Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is an infection of the tissues supporting your teeth. It begins with plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that forms on your teeth. If not removed by regular brushing and flossing, plaque hardens into tartar. Only a dental professional can thoroughly and safely remove tartar. 

When Gum Disease Progresses

Gum disease progresses through two main stages: gingivitis and periodontitis. 

• Gingivitis — Gingivitis is the early stage, characterised by red, swollen gums that may bleed during brushing or flossing. The damage is usually reversible at this stage, but good oral hygiene and professional cleanings are necessary.
• Periodontitis — If untreated, gingivitis can progress to periodontitis, a more severe stage of gum disease. With periodontitis, the gums pull away from the teeth, creating infected pockets with bone loss. The immune system fights the infection, but combining bacterial toxins and the body's response can break down the bone and connective tissue supporting the teeth. Over time, this can result in tooth loss.

Gum Disease Treatment in Cabramatta

Preventing and treating gum disease is crucial for maintaining overall oral health. Tripitaka Dental offers comprehensive periodontal care, including deep cleanings, scaling and root planing, to effectively manage and treat gum disease.

Our team is dedicated to helping you achieve and maintain healthy gums! 

The importance of clearing gum disease before dental restorations

Clearing up gum disease before major dental treatments is a crucial step for the success and longevity of the procedure. It's not just a recommendation; it's a fundamental requirement to ensure that your mouth is a healthy environment for the work to be done

Think of your teeth as a house. The gums and the underlying jawbone are the foundation. If the foundation is damaged or unstable due to gum disease, any new work you put on top—like a crown, a filling, or especially a dental implant—is at risk. 

Gum disease is an active bacterial infection. Doing dental treatment in an infected and inflamed environment is like building on quicksand. The bacteria can easily contaminate the treatment area, leading to complications, poor healing, and even failure of the procedure.

Gum disease can also cause your gums to pull away from your teeth. This exposes the sensitive roots and can affect the final cosmetic result of a new crown, veneer, or filling, making it look unnatural.

Advanced gum disease, known as periodontitis, causes the jawbone to erode. This bone is what holds your teeth in place. For procedures like dental implants, a strong, healthy bone is crucial for success. If you don't have enough bone, the implant has nothing to fuse with, and it will fail.

For any dental procedure, the body needs to be able to heal properly. Gum disease hinders this process. Hence, clearing gum disease must be the forefront to any dental treatment to establish a healthy mouth for any further dental reconstructive work.

Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry work at Tripitaka Dental, Cabramatta

At Tripitaka Dental, Cabramatta, we insist on establishing a healthy mouth by clearing all gum disease prior to doing any dental cosmetic work and dental implants. Providing you with beautiful smile that can last beyond the standard expectation is our mission.

Treating periodontitis can be expensive for several reasons, primarily because it's a complex, chronic disease that requires intensive, and often, long-term care. It's not a once-and-done solution like a simple filling.

Severity of the Condition

Early Stages (Gingivitis): This is the least expensive to treat, often only requiring a general dental clean.

Moderate Periodontitis: This requires a more intensive procedure called scaling and root planing (a deep clean). This involves multiple appointments, local anaesthetic, and specialised tools to remove plaque and tartar from below the gum. It requires more hand skills and time to perform. Hence the costly fee compared to the general dental clean.

Advanced Periodontitis: This is where the costs escalate significantly. Once the disease has caused significant bone and tooth loss, surgical intervention is often necessary.

Gum Disease is an ongoing disease. It is a chronic condition that can't be "cured" but rather must be managed, similar to Diabetes, High blood pressure etc. Hence, it is important to prevent its onset.

Tripitaka Dental, Cabramatta Focus on Preventing Gum Disease

The most cost-effective approach is to prevent the disease by attending regular dental check-ups and clean. At Tripitaka Dental, Cabramatta we encourage and help our patients prevent gum disease with many oral hygiene tools. Speak to Dr Theresa Lam for the best way to maintain your oral health.

At Tripitaka Dental, we want to help our patients establish a strong foundation for their smiles. Sometimes, a bone graft is necessary for improving and maintaining one's oral health and wellness.  

What Is a Bone Graft?

A bone graft is a surgical procedure to repair and rebuild bone structure in the jaw. This procedure becomes necessary when a patient has insufficient natural bone due to tooth loss, gum disease or trauma. The graft material is carefully placed into the deficient bone area.

How Does a Bone Graft Work?

The primary purpose of a bone graft is to provide a stable and solid foundation for dental implants, bridges or dentures. It works by promoting the growth of new bone around the grafted material, effectively filling in gaps and strengthening the jawbone. This process, known as osseointegration, ensures the jawbone is robust enough to support the placement of dental implants. Bone grafting can also restore the natural contour of the jaw and face. 

Our Cabramatta Dentists Welcome Your Call

At Tripitaka Dental, our experienced team uses advanced techniques to ensure the precision, success and comfort of bone graft procedures in Cabramatta, NSW.

We invite you to call our dental practice today to arrange a consultation, or you are welcome to book online. 

Why Sinus lift?

A sinus lift bone graft (sinus augmentation) is a surgical procedure to add bone to your upper jaw in the area of your molars and premolars. The sinuses are empty spaces in your skull located behind your cheeks and above your upper back teeth.

This procedure is typically performed when there isn't enough bone height in the upper jaw to support dental implants. Without a sufficient amount of healthy bone, a dental implant would not have a stable foundation and would fail. 

Types of Sinus Lift Surgery

1. Crestal Sinus Lift: this is a much less invasive procedure where the bone graft is introduced to to sinus through the tooth socket or implant osteotomy site. However, this procedure can only place a limited about of bone into the sinus.

2. Lateral Sinus Lift: this is a more invasive surgical procedure whereby a hole is open on your upper jaw bone to introduce bone graft into the sinus. This procedure allow a large amount of bone graft placement. However, there are higher risk and more recovery pain/swelling involved.

After the surgery, you may experience some swelling, bruising, and minor bleeding from your nose or mouth. It's crucial to follow your surgeon's post-operative instructions, which usually include avoiding blowing your nose, sneezing with your mouth open, and not using a straw to prevent pressure on the surgical site.

Sinus Lift at Tripitaka Dental, Cabramatta

At Tripitaka Dental, Cabramatta we follow best practice guidelines for infection control in all our implant surgery and sinus lift procedures. Your safety and well-being is our priority.

The most common materials used for dental bone grafts in Australia are:

1. Autograft

• This is patient's own bone, typically harvested from another part of the body, such as the chin, jaw, or hip.

• Advantages: This is considered the "gold standard" because the bone is biologically compatible, contains living bone cells, and has no risk of immune rejection or disease transmission. It promotes the fastest and most predictable healing.

• Disadvantages: It requires a second surgical procedure to harvest the bone, which can increase discomfort, recovery time, and cost.

2. Xenograft

•  Bone from an animal, most commonly a cow (bovine) or pig (porcine).

• Advantages: It is widely available and can be used for larger defects. It avoids the need for a second surgical procedure on the patient.

• Disadvantages: The body may take longer to integrate with the material. It serves as a scaffold for new bone growth but doesn't contain living cells to actively stimulate it.

3. Alloplast (Synthetic)

• This is Lab-made materials, often composed of biocompatible substances like calcium phosphate ceramics or bioactive glass.

• Advantages: There is no risk of disease transmission or immune rejection. It is available in unlimited quantities and can be molded to fit a specific defect.

• Disadvantages: It also lacks living cells and growth factors, which can result in a slower and less predictable healing process, particularly for extensive bone loss.

Bone Graft at Tripitaka Dental Cabramatta

At Tripitaka Dental Cabramatta, we use premium xenograft and alloplast for dental implant bone graft. Your dentist will discuss with you the most suitable options for your case.

What are the differences between Aligners and Braces?

• Appearance: Aligners is almost not visible throughout the therapy. Braces can be unsightly with the metal brackets and wires. Even with ceramic brackets, the wires are still visible and can be a hindrance for adults to commit for therapy.
• Removability: Aligners are designed to be removed when eating, drinking, and brushing. This means there is less changes required to the daily habits. However, braces require your dentist to remove. This means more adjustments required for eating. and cleaning because of the many metal pieces and wires attached to the teeth.
• Convenience: Invisible aligners allows you to remove for special event (eg. a wedding, or special night out). Aligners often only need to attend the dentist once in a few months. Braces does not offer this flexibility. Braces tend to have more minor issues such as bracket coming off or wires poking into the cheek, which require additional attendance to the dentist for adjustments, besides the essential monthly attendances.
• Compliance: Aligners require the discipline to wear the appliance 22 hours a day. If not worn for this length of time, therapy will fail to achieve the planned result. Hence, aligners are not suitable for those undisciplined adult patients and uncooperative children. Braces do not have this requirements as the appliance is fixed on the dentition. Hence this appliance is suitable for children.
• Effectiveness: With correct case selection, both aligners and braces are just as effective with today's technology. Ten years ago, aligners were often less effective compared to braces, due to lack of aligner research and development data. However, Aligner is now almost as effective as braces and the future of mainstream orthodontic will trend towards aligners. Braces will remain as a good alternative for the undisciplined patients and the special medically compromised cases.
• Cost: Tripitaka Dental at Cabramatta believes that patient should not have to choose between these two therapy pathways due to cost differences. We try our best that have the fee nearly similar. In general, most practices would charge more for aligners compared to braces due to the cost difference for the products.

Both clear aligners and fixed braces have proven effective in straightening teeth. However, choosing between the two often depends on individual needs and preferences. 

At Tripitaka Dental, we offer clear aligners and fixed braces, ensuring our patients receive exceptional orthodontic care tailored to their unique smiles.

Clear Aligners

Advantages

• Clear aligners are nearly invisible and discreet.
• Clear aligners are removable, which makes brushing, flossing and enjoying meals less of a hassle.
• Clear aligners do not have metal brackets or wires that can cause irritation.

Considerations

• Clear aligners require discipline to wear them for 20-22 hours a day.
• Clear aligners may not be suitable for complex orthodontic cases.

Fixed Braces

Advantages

• Fixed braces can be effective for many dental issues, including complex cases.
• Fixed braces ensure consistent progress because they are fixed. 
• Fixed braces often work faster in correcting certain types of misalignment.

Considerations

• Fixed braces are visible, which may be a concern for some patients.
• Fixed braces can cause discomfort and make oral hygiene more challenging.

Clear Aligners or Fixed Braces? Let Us Help You Choose!

Ultimately, the choice between clear aligners and fixed braces in Cabramatta, NSW, depends on individual goals, lifestyle and the complexity of your orthodontic concerns. Our team at Tripitaka Dental is here to guide you through the process, so please don’t hesitate to call us or book a consultation online. 

The short answer is that while it doesn't "hurt" to have braces put on, you will almost certainly experience some discomfort, soreness, and pressure, especially during the first few days and after adjustments.

When Braces Are First Applied

The process of getting braces fitted—where the brackets are bonded to your teeth and the wire is threaded through—is not painful. However, you will likely feel some soreness and a dull ache a few hours after you leave the orthodontist's office. This is caused by the gentle, constant pressure the braces are applying to your teeth to start moving them. The most intense discomfort usually lasts for about 3 to 5 days. The pain is typically a dull ache or a feeling of pressure. Your teeth may feel sensitive, especially when chewing, and the inside of your cheeks and lips may get irritated or sore with ulceration from rubbing against the brackets and wires.

After each orthodontic adjustment

Discomfort is usually less intense than the initial pain and typically lasts for 1 to 3 days after the adjustment. Similar to the initial placement, you'll feel pressure and tenderness. 

Managing Pain

Over-the-counter pain relievers: Medications like ibuprofen (Advil) or paracetamol (Panadol) can help reduce inflammation and alleviate the pain.

Soft foods: For the first few days after getting your braces or an adjustment, stick to soft foods that require minimal chewing, such as soups, smoothies, yogurt, mashed potatoes, and scrambled eggs.

Orthodontic wax: Tripitaka Dental offers an orthodontic hygiene care kit containing a special wax to apply over any brackets or wires that are rubbing against the inside of your cheeks or lips. This creates a smooth barrier and prevents irritation

Saltwater rinses: Swishing with warm salt water can help soothe any sores or cuts inside your mouth and promote healing.

Cold compresses or cold foods: Applying an ice pack to the outside of your jaw or eating cold foods like ice cream can help numb the area and reduce swelling.

What are the differences between Aligners and Braces?

• Appearance: Aligners is almost not visible throughout the therapy. Braces can be unsightly with the metal brackets and wires. Even with ceramic brackets, the wires are still visible and can be a hindrance for adults to commit for therapy.
• Removability: Aligners are designed to be removed when eating, drinking, and brushing. This means there is less changes required to the daily habits. However, braces require your dentist to remove. This means more adjustments required for eating. and cleaning because of the many metal pieces and wires attached to the teeth.
• Convenience: Invisible aligners allows you to remove for special event (eg. a wedding, or special night out). Aligners often only need to attend the dentist once in a few months. Braces does not offer this flexibility. Braces tend to have more minor issues such as bracket coming off or wires poking into the cheek, which require additional attendance to the dentist for adjustments, besides the essential monthly attendances.
• Compliance: Aligners require the discipline to wear the appliance 22 hours a day. If not worn for this length of time, therapy will fail to achieve the planned result. Hence, aligners are not suitable for those undisciplined adult patients and uncooperative children. Braces do not have this requirements as the appliance is fixed on the dentition. Hence this appliance is suitable for children.
• Effectiveness: With correct case selection, both aligners and braces are just as effective with today's technology. Ten years ago, aligners were often less effective compared to braces, due to lack of aligner research and development data. However, Aligner is now almost as effective as braces and the future of mainstream orthodontic will trend towards aligners. Braces will remain as a good alternative for the undisciplined patients and the special medically compromised cases.
• Cost: Tripitaka Dental at Cabramatta believes that patient should not have to choose between these two therapy pathways due to cost differences. We try our best that have the fee nearly similar. In general, most practices would charge more for aligners compared to braces due to the cost difference for the products.

Both clear aligners and fixed braces have proven effective in straightening teeth. However, choosing between the two often depends on individual needs and preferences. 

At Tripitaka Dental, we offer clear aligners and fixed braces, ensuring our patients receive exceptional orthodontic care tailored to their unique smiles.

Clear Aligners

Advantages

• Clear aligners are nearly invisible and discreet.
• Clear aligners are removable, which makes brushing, flossing and enjoying meals less of a hassle.
• Clear aligners do not have metal brackets or wires that can cause irritation.

Considerations

• Clear aligners require discipline to wear them for 20-22 hours a day.
• Clear aligners may not be suitable for complex orthodontic cases.

Fixed Braces

Advantages

• Fixed braces can be effective for many dental issues, including complex cases.
• Fixed braces ensure consistent progress because they are fixed. 
• Fixed braces often work faster in correcting certain types of misalignment.

Considerations

• Fixed braces are visible, which may be a concern for some patients.
• Fixed braces can cause discomfort and make oral hygiene more challenging.

Clear Aligners or Fixed Braces? Let Us Help You Choose!

Ultimately, the choice between clear aligners and fixed braces in Cabramatta, NSW, depends on individual goals, lifestyle and the complexity of your orthodontic concerns. Our team at Tripitaka Dental is here to guide you through the process, so please don’t hesitate to call us or book a consultation online. 

Clear aligners work by applying gentle but constant pressure to your teeth to move them into position. Because of this, some level of discomfort or soreness is to be expected, but it is generally considered less painful than braces.

Initial Discomfort

When you first start wearing a new set of clear aligners, your teeth and gums will likely feel tight and a little sore. The most significant discomfort usually lasts a day for most people. But some people may feel discomfort for 3 days after placing a new tray. After this initial period, the discomfort fades as your teeth adjust to their new position. Typically, a tray is worn for 10 days before moving on to the next tray. Most people feels the discomfort as a pressure or a dull ache. It can be particularly noticeable when you are chewing or when you remove the aligners. 

Irritation: The edges of the aligners can sometimes feel sharp or rub against the inside of your cheeks, lips, or tongue, causing minor irritation or sores. This usually subsides as your mouth toughens up. If it's a major issue, your orthodontist can smooth the edges for you.

Pain when removing: Because the aligners fit so snugly, they can be difficult to remove at first, which can cause some temporary pain. This gets easier with practice as your teeth become accustomed to the process. 

Headaches or Jaw Pain: In some cases, the pressure can lead to a headache or soreness in your jaw muscles.

Managing the Pain

Over-the-counter pain relievers: Medications like ibuprofen or paracetamol can help reduce inflammation and discomfort. It's often recommended to take them right before or after you put in a new set of aligners.

Switch aligners at night: By putting in a new tray right before bed, you can sleep through the most uncomfortable first few hours.

Stick to soft foods: For the first few days with a new tray, eat soft foods like soup, yogurt, mashed potatoes, and smoothies to minimise pressure on your sensitive teeth.

Consistent Wear: Consistent wear for 22 hours a day will relieve pain faster.

Cold compresses: Applying a cold compress to your cheeks can help numb the area and reduce any swelling.

Our goal at Tripitaka Dental, Cabramatta is to provide you with a smooth and comfortable experience from start to finish and your home-care. Here’s what you need to know about the dental implant process and what you can expect regarding pain and discomfort.

During the Procedure

The dental implant procedure itself is generally painless. This is because we use local anaesthesia to numb the area where we will place the dental implant. For patients who feel anxious, we also offer sedation options to ensure a more relaxed experience. Most patients report minimal discomfort throughout the procedure, as our team takes great care to manage pain effectively.

After the Procedure

After the anaesthesia wears off, you may experience some mild discomfort, similar to what you might feel after a tooth extraction. Symptoms are typically manageable with over-the-counter pain medications and ice packs. Our team will provide detailed post-operative care instructions with a post-operative kit containing most things you need to care for the wound to help you manage discomfort and promote healing.

Long-Term Comfort

Most patients find the discomfort minimal and mostly last just one day. Pain and swelling mostly only applies to cases requiring bone graft.This is Worth the long-term benefits of a stable, permanent tooth replacement.

Our Implant Dentist Welcomes Your Call!

We invite you to call us with any questions or concerns about dental implants in Cabramatta, NSW. 

This is a very important question, and for many Australians, the allure of cheaper dental work overseas is a strong temptation. However, most dental professionals and organisations, including the Australian Dental Association (ADA), strongly advise against it. Many Australians who wish to reconstruct their missing teeth with a fixed solution (Prosthesis that is not removable) but cannot afford the Australian Dental fee, felt that their only option is to do the work overseas in a less developed country. However, people are much less aware of the issues and complications of dental works done overseas.

1.  Quality and Standards: This is the most significant risk. Australia has rigorous standards and regulations for dental materials, practitioner qualifications, and infection control. In less developed nations, there are much less rigorous (if not almost non-existent) standards and regulations for material safety and quality, clinician expertise, and infection control observations. Overseas clinics may use cheaper, unapproved implant systems or materials that are not TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) approved in Australia. This can lead to implant failure, infections, and allergic reactions. Hygiene and sterilisation protocols may not meet Australian standards, increasing the risk of serious post-operative infections. While many overseas dentists are highly skilled, it can be difficult for a patient to verify their qualifications and experience. There may be a lack of accountability or legal recourse if something goes wrong. At Tripitaka Dental, Cabramatta, we only use TGA approved products and equipments, our infection control observes "Best Practice Standards", and our clinician must have formally recognised postgraduate qualification to perform implant dentistry. Our clinician maintain latest updates in research and protocols on implant dentistry, ensuring our patients all deserve the best.
2. Follow-up and Continuity of Care: Dental implants are not a "once-and-done" procedure. They often require multiple appointments over several months to allow for proper healing and bone integration. Good restoration often require more than two visits to finish, in order to to achieve a good balanced bite and natural cosmetic appearance. To fit a patient's travel schedule, a complex procedure that should be done over several visits may be rushed into a short timeframe, which can increase risk for complications and compromise outcome, leading to failure. If you return to Australia and experience complications, you'll need to find a local dentist to manage the issue. Many Australian dentists are reluctant to take on cases where they don't know what materials were used or how the procedure was performed. If an implant fails, the cost of having it removed and a new one placed can be more expensive than the original procedure in Australia, completely wiping out any initial savings, let alone the trauma of multiple surgeries. Long-term implant success requires on-going maintenance. This maintenance is not possible done in Australia because the dentist don't know the product details in your mouth.

Dental implants are among the most effective and popular options for replacing missing teeth. 

What Is a Dental Implant?

A dental implant is a tiny, titanium post that replaces the entirety of a tooth, from the root that lies below the gumline to the visible portion of the tooth called the ‘crown’. Your dentist surgically inserts the implant into the jawbone, which provides a stable, permanent foundation for a prosthetic dental crown, bridge or denture.

Parts of a Dental Implant

A dental implant consists of three main components:

1. Implant Post — The implant post is the titanium screw that the dentist surgically inserts into the jawbone. It acts as the root of the artificial tooth.
2. Abutment — This connector is attached to the dental implant post and holds the replacement tooth or teeth in place. 
3. Dental Prosthesis — The visible part of the dental implant looks and functions like a natural tooth. It is custom-made to match the colour and shape of your existing teeth.

Want to Learn More?

If you’re considering dental implants in Cabramatta, we invite you to contact Tripitaka Dental to arrange a consultation. We will guide you through the process and tailor your treatment plan to your unique oral health needs and aesthetic goals.  

A removable denture is a dental prosthetic device designed to replace missing teeth and surrounding tissues. Unlike fixed dental implants or bridges, these appliances can be taken out of the mouth for cleaning or while sleeping. 

Removable dentures are custom-made to fit comfortably in a patient’s mouth, restoring both function and aesthetics. They’re typically made of artificial teeth, a gum-coloured base and metal clasps or attachments (for partials). 

Types of Removable Dentures

• Complete dentures replace all teeth in either the upper or lower jaw, or both.
• Partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain, filling gaps between teeth.

Benefits of Removable Dentures 

• Improved ability to eat and speak
• Enhanced facial appearance and smile
• Supports facial muscles, preventing sagging
• Often more affordable than fixed alternatives

Caring for Dentures

Proper care of your dentures is important for maintaining their overall condition:

• Clean daily with a soft brush and denture cleaner.
• Soak in water or cleaning solution when not in use.
• Receive regular dental check-ups for adjustments and oral examinations.

While initially challenging, most patients adapt to their removable dentures within a few weeks, regaining confidence in their daily activities. 

We Welcome Your Call

We invite you to call us for more information about dentures, partials and tooth replacements in Cabramatta, NSW.