Dental Technology

Do dental visits make you feel anxious or uneasy? Well, great news! SmilesHQ is pleased to offer nitrous oxide to calm nervous patients and provide a more relaxing experience. Nitrous oxide––also called 'happy gas' or 'laughing gas'––is a safe and gentle conscious sedation method that helps calm anxiety, curb dental fear and dull potential discomfort. 

We administer nitrous oxide through a comfortable face mask or nasal hood that fits over the nose. As patients breathe in the odourless, colourless gas, they start to feel relaxed, weightless and even euphoric.

The effects of nitrous oxide dissipate once the patient removes the mask and no longer breathes in the gas. In just a matter of minutes, most patients feel back to normal and can resume their usual daily activities.  

Laser dentistry is safe and effective for multiple treatments, including periodontal disinfection and gingival (gum) contouring.

Periodontal Disinfection

Periodontal disinfection, or laser pocket disinfection (LPD), involves using a gentle dental laser to eliminate harmful bacteria tucked in pockets between the teeth and gums. Patients with gingivitis or gum disease can significantly benefit from LPD because it removes the bacteria that standard cleaning instruments can’t reach. 

Gum Contouring 

The diode soft tissue laser can also treat gummy smiles and alter the shape of gum tissue, providing the patient with a more symmetrical gum shape. Laser dentistry allows our doctors to quickly and precisely remove excess gingival tissue with little to no bleeding, swelling or postoperative pain.

Panoramic x-rays capture an image of the entire mouth and can be used to plan treatment for braces, extractions, implants and dentures. These x-rays require little to no special preparation except the removal of any jewellery, eyeglasses or any metal objects that might interfere with the x-ray imaging results.

Ready to sit back and relax during your appointment? At SmilesHQ, we offer noise-cancelling headphones or invite patients to watch TV during their visit. Each treatment room has a TV above the dental chair, making it easy to relax and enjoy to your favourite TV show. Not only does this entertain patients, but it also gives them peace of mind by shifting their focus from the treatment being done. Our doctors also use the TVs for patient education so that we can show you details of your smile, potential areas of concern and treatment plan options. With noise-cancelling headphones, you can also block out the surrounding noises or listen to music while we care for your smile. 

Digital dental impressions mean no more messy goop! Unlike impressions of years past, digital impressions are a digital scan of your mouth that creates a map of your teeth, allowing your dentist to view your smile on a computer screen. To make a digital impression, we use a small, handheld wand that we slowly move around inside your mouth that takes measurements and 3-D images of your smile. Digital impressions benefit all patients, especially those with sensitive gag reflexes.  

A root canal may seem scary, but rotary endodontics make it very predictable and pain-free. It allows us to gently and thoroughly remove infection and bacteria without stretching or damaging the tooth’s root canals. Often we see patients falling asleep during their procedure, and we have to wake them when we are finished.

Intraoral cameras help us show you what we see in your mouth. These cameras take detailed photos and videos, providing us with information needed treatment planning. With intraoral cameras, we can identify and monitor signs of dental wear, cracks, tooth decay, gum disease and more. 

SmilesHQ uses digital records for easy, accessible, confidential electronic charting, digital imaging, and enhanced case presentation. We can also access your digital records chair-side during your appointment so we can view and discuss them together. Digital records also streamline our dental practice and allow us to easily send your records to specialists and insurance. 

SmilesHQ uses 3-D printing technology to provide reliable, high-quality dentistry to our patients. 

We can make the following using 3-D printing technology at our Warners Bay dental clinic: 

• Clear aligner models
• Crown and bridge models 
• Custom whitening trays 
• Surgical guides
• Occlusal guards and splints 
• Retainers
• Personalised smile design

With 3-D printing technology, the sky’s the limit!

The Dental 3-D Printing Process

1. Scan – We collect a precise and accurate digital impression using an intraoral scanner and send it to a design station or lab for design and manufacturing. 
2. Design – We import the digital scan into computer-aided design (CAD) software and create the design. 
3. Print – Once we complete the design, we import the file to computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software for print setup. 
4. Prepare – We sanitise, dry and post-cure the printed materials. 

For more information about how we use 3-D printing at SmilesHQ, we invite you to call our dental clinic in Warners Bay. 

Smile design technology allows us to digitally create your dream smile. Our team photographs you and take digital scans of your mouth to design a virtual mockup of your new smile. With digital smile design, you can see exactly how your new smile will look before we even begin treatment!