Teeth Cleaning and Gum Health

We call an exam and clean an Active Maintenance appointment.

Dentistry has evolved, it’s no longer about placing fillings and treating toothaches. 

It’s about prevention and acknowledging the growing evidence which links our oral and general health.

In a typical Active Maintenance appointment, we take the time to thoroughly investigate the teeth and mouth as well as the myriad of possible lifestyle and general health factors which may influence your risk for developing oral or systemic disease.

We also take the time to get to know you.

These appointments look different for every patient we see.  They acknowledge that maintaining our oral and general health requires regular contact with your dental professional to prevent, detect or respond to disease.

During your appointment, your Dentist and Dental Hygienist or Oral Health Therapist will work together to complete these thorough investigations.  Your Dental Hygienist or Oral Health Therapist will also remove the harmful bacteria or ‘biofilm’ from your teeth and gums.  Photos, digital scans and X-rays may be taken during the appointment.  You will work together with your Dental Hygienist or Oral Health Therapist to tailor a preventive home care program that meets your individual needs.

At Medland Dental, we believe the best dental appointments involve a great deal of trust.  We will take the time to ensure you know and understand what’s happening inside your mouth and feel supported in making decisions that recognise you as an individual.  

Partnering with our patients to support their oral health journey has always been at the heart of what we do.

Active Maintenance is so much more than just an exam and clean.

Do you take multiple medications?

Have diabetes?

Suffer from arthritis?

Work shifts?

Or have you recently needed a filling due to decay?

You may require more frequent Active Maintenance appointments.

Our oral health needs can look very different during different stages of our lives.

For most children and young adults, attending an Active Maintenance appointment once every 6 months is enough to prevent, detect or respond to signs of disease.  When something changes with our oral health, lifestyle or general health, this may no longer be often enough.

During each Active Maintenance appointment your Dentist and Dental Hygienist or Oral Health Therapist will reassess your risk for developing oral or systemic disease and will work together with you to tailor the frequency of your Active Maintenance appointments to better meet these needs.

At Medland Dental our team of dental professionals work together to ensure you receive the very best of care.  

The evolution of dentistry from the reactive, treatment focused care of the past to the modern prevention focus of today, has seen Medland Dental evolve too.  Today, Medland Dental employs more prevention-focused practitioners than treatment-focused practitioners. 

Those prevention-focused practitioners are Dental Hygienists and Oral Health Therapists.

A Dental Hygienist or Oral Health Therapist is a tertiary-trained, registered dental practitioner.  Just like a Dentist, they are required to complete continual professional learning and ensure they practise dentistry in line with registration standards required by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and Dental Board of Australia.

Oral Health Therapists complete a Bachelor’s degree focusing on preventive and basic restorative dentistry.  A Dental Hygienist specialises solely in the delivery of preventive dental services.

Working as a team allows our Dentists, Dental Hygienists and Oral Health Therapists to deliver technically excellent care in all areas of dentistry whilst focusing on the particular area of dentistry in which they excel.

Your Medland Dentist will refer you to see one of our Dental Hygienists or Oral Health Therapists when you enter our Active Maintenance program.   

Let’s be honest, a trip to the dentist isn’t everyone’s favourite way to spend the day.

Professional tooth cleaning is a necessary component of maintaining a beautiful and healthy smile.  It removes harmful bacteria (also called biofilm) from the teeth and gums.  The bacteria in oral biofilm damage the teeth and the supporting structures such as the gum and bone that hold the teeth in place.  Over time, oral biofilm calcifies (hardens) to form deposits of ugly tartar.

When completed thoroughly, the removal of oral biofilm can sometimes feel uncomfortable.  This sensitivity is usually caused by the presence of decay, worn or eroded tooth structure or the need to remove biofilm from in and around inflamed or infected gum tissues.

Medland Dental completes professional tooth cleaning using Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT).  

Utilising the latest technology, GBT allows us to complete professional cleaning that is both more thorough and more comfortable than ever before.  

Professional tooth cleaning using GBT allows us to:

• Remove more biofilm more comfortably using a powder and warm water wash.
• Reduce the amount of traditional ultrasonic and hand scaling required.
• Required ultrasonic scaling is completed using warm water to reduce sensitivity caused by worn or eroded tooth structure.

So what is Guided Biofilm Therapy? You can read more here.

Your Dental Hygienist or Oral Health Therapist will check in with you throughout your appointment to ensure you are feeling comfortable. 

Depending on your individual needs, de-sensitising paste, local anaesthetic gel, local anaesthetic injections or a special toothpaste to use at home may also be recommended.

Your Dental Hygienist or Oral Health Therapist will invite your feedback during and upon completion of your appointment.  What has or hasn’t worked well throughout your appointment will be documented and you will receive advice on what to expect at your future visits. 

Good things take time.

And so will your Active Maintenance appointment.

For most adults, we allow a minimum of 1 hour to complete your appointment.

Have you ever wondered why your Active Maintenance appointment takes so long?   

Oral diseases like tooth decay, gum disease or oral cancer can be almost invisible, especially when in their earliest stages.  We don’t typically experience pain or notice symptoms until the disease process is already very advanced.  A toothache or a loose tooth may be the very first time we become aware of a problem in our mouth.  These problems can be tricky for dental professionals to spot as well.  Gum disease can be difficult to detect without measuring the gum ‘pockets’ around each tooth and early decay can be impossible to detect without the assistance of X-rays. 

Our Dental Hygienists and Oral Health Therapists are trained to work in close partnership with your Dentist to spot the early warning signs of oral and systemic diseases or risk factors that may contribute to systemic disease.   

It takes time to thoroughly investigate the teeth and mouth as well as the myriad of possible lifestyle and general health factors which may influence our risk for developing oral or systemic disease. 

So what should a ‘thorough’ Active Maintenance appointment involve? Read more here.

We welcome patients who wish to attend an appointment for a professional scale and clean only.

If you opt to attend an appointment for a  professional scale and clean only, it is important to be aware that your Dental Hygienist or Oral Health Therapist will not complete a comprehensive or periodic oral examination as part of your appointment.  Your teeth will not be examined during the course of the appointment and no reassurance of the absence of dental disease (decay etc.) can be provided.

Dental Hygienists and Oral Health Therapists are autonomous practitioners and able to care for patients independently of a Dentist.  Your Dental Hygienists or Oral Health Therapist will only complete treatment which falls within their individual scope of practice.  If they recognise an issue which falls outside of their individual scope of practice, they will refer you to visit with your own dental practitioner or arrange for you to be cared for by one of our Medland Dentists.

Each of our Hygienists and Oral Health Therapists are highly trained, skilled clinicians who prioritise the health and well-being of our patients.

Staying at the forefront of Brisbane’s dental industry, we are committed to utilising the latest technology and techniques to ensure that our patients can be proud of their healthy, beautiful smile.

If you have concerns about your smile or dental health and would like to learn more about treatment options that are available to you, please contact us on 07 3426 5777 or fill out the contact form and we’ll do everything we can to help.

Our welcoming and stylish dental practice is located at 66 Lambton St, Annerley, Brisbane QLD, Australia.

Providing a central and accessible location catering to patients Brisbane wide.

Our staff are passionate about ensuring every patient leaves Medland with a smile, and with full confidence they are receiving the best dental care in Brisbane.