FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID caused a lot of people to defer their routine check up appointments with their doctor and dentist, which means your last appointment may have been somewhere in 2019. Then lockdown ensued in March 2020 causing chaos and confusion and further delays in seeking routine basic health care.
A good estimate would be your last appointment was anywhere between 12-18 months ago.
A lot can change in this time.
- You may have been told you needed some dental treatment then which you had scheduled for 2020.
- You developed a toothache which comes and goes and now is quite bad where it needs attention.
- You have wisdom teeth pain.
- You had to have urgent dental treatment and a tooth removed and want to find out how you can replace it.
On the back of that, if you experienced disruption in your workplace resulting in loss or reduced income, your priorities would have shifted.
TIPS
Do:
Write a list of concerns you want to discuss with the dentist and bring this with you to the appointment.
Don’t:
Wear any lipstick as it will smudge.
Take home points:
- Don’t delay dental treatment. Seek advice about dental concerns from a dental professional.
- Payment plans available
The number 1 reason people defer dental treatment is because of fear and anxiety around dental visits.
This can stem from childhood memories or bad experiences.
The length of time between visits can greatly affect the outcome of any treatment.
Most people tend to have missed their dental appointments anywhere from a 2-5 years mark.
Life gets in the way sometimes. You've dropped off your parents health insurance, moved out of home, moved houses, moved countries, big life events and so on.
It's only when you need a dentist, you start looking for one.
At this point you're usually in one of few situations: you have worked up the courage to have a teeth cleaning appointment (because you know you need one) or you
are suffering from a lingering toothache and dental pain that is niggly, nagging and persistent and you now need to see a dentist urgently. What stops people is usually a mix of the unknown, fear and finances.
We are empathetic to each individual's unique situation and want to make the visit as simple as possible while providing quality health care and positive experiences that will shape your future dental visits to one that you will look forward to with a sense of reassurance.
The journey begins with a first step and this is an initial consultation with the dentist. This is where we meet you and introduce ourselves. We are just regular people with a special skill set and a love for art and sciences. You get to put a name to a face, we get to know you and your concerns and go from there.
We listen.
We then take the necessary images and do necessary tests to find out the source of the problem.
From the information we have, we create a treatment plan which details all the fees and establish a suitable arrangement that works for you.
At the end of the day, we care about you as a person.
Do:
Bring in a support person
Bring your headphones so you can listen to your favourite music or meditation to help make you feel calm
Don’t:
Scroll through youtube and watch dental procedure videos before your appointments
Take home points:
Make an appointment
Customised plan to suit your priorities and finances
We encourage you to bring your child in with you at one of your routine dental visits to allow for familiarity to the clinic and the people that work in it.
This will create a sense of recognition and reduce any fear around dental visits.
We see children as young as 18 months old for their first dental visit.
These visits allow us to assess for development stages according to their age and to address any concerns the parent or parents may have about the child’s habits, such as:
- Having a milk bottle before bed
- Use of a dummy
- When to transition to a sippy cup and its benefits
- Cleaning tee
We encourage using a reward chart to help children develop a good routine for brushing twice a day for 2 minutes each time.
Discover Exceptional Dental Care in Dee Why at Dee Why Family Dental
Our number one goal is to help you and your family achieve and maintain healthy gums & happy teeth.