FAQ

What are dental implants?

Dental Lounge dental implants are titanium screws of a specific size and shape that are delicately inserted into the jaw bone. Once they have had time to heal they are embedded strongly enough to support a new tooth or teeth that will eventually feel like your own. Our dental implants in Sydney clinics are the best dentistry has to offer in reattaining what nature ideally meant for you.

What are dental veneers?

Dental Veneers are thin layers of restorative material placed over the surface of your teeth. Dental Lounge offers dental veneers in Sydney clinics to help improve aesthetics or protect our patients teeth from damage. We have both composite and porcelain dental veneers in Sydney clinics to give our patients a healthy smile.

Q: What is the difference between Porcelain veneers and composite veneers?

A: Firstly, a veneer is a thin laminate that is bonded to the surface of a tooth for the express purpose of changing the colour and/or the position of the tooth. They are primarily placed on the anterior teeth and require a reduction of the tooth surface of between 0.5mm-1.0mm.

The strength of a veneer is greatly determined not by the material itself but by the strength of the bond to the tooth. With this in mind, the top layer of enamel on the tooth must always be removed to maximise the bond. The mechanical and chemical bond to the tooth is much stronger on the younger and more freshly cut enamel crystals under the outermost layers. The bond between porcelain and the tooth is twice as strong (63MPa) as the bond between composite resin and the tooth (31MPa)

Porcelain veneers are usually completed in two visits. On the first visit the teeth are prepared by the dentist, an impression is taken and sent to a technician who makes the veneers. This normally takes 2-3 weeks. At the second appointment they are bonded into place and you have your new beautiful smile. In the interim period temporary veneers are placed.

Composite Resin veneers are created, shaped and bonded for you in the one session. Whilst they look great, they lack the lustrous shine of porcelain that mimic so well the natural appearance of blemish free, young enamel.

Q: Does root canal therapy weaken a tooth?

A: In short NO!.

According to the journal of Endodontology (Huang etal 1991, J Endo 1991; 18; 209-215) whilst root canal may cause some dehydration to the tooth, this does not affect the physical or mechanical properties of the tooth.

Q: Why do some dentist think that root filled teeth need dental crowns to strengthen them?

A: the problem with root filled teeth is not that they are weak; it is that without the nerve fibres within the pulp of the tooth we lose some degree of sensory perception (proprioception) Vital teeth can detect instantly the presence of extra force if we bite on something we shouldn't. We immediately flinch and search for the offending nut, shell or foreign material. Root filled teeth lack this reflex. Therefore they are often broken as a result. A crown adds protection against such a scenario.

Another reason is that the main cause of root canal failure is through secondary bacterial recontamination through the top of the tooth. A poor filling that allows bacteria to re-enter the root filling contributes greatly to its demise. This can happen via recurrent decay or simply from the saliva. Once this happens it is only a matter of days before that bacteria has reached the apex of the tooth and a new abscess begins.

It is for this reason that is it recommended that all molar teeth that have had root canal therapy be restored using a strong restoration that cusp caps the tooth at the very least. In fact root filled teeth without crowns are lost at a six times greater rate when decay was the primary cause for the original treatment. (Aquilino et al. J Pros Dent)

Q: What is Invisalign?

A: Invisalign is a viable and aesthetic alternative to braces or veneers that helps to straighten the teeth using a series of clear removable plastic aligners. Dental Lounge offers Invisalign to Sydney patients as an alternative to traditional braces. A free consultation helps us to determine what specific goals and outcomes you would like from the course of treatment. Invisalign straightening is usually achieved in about a year but can be faster in simpler cases. Your individual case is mapped from start to finish by 3D software so you can visualise the outcome before it has happened and modify the treatment as it is happening.