Technology is advancing and has made great differences in dental treatments even in the last few years. It's exciting to be able to offer options that have simplified the patients’ experience and allowed for minimal loss of enamel and dentine.
Dr Gourlay and Dr Vawda have always enjoyed a collaborative approach to sharing knowledge of the latest materials and options. Their core values of teamwork and education sees that the whole team is growing and learning when it comes to providing the best options in dental care.
Digital X-Rays and OPG at Willow Dental Care
Here at Willow Dental Care in Norwest, we are always considering your health, safety and risk versus benefit. These days the benefits of x-rays well outweigh the risks. When needed, X-rays may be used to detect decay between the teeth, infections in the bone, assess for missing teeth prior to orthodontics, or check for wisdom teeth positioning. We will suggest x-rays according to your individual needs. If you are concerned, please raise it with your dentist.
Digital x-rays produce much less radiation than the old film-style ones and are better focused, not scattering the radiation like they did 20 years ago. Did you know that having a digital dental x-ray is about the same radiation we get on a flight from Sydney to Melbourne?
Convenient and Immediate X-rays in Baulkham Hills
We understand how hectic life is, so we are also pleased to offer the convenience of OPG x-ray services on-site in Baulkham Hills. OPG stands for orthopantomogram and is a panoramic scan of both upper and lower jaws and helpful to see the number, location and direction of teeth and the jawbones. For concerned Hills District patients, an OPG will answer the question of wisdom teeth coming through and check if they are impacted. A full jaw x-ray can be done right here, saving you the hassle of an extra trip to a Hills District radiology lab. Our machine is the award-winning Kavo OP3D, quality made in Finland.
Intraoral Cameras - To Show You What We See
One of the best ways we can communicate with transparency is to show you what we see in your mouth. At Willow Dental Care, every treatment room has a Mouthwatch intraoral camera. With an intraoral camera, we can show you images of your teeth and gums and save them in your record. We find the visual image that helps you understand your particular dental issues and participate in the decision making about treatment. It also allows us to monitor the stability and maintenance of your oral health over time. These photographs will become an integral part of most of your visits to Norwest.
Trios 3-Shape Scanner - No More Impressions!
Our 3D Digital scanner is an exciting addition to the Norwest practice for the team and patients. Previously, to make retainers, mouthguards, teeth whitening trays, crowns and night splints, we required goopy impressions in trays that fill your mouth. Now we can simply scan over your mouth with the Trios wand and comfortably get all the information the lab needs to make these appliances.
At Willow Dental Care, we are thrilled to now offer Invisalign® in Baulkham Hills using our Trios scanner for our patients looking to straighten their teeth quickly and simply.
The Trios 3-shape scans can also track changes in your teeth over time, such as wear on your teeth from grinding or movement.
The amazing smile design feature of the Trios 3 scanner shows a forecast of what your teeth could look like after cosmetic treatment such as composite or porcelain veneers.
Sedation in Baulkham Hills and Bella Vista
For our more apprehensive patients or for children who are a little nervous about their dental treatment, we offer nitrous oxide sedation. For eligible patients, nitrous oxide (commonly referred to as "happy gas") provides the benefit of relaxation during your appointment but will typically allow you to return to feeling normal quickly so that you can drive and continue with your day afterwards. Many patients report that it helps them relax and takes the sting and intensity out of their dental visits.
Our mission is to make you feel safe and as comfortable as we can. We take pride in the number of Hills District patients we have helped through anxiety to a healthy smile. If you suffer from dental phobia, we can also book conscious sedation for anxious patients if needed. Sometimes it's a good idea to book in for a chat and a look to start a plan of action to get your healthy smile back.
Note: All surgical and sedation procedures carry potential risks and complications. Your dentist will discuss these with you in detail before your treatment and answer any questions you may have.
Health Safety and Infection Control
You can rest assured that at Willow Dental Care, we uphold the highest standards of safety and compliance in infection control for every procedure at every appointment.
We regularly attend professional infection control seminars so we can stay up to date with the latest advice to keep our patients and staff safe. In addition, we review our policies and carry out formal in-house staff training regularly.
We have the latest Lisa autoclave that uses steam and heat to sterilise all instruments and a dedicated tracking system. Where items cannot be sterilised, we use single-use disposable items. We have a comprehensive protocol for cleaning the surgery between patients.
Infection Control is something that often happens behind the scenes as far as patients are concerned. It requires diligence and expertise to clean surfaces and sterilise instruments. During treatments such as check-ups, fillings and root canal, you will see our commitment to using bagged sterilised instruments and retrieving additional equipment with dedicated sterile transfer tweezers. Check us out at your next appointment.
If you have any questions about how we keep you safe or would like a tour of our steri room, please let us know.
We put so much effort and care into our infection control procedures, and we would be happy to show you!
Ceiling Mounted TVs
At Willow Dental Care Norwest, our treatment rooms have TVs mounted on the ceiling. This is a great distraction for adults and children alike to pass the time during their appointment, whether they're visiting us for a short appointment, like a check-up or filling, or a longer procedure like a crown or root canal treatment.