Your First Visit
Has it been a while since you’ve been to the dentist?
Maybe not sure what to expect? That’s ok, we will make a fresh start when we meet you.
At The Dentist at 70 Pitt Street, we have a team of professionals to help you achieve your best oral health. With new patients, we like to spend a 90-minute appointment with you, where you will be assessed by both our dentist and hygienist team. Yet sometimes we just have a chat and work up to having treatment.
Our dentists will take X-rays of your teeth to check for cavities and general dental health and discuss any concerns that you may have in addition to the shape and colour of your teeth or the alignment or the way you chew. Our hygienist will assess your gums for periodontal disease and perform the scaling, polishing, and fluoride treatments.
We are happy to answer any and all questions that you may have, and we cater to folks who are a bit anxious or concerned about the visit. We want you to be comfortable in our practice and with the treatment that you receive.
What to expect on
your first visit
At your first visit to The Dentist at 70 Pitt Street, we’ll carry out a series of tests and examinations to ensure we have a clear picture of your dental wellbeing. These include:
- We take time to get to know you and let you get to know us. As well as answer all of those questions you have about your teeth.
- An assessment of your medical and lifestyle risk from your completed new patient registration and history.
- Examination of your face, neck, jaw muscles, and joints to check function and health.
- Examination of your cheeks, tongue, lips, and gums for signs of oral cancer.
Assessment of the integrity of your teeth covering:
- Signs of decay (cavities).
- Tooth wear.
- Existing restorations.
- Overall appearance and colour.
- Assessment of gum health and appearance.
- Review of panoramic and any other X-ray images.
- 3D scanning of your teeth
- Diagnostic photographs.
- Impressions for diagnostic models, if required.
- Discussion of the recommended treatment and follow-up care
Our Technology
Dr. Walsh and Dr. Carroll use a host of tools to assess and plan for your needs. Their ability to engage and work with evolving technology has allowed us to streamline care for patients. They believe in a mix of the latest advancements with the tried and tested workflows that have developed over time.
Digital X-rays
With the addition of computer technology, digital radiography has become a much more efficient and even safer method of producing diagnostic images. Reduced radiation, clearer image features for diagnosis, and less wait time for the films. While traditional X–rays are considered safe, digital X–rays produce 80% less radiation.
OPG
An OPG is a panoramic or wide view x-ray of the lower face, which displays all the teeth of the upper and lower jaw on a single view. An OPG may be requested for the planning of orthodontic treatment, for assessment of wisdom teeth, or for a general overview of the teeth and the bone which supports the teeth.
CBCT
A dental cone beam (CB) CT scanner uses x-rays and computer-processed x-ray information to produce 3D cross-sectional images of the jaws and teeth. Dental CT uses a cone-beam which reduces the radiation exposure dramatically compared to CTs and MRIs in the medical field. Dr. Carroll uses 3D images in planning and placing implants as well as assessing wisdom teeth positions.
Intraoral photos
We have tiny cameras that we can take photos inside your mouth. The intraoral photographs provide a static and in-depth look at the condition of your teeth and soft tissues and we can review changes in the condition over time.
Implants
As noted in the British Dental journal, modern oral implantology and implant prosthetics depend on comprehensive diagnostics and precise planning to ensure the desired outcome and meet the patient’s and the dentist’s expectations. At the Dentist at 70 Pitt Street, we plan our implants through digital implant planning and guided implant surgery based on three-dimensional radiographic data. Our planning allows us to optimise your result, improving the safety and efficiency of the surgical procedure and making the restorative outcome more predictable in terms of function, biology, and aesthetics.
iTero
Dr. Carroll and Dr Walsh can create a 3D image of your teeth in just minutes using an iTero scanner, a leading digital scanner from the makers of Invisalign® clear aligners. Our dentist also uses the scanner for monitoring changes in your teeth over time. Our intraoral scanner has no radiation.
Invisalign
Dr. Carroll and Dr. Walsh are trained across clear aligner fundamentals and software systems to design tooth moments which allows planning of tooth movement. They only treat cases where we can get predictable outcomes. We encourage all patients to have a consult with a specialist. We are lucky to be in the heart of Sydney and can provide you with referrals to some brilliant specialist. Dr. Carroll and Dr. Walsh use proprietary ClinCheck software to map out the path to your smile, right down to the tiniest shift, from your first aligner to your retainers once we complete your orthodontic journey.
- The algorithm helps calculate just the right amount of force for every tooth movement.
- The software, with input from us, helps ensure every tooth moves in the right order and at the right time.
- The 3D visual interface lets Dr. Carroll and Dr. Walsh customize your treatment.
Zoom!
Unleash a brighter smile with Philips Zoom!, you can choose from chairside or take-home professional teeth whitening treatments that are tailored to you. Whether you have a special occasion or simply want to reduce discoloration and stains, Philips Zoom! gives you professional results. All whitening gets a better result if you have had your teeth cleaned with the hygienist.
With the addition of computer technology, digital radiography has become a much more efficient and even safer method of producing diagnostic images. Reduced radiation, clearer image features for diagnosis, and less wait time for the films. While traditional X–rays are considered safe, digital X–rays produce 80% less radiation.
An OPG is a panoramic or wide view x-ray of the lower face, which displays all the teeth of the upper and lower jaw on a single view. An OPG may be requested for the planning of orthodontic treatment, for assessment of wisdom teeth, or for a general overview of the teeth and the bone which supports the teeth.
A dental cone beam (CB) CT scanner uses x-rays and computer-processed x-ray information to produce 3D cross-sectional images of the jaws and teeth. Dental CT uses a cone-beam which reduces the radiation exposure dramatically compared to CTs and MRIs in the medical field. Dr. Carroll uses 3D images in planning and placing implants as well as assessing wisdom teeth positions.
We have tiny cameras that we can take photos inside your mouth. The intraoral photographs provide a static and in-depth look at the condition of your teeth and soft tissues and we can review changes in the condition over time.
As noted in the British Dental journal, modern oral implantology and implant prosthetics depend on comprehensive diagnostics and precise planning to ensure the desired outcome and meet the patient’s and the dentist’s expectations. At the Dentist at 70 Pitt Street, we plan our implants through digital implant planning and guided implant surgery based on three-dimensional radiographic data. Our planning allows us to optimise your result, improving the safety and efficiency of the surgical procedure and making the restorative outcome more predictable in terms of function, biology, and aesthetics.
Dr. Carroll and Dr Walsh can create a 3D image of your teeth in just minutes using an iTero scanner, a leading digital scanner from the makers of Invisalign® clear aligners. Our dentist also uses the scanner for monitoring changes in your teeth over time. Our intraoral scanner has no radiation.
Dr. Carroll and Dr. Walsh are trained across clear aligner fundamentals and software systems to design tooth moments which allows planning of tooth movement. They only treat cases where we can get predictable outcomes. We encourage all patients to have a consult with a specialist. We are lucky to be in the heart of Sydney and can provide you with referrals to some brilliant specialist. Dr. Carroll and Dr. Walsh use proprietary ClinCheck software to map out the path to your smile, right down to the tiniest shift, from your first aligner to your retainers once we complete your orthodontic journey.
- The algorithm helps calculate just the right amount of force for every tooth movement.
- The software, with input from us, helps ensure every tooth moves in the right order and at the right time.
- The 3D visual interface lets Dr. Carroll and Dr. Walsh customize your treatment.
Unleash a brighter smile with Philips Zoom!, you can choose from chairside or take-home professional teeth whitening treatments that are tailored to you. Whether you have a special occasion or simply want to reduce discoloration and stains, Philips Zoom! gives you professional results. All whitening gets a better result if you have had your teeth cleaned with the hygienist.
Sterilisation
Adherence to recommended infection control protocols forms the cornerstone of a modern, safe dental practice. Prevention of cross infection is a critical part of our team’s day. It starts in the mornings when we run the daily validation tests on our ultrasonic instruments and autoclaves and clean our dental water lines. In between each patient, we decontaminate our treatment areas and move the instruments through to our sterilisation processing area.
Record-keeping is an essential part of quality control. It provides the necessary documentation of sterilisation and includes vital information on the instruments processed. At the Dentist at 70 Pitt Street, all instruments and equipment are sterilised and the process recorded. We can track and trace each sterilisation batch that goes through our steriliser.
Our logs comprise of both digital and hard copy records with the following
- Date
- Time at the commencement of the steriliser cycle
- Cycle number in that day
- Cycle temperature and time parameters
- Nature of the load (numbers of packs, instrument cassettes, etc.)
- Batch numbers of packs included in that load (if any)
- Identification (signature or initials) of the loading operator
- Result of the autoclave physical readouts or printout for that cycle
- Result of the particular chemical indicators (Class 1, 4, 5 or 6) used in the cycle. This checking includes all external and internal chemical indicators; and
- Identification (signature or initials) of the unloading operator – the person who has checked the autoclave readouts and chemical indicator result, and who authorizes release of the load for use.
Sterilisation is critical to safe practice. Our whole practice is across our sterilisation process. Regular audits and training are undertaken.
At The Dentist at 70 Pitt Street, we test our water on a regular program and to date have never had reason to have a concern with our water supply.
In recent years the dental community’s attention has been drawn to contamination of dental unit waterlines. The presence of bacteria in waterlines has been recognised since 1957. However, at the time it was not considered that the numbers and types of micro-organisms were sufficient to present a significant health problem. This situation has now changed with well-documented cases of patients acquiring Legionella pneumophila and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections from dental treatment with contaminated waterlines.
At the Dentist at 70 Pitt Street, we track each cycle of instruments through our Autoclave. So we can identify which instruments were used on which patients and can verify that they have been sterilised. Each of our instruments you will see when you visit has a barcode identifier on it which links to our sterilisation system and from that we save it to your file.
Batch control identification (BCI) is used to link packs of instruments or individual items back to a particular autoclave cycle. BCI is not the same as tracing, which refers to being able to identify which individual instruments have been used on a particular series of patients, and gives the location of instruments at any one time.
We adhere to the following guidelines:
- Dental Board of Australia: Dental Guidelines on Infection Control www.dentalboard.gov.au
- Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare, published by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 2010 www.nhmrc.gov.au
- ADA’s Guidelines for Infection Control www.ada.org.au/Publications/guideinfectcont.aspx
- AS/NZS 4815 Office-based health care facilities – Reprocessing of reusable medical and surgical instruments and equipment, and maintenance of the associated environment, or as an alternative.
- AS/NZS 4187 Cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising reusable medical and surgical instruments and equipment, and maintenance of associated environments in health care facilities www.saiglobal.com
- Hand Hygiene Australia www.hha.org.au
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care www.safetyandquality.gov.au
Frequently Asked Questions
If you believe that prevention is better than cure, that health is our most valuable asset and that good health comes from education, we are the right practice for you. We promise you will be healthy within 12-18 months of your initial visit, no matter how complex your problems may be. We promise you professional, gentle care.
Most of our returning patients prefer to have their gums and teeth cleaned and reassessed by our hygienist on the day of their regular six monthly exam. For our new patients, however, this is not always a possibility. The reason behind this is that your gums need to be evaluated before we know what kind of hygiene treatment you need: it may be just stain removal and minimal scaling of your teeth and gums or it may be a deep scaling of heavy calculus (tartar) and stain, which requires a longer appointment and possibly even multiple hygiene and periodontal treatment visits. You will have a better understanding of what kind of hygiene visit you require once you have met with our dentist for a New Patient Examination. Your hygiene visit can then be scheduled accordingly.
Radiographs (X Ray films) of your teeth are required on a regular basis, to assess for early signs of disease. These early signs are invisible to the dentist’s eye, no matter how skilled and experienced the dentist may be. Radiographs may discover problems with your teeth, including wisdom teeth, and supporting structures.
Frequency of radiographs is determined by the estimated risk of disease. If you have had a lot of dental work in the past or have had a cavity or a toothache in the past year, you are likely to require yearly radiographs until you are “disease-free” for two consecutive years. If you have not had much dental work and your teeth have been pain and cavity-free for over a year, you are likely to require radiographs two-yearly.
Modern radiographs use minimal X Ray exposure times and a lead apron is always used for protection of your body from scattered radiation. It is a widely accepted opinion that it is better to have radiographs as advised by the dentist than to end up losing a tooth due to advanced disease.
At The Dentist, we believe in holistic care for all our patients. We don’t only look at the function or health of your teeth, we also take good care of your gums and regularly assess how your overall health and lifestyle may be affecting your mouth (and vice versa). This is a lot of work for just one person, the dentist. So, we employ another trained professional, the hygienist. The hygienist is an expert in preventative care and periodontal health and helps the dentist diagnose, treat and prevent disease. You’ll always be cared for by both the dentist and hygienist, but you’ll spend most of the time in your preventative care visits with the hygienist and only a portion of the time with the dentist.
Only the teeth you want to keep! We are a strong preventive practice and encourage and show everyone how to floss. For those that just don’t pick the habit up, we often see them more often so we can help you until you pick the habit up.
Absolutely! Feel free to bring along your children. We are passionate about education and prevention, so we are always excited to have young eyes and ears around, learning about good oral health!
We offer early morning (7am) and late evening appointments (6:30pm), by prior arrangement, two days per week. Otherwise, our usual hours are between 8am and 5:00pm with flexible lunch breaks Monday to Friday. We are open the first Saturday of the month.
Yes. As a courtesy to our clients we use a HICAPS automated claiming system which allows you to claim rebates on the spot from most private health funds. However, occasionally you may be asked to submit a claim to your health fund online, by mail or in person.
The cost of our services you can find here. They are a guideline and we recommend coming into the clinic for a consultation so we can provide you with a more accurate quote. We print or email all treatment plans and quotes to you, so you know what your oral health plan is. We are an independent practice and accept all private health funds.
Yes, we have certified and experienced IV Seditionist that come into our clinic. Sleep Dentistry is also called Conscious Sedation and IV Sedation. Conscious sedation is a very safe, efficient, and effective way of minimising anxiety during certain dental procedures. There are patients who will benefit from this technique: patients who may be having a relatively unpleasant or lengthy procedure done; patients who fear dental treatment and who often avoid going to the dentists. The drugs we use in conscious sedation are given intravenously. These drugs are the same or similar to the drugs used in general anesthetics but are given at a much slower rate and a much lower dose to avoid loss of consciousness. As the name implies, conscious sedation is not a general anesthetic. The aim of conscious sedation is to reach a state of drowsiness so you can be calm and relaxed enough for the dental treatment to be completed with relative ease. You will probably remember very little of it.
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