Highett Dental Group

Our Services
At Highett Dental Group we provide complete dental care for you and your family. Our treatments range from routine preventive and restorative dentistry to cosmetic and complex dentistry.

General & Preventive Dentistry
Maintenance of healthy teeth and gums is the foundation of a healthy mouth. Without maintaining your oral hygiene practices and having regular scaling and cleaning the teeth are supported by diseased gums. Where necessary Highett Dental Group works with specialist periodontists to address more aggressive forms of gum disease.

We offer a reminder system to keep you on track with keeping your teeth and gums healthy.

Other preventive services are provided such as fissure sealants. The use of minimal intervention preparation techniques combined with tooth collared filling materials also ensures if decay eventuates it can be removed with the least amount of damage to the tooth.

Fillings & Restorations
A filling is an artificial material used to replace parts of a tooth that have been damaged by tooth decay or wear and tear. The treatment involves removing the decay and sealing the tooth with materials such as composite resin, glass ionomer or metallic amalgam (amalgam is less commonly used these days)

Complex Dentistry
Root Canal Treatment is a procedure undertaken in order to save a tooth when the nerve has become irreversibly inflamed or when the nerve has died. A nerve may become inflamed when there has been a deep cavity that has encroached on the nerve or pulp chamber or when the tooth has suffered a traumatic event. A nerve can die or become necrotic also from a deep cavity or a crack in the tooth which allows bacteria to enter and invade the pulp chamber and nerve canals. An abscess can follow.

The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic where the inflamed or dead tissue is then removed from the inside of the tooth, enabling a tooth that was causing pain to be retained. Following the removal of the tissue the canals are cleaned, sterilised and shaped to a form that can be sealed with a material to prevent further bacterial invasion and infection. More often than not the remaining tooth structure is compromised so a crown is advised following root canal treatment to protect the tooth structure.

Crown and Bridge
Crowns are used when a tooth has very little of its own tooth structure remaining. It is used to help support the remaining tooth structure and prevent what remains from fracturing. They can also be used to mask discolouration.

Bridges replace one or more missing teeth. They consist of an artificial tooth anchored to the natural tooth on each side of the gap. Bridges are used less commonly these days due to implants being an alternative option.

Implants
A dental implant is an artificial tooth inserted into the jaw bone in place of the natural tooth. They are used to replace missing teeth, gaps and to help anchor poorly fitting dentures. The natural root of the tooth is replaced by a titanium post and a crown is then attached. In certain situations they are a very effective way of replacing teeth and they do not require other teeth to support them.

Veneers
Veneers are essentially a thin cover over a tooth which can change the shape or colour of a tooth. They can be made of composite resin (done directly in the mouth) or porcelain (sent to a lab following impressions and tooth preparation).

Tooth Whitening
For stained or discoloured teeth bleaching can safely lighten teeth. Before embarking on whitening you should have a thorough examination and cleaning. Not all teeth respond to tooth bleach and it is important to use the correct concentration used for the correct amount of time per day.

Tooth Grinding and Wear
Known in dental terminology as clenching or bruxing. Patients are often unaware of this habit until it is pointed out by a dental professional via observation of wear facets or tooth wear. Left untreated it can lead to irreparable damage to the teeth, sometimes jaw joint pain, headache and neck stiffness. Treatment involves repairing damaged teeth (such as restorations, crowns or inlays to replace the worn surfaces) and subsequently making an occlusal splint (nightguard) made from plastic that fits over the upper or lower teeth and is worn at night to prevent further wear or damage.