment of teeth. All these restorations are a little more aggressive than direct resin restorations, but generally have improved longevity and aesthetics.

Prosthodontists are the only dentists specially trained in aesthetic or cosmetic dentistry (there is no such thing as a specialist “cosmetic dentist”). They are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of cosmetic cases including the teeth, and surrounding tissues such as the lips and face.

Thorough diagnosis, in-depth patient consultations, a good eye for detail and meticulous treatment, optimal cosmetic and functional results can be achieved. Our resident Prosthodontist, Dr Giblin, will often go to the extra length of a “mock-up” and try-in stage to see how the final result will look, feel, and function for the patient.

Dr Giblin often enlists the help of Orthodontists and Periodontists to ensure not only the teeth look their best, but that the gums, and the positioning of the teeth are at their optimal. Dr Giblin prides himself in natural, minimally invasive, and long-lasting treatment.

Often when a patient presents with a missing or compromised tooth, there can be an associated issue with the bone and gums around the tooth which may compromise our ability to restore the tooth optimally. For this reason, we often perform procedures to enhance the situations. Bone grafting is often required where teeth have been missing for a while in order to improve the bone volume for aesthetics around a tooth or to create enough bone to place an implant. We may also perform soft tissue procedures such as grafts, transplantations, thickening or gum shaping/reduction to improve the final restorative result and longevity.

Often when there is a dental issue, a big factor is that the tooth may be in the wrong position. This can affect function, aesthetics and the ability of the dentist to restore the patient optimally. If this is the case, we may recommend a course of orthodontic treatment prior to restorative work to minimise the amount of reduction of teeth, correctly distribute spaces and correct gaps and crowding and improve the patient’s bite and aesthetics overall. A phase of orthodontic treatment can add to the time and cost of treatment, but often reduces the amount and severity of the restorative work needed, and will provide a better cosmetic result..

When a patient is missing multiple teeth, we may opt for a removable option such as a complete or partial denture. Removable options can be a great way to restore multiple teeth very economically compared to Crowns, Bridges or Implants. They are easy to keep clean as they are removable and may be added to, repaired and modified if needed in the future. They are a great way to not only replace teeth, but also lost soft tissue support of the lips, cheeks and face. We may also use dental implants in conjunction with Titanium bars or press-stud style attachments to support and retain the dentures, greatly improving their function over traditional dentures- these are called Implant Overdentures.

Dr. Thomas Giblin is happy to provide second opinions – please send us an email detailing your problem and any relevant xrays if possible, and the questions you would like answered. An appointment may be requested if further information is required.

Often patients have seen other dentists before and things have gone wrong or the patient is not happy with the result. As such, they experience complex problems and the solutions available to fix them require a high level of planning and skill. We are happy to consult with patients and give commitment free, honest opinions and alternative treatments to help inform the patient on their way to better oral health. We are also happy to assist the other treating dentists to optimise your treatment.

The mouth and jaws are a very complex system with complex interactions with joints, nerves, muscles, and senses and sometimes this system can be thrown out by various factors resulting in pain and dysfunction. There a a myriad of conditions that may combine to cause these issues, all covered by the name TMD (Temporo-Mandiblar Dysfunction). While there are usually systemic factors such as stress, illness, sleep apnoea/hypopnoea and other physiological and medical issues at play, a Prosthodontist can help to diagnose, alleviate and manage these symptoms by managing the patient’s bite either through exercises, splints, careful adjustments of the teeth or restorative dentistry. We also work with doctors, physios and other specialists to help manage any other contributing conditions with sleep studies, pain and stress management and physiotherapy.