How Often Should You See the Dentist?
Why six months is a common recommendation, who needs check-ups more or less often, and what regular visits actually prevent.
Smile Makeover: What Happens From Consultation to Final Result
A step-by-step look at how a smile makeover is planned and carried out, which treatments are commonly combined, and how long it takes.
Knocked-Out Tooth: What to Do in the First 30 Minutes
Step-by-step first aid for a knocked-out tooth, how to store it if you can’t put it back, and why the first 30 minutes matter so much.
Your Child’s First Dental Visit: When to Go and What to Expect
When to book your child’s first dental visit, what happens on the day, and simple ways to help them feel relaxed and confident.
Missing a Tooth? Implants, Bridges and Dentures Compared
Implants, bridges and dentures each replace missing teeth in a different way. Here’s how they compare on comfort, lifespan, cost and what’s involved.
Gum Disease Treatment Cost in Hornsby: Cleans, Deep Cleaning and Health Funds
Gum disease is common, often painless in its early stages, and much easier to manage when it’s picked up early. Many people put off treatment because they’re not sure what it will involve or cost. Here’s a plain guide to the options and fees at Hornsby Dental. Gingivitis or periodontitis? Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums, often with bleeding when you brush or floss. It is usually reversible with a professional clean and good home care. Periodontitis is more advanced: the gum and bone that support the teeth are affected, pockets form around the teeth, and teeth can become loose over time. It can be managed, but not usually reversed. What treatment costs at Hornsby Dental New patient consultation and clean: from $219. It includes an examination, a full-mouth OPG x-ray, bitewing x-rays, photos, removal of plaque, tartar and stains, and fluoride treatment. Existing patient consultation and clean: $199 without x-rays, $259 with bitewings or an OPG, or $309 with both. Periodontal (deep) cleaning: $280 per quadrant. The mouth is divided into four quadrants, and not everyone needs all four treated. Your dentist will measure your gum pockets, take x-rays where needed, and give you a written plan and quote before treatment starts. What deep cleaning involves Periodontal cleaning removes hardened tartar and bacteria from below the gum line and smooths the root surfaces so the gums can heal and tighten. It is usually done with local anaesthetic, one or two quadrants at a time. Your gums may feel tender for a few days afterwards. When you might be referred to a periodontist Most gum disease is treated by general dentists and hygiene appointments. For advanced cases, such as deep pockets that don’t respond to treatment or significant bone loss, your dentist may refer you to a periodontist, a registered specialist in gum disease. Claiming on your health fund Many extras policies cover check-ups and cleans, and some include periodontal treatment. We claim on the spot with HICAPS. Hornsby Dental is a Bupa Members First, Medibank Members’ Choice, NIB First Choice and Westfund Provider of Choice practice. See our health fund page. Signs it’s time to book gums that bleed when you brush or floss red, swollen or tender gums bad breath that doesn’t go away gums pulling back from the teeth teeth that feel loose or have moved All dental treatment carries risks, and your dentist will discuss them with you. Read more about gum disease treatment in Hornsby. We’re at Suite 21/14 Edgeworth David Avenue, three minutes’ walk from Hornsby station, and open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 8:30am to 4pm. Call (02) 8090 1100 or book online.
Saturday Emergency Dentist in Hornsby: Weekend Toothache Guide
Toothache rarely waits for a convenient time. If it starts on a Friday night or a Saturday morning, it can feel like you have to put up with it until Monday. At Hornsby Dental we open on Saturdays from 8:30am to 4pm, and we keep time aside for people in pain. Here’s how to tell whether your problem needs to be seen urgently, what you can do at home, and how to get a weekend appointment near Hornsby. Saturday emergency appointments at Hornsby Dental Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, Saturday 8:30am to 4pm. Closed Sunday. How to book: call (02) 8090 1100 as early as you can. Calling before 10am gives us the best chance of fitting you in the same day. Where: Suite 21/14 Edgeworth David Avenue, Hornsby, about three minutes’ walk from Hornsby station. There is free street parking nearby. We see patients from across the area, including Waitara, Asquith, Wahroonga, Normanhurst, Thornleigh and Mount Colah. Does it need to be seen this weekend? Try to be seen as soon as possible if you have: severe or throbbing toothache that stops you sleeping swelling in your gum, face or jaw a knocked-out, loose or pushed-in tooth a broken tooth, or a lost crown or filling that is painful bleeding after an extraction that doesn’t settle with firm pressure Mild sensitivity, a small chip with no pain, or a lost filling that doesn’t hurt can usually wait for a weekday appointment. Keep the area clean and avoid chewing on that side. Go to a hospital emergency department or call 000 if you have facial swelling that is spreading, difficulty breathing or swallowing, a high temperature with swelling, or a serious injury to your face or jaw. What you can do at home until you’re seen Take over-the-counter pain relief as directed on the packet. Rinse with warm salty water (half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water). Use a cold compress on the outside of your cheek, 10 minutes on and 10 minutes off. Floss gently around the sore tooth in case food is trapped. Sleep with your head slightly raised if the pain throbs at night. Avoid heat packs on a swollen face, and don’t put aspirin directly on your gum. For a knocked-out adult tooth, hold it by the crown, rinse it briefly in milk, and try to place it back in the socket or keep it in milk. Call us straight away, because time matters for saving it. If we’re closed On Sundays and after hours, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for free advice from a registered nurse. Then call us when we open and we’ll do our best to see you that day. What your appointment involves and costs Your dentist will find the cause of the pain, usually with an x-ray, and focus first on getting you comfortable. Sometimes that means finishing treatment on the day. Sometimes it means a first step, such as dressing a tooth or starting root canal treatment, with a follow-up visit booked. As a guide, extractions at Hornsby Dental range from $200 to $600, root canal treatment from $800 to $2,500, and tooth-coloured fillings from $170 to $550. Your dentist will explain your options and costs before starting. We claim on the spot with HICAPS for patients with extras cover. See our health fund page. More help: what to do about a chipped or broken tooth, or read about our emergency dentist appointments in Hornsby.
Chipped or Broken Tooth in Hornsby: What to Do Before Your Appointment
A chipped or broken tooth can happen in a second: biting an olive pip, a fall on the footpath, a knock at weekend sport. Some breaks hurt straight away. Others don’t hurt at all but leave a sharp edge or a gap. Either way, it’s worth having the tooth checked soon, because a crack can let bacteria reach the inner part of the tooth. This guide explains what to do in the first few hours, how urgent different breaks are, and what treatment may involve at Hornsby Dental’s emergency appointments. What to do straight away Rinse your mouth gently with warm water to clean the area. Keep any pieces of tooth in a clean container with milk or saliva and bring them with you. Use a cold compress on your cheek for 10 minutes at a time if there is swelling. Cover a sharp edge with sugar-free chewing gum or dental wax from a pharmacy so it doesn’t cut your tongue or cheek. Take over-the-counter pain relief if needed, following the directions on the packet. Don’t put tablets directly on the gum. Chew on the other side and avoid very hot, cold or hard food until you have been seen. How urgent is it? Call us the same day if: the break is large, or you can see pink or red in the middle of the tooth the tooth is painful, sensitive to air, or throbbing the tooth feels loose or has moved a crown, veneer or large filling has come off A small chip with no pain is less urgent, but it’s still worth booking in within a few days so the edge can be smoothed or repaired before it chips further. Go to a hospital emergency department or call 000 if you have a serious facial injury, facial swelling that is spreading, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or bleeding that won’t stop. What treatment may involve Your dentist will examine the tooth and usually take an x-ray to check the root and the nerve. Treatment depends on how much tooth is lost and whether the nerve is affected. Options can include: Smoothing or bonding for small chips, using tooth-coloured filling material. A tooth-coloured filling for moderate breaks. At Hornsby Dental, fillings range from $170 to $550 depending on size and surfaces. A porcelain crown when a large part of the tooth is missing, from $1,800. Root canal treatment if the nerve is damaged or infected, from $800 to $2,500, plus the final restoration. Extraction if the tooth can’t be saved, from $200 to $600. Your dentist will talk you through replacement options. These are guide prices from our price list. Your dentist will explain your options and the cost before any treatment starts. All dental treatment carries risks, and your dentist will discuss them with you. Using your health fund If you have extras cover, we claim on the spot with HICAPS so you only pay the gap. Hornsby Dental is a Bupa Members First, Medibank Members’ Choice, NIB First Choice and Westfund Provider of Choice practice. See our health fund page for details. Getting to us We are at Suite 21/14 Edgeworth David Avenue, Hornsby, about three minutes’ walk from Hornsby station, with free street parking nearby. We are open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 8:30am to 4pm. Chipped or broken a tooth? Call (02) 8090 1100, ideally before 10am, and we’ll do our best to see you the same day, or book online.
Bupa, Medibank, NIB or Westfund? Using Your Extras at Hornsby Dental
If you have extras cover, your next check-up at Hornsby Dental could cost you very little, or nothing at all. This guide explains how health fund claims work at our Hornsby practice, what being a Bupa Members First, Medibank Members’ Choice, NIB First Choice and Westfund Provider of Choice practice means for you, and how to check your cover before you book. Which health funds can I use at Hornsby Dental? You can use any Australian health fund at Hornsby Dental. We are a Bupa Members First, Medibank Members’ Choice, NIB First Choice and Westfund Provider of Choice practice. If you are with another fund, such as HCF, ahm, CBHS or Teachers Health, you can still claim on the spot. Your rebate is simply set by your own fund and level of cover. See our health fund dentist in Hornsby page for details of each fund. What does a preferred provider mean? Health funds run networks of dentists they have an agreement with. When you see a dentist in your fund’s network, you may receive higher benefits or set prices on some general dental services, so you pay less out of pocket. For a routine check-up and clean, eligible members may pay no gap at all. The exact benefit always depends on your policy, your waiting periods and how much of your annual limit is left. Claiming on the spot with HICAPS Hornsby Dental uses HICAPS, so you do not need to lodge a claim yourself. Bring your physical or digital health fund card. At the end of your appointment, we send the claim to your fund, the benefit is paid straight away, and you only pay the gap, if there is one. What does extras cover usually pay for? Preventive dental: check-ups, cleans, x-rays and fluoride. Many policies cover two of these visits a year. General dental: fillings and simple extractions. Major dental: crowns, bridges, root canal treatment and dentures, usually with longer waiting periods. Orthodontics: braces and Invisalign, often with a separate lifetime limit. Every policy is different, so check the details with your fund before major treatment. How to check your cover before you book Call your fund or use its app and ask what you are covered for, using the item numbers on your treatment plan. For a new patient check-up and clean, the most common item numbers are 012 or 011 (examination), 037 (OPG x-ray), 022 (bitewing x-ray), 114 (scale and clean) and 121 (fluoride). Ask three questions: how much is left in your annual limit, whether any waiting periods still apply, and when your limits reset. What a check-up costs at Hornsby Dental A new patient check-up and clean at Hornsby Dental is $219, or No Gap for eligible members of participating health funds. It includes an examination, a full mouth OPG x-ray, bitewing x-rays, photographs, a clean and a fluoride treatment. If your fund pays the full fee for a preventive visit, there is nothing to pay on the day. Book your next visit Annual limits do not roll over, so unused extras are lost when your limits reset. Book online or call Hornsby Dental on (02) 8090 1100. We are at Suite 21, 14 Edgeworth David Avenue, Hornsby, about three minutes’ walk from Hornsby Station, with free street parking nearby.
Bleeding Gums: Causes, Treatment and When to See a Dentist
Why gums bleed, what you can do at home, how gingivitis and periodontitis are treated, and when bleeding is a reason to book a visit.