Preventive dental care in Bundaberg
A regular check-up and clean is the single most effective thing you can do for your teeth. Small problems get found while they're still small and cheap to fix, and professional cleaning removes the hardened plaque (calculus) that a toothbrush can't shift.
At Acclaim Dental your six-monthly visit is a proper examination, not a quick look. Our dentists and oral health therapists check every tooth, your gums, your bite, your jaw joints and the soft tissues of your mouth, including an oral cancer screen.
What's included in your check-up
- Full examination of teeth, existing fillings and crowns
- Gum health assessment and periodontal charting where needed
- Oral cancer screen of the lips, tongue, cheeks and throat
- Digital X-rays when due, and 3D imaging where a closer look is needed
- Scale and clean to remove plaque and calculus above and below the gum line
- Polish to lift surface staining
- Fluoride application to strengthen enamel
- Personalised advice on brushing, flossing, diet and any risk factors
- A written plan and estimate if any treatment is recommended
Why prevention saves money
A small filling caught early is a fraction of the cost of the root canal and crown the same tooth needs two years later. Gum disease caught in its early, reversible stage (gingivitis) is treated with a clean and better home care. Left alone, it becomes periodontitis, which causes permanent bone loss and is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Regular visits are the cheapest dentistry you'll ever buy.
Nervous about the dentist?
You're not alone, and you won't be judged. Tell us when you book. We'll go at your pace, explain everything before we do it, and agree a signal so you can stop at any time. Many of our most relaxed patients started as very anxious ones.
Scale and clean: what's actually happening
Plaque is a soft film of bacteria that forms on teeth every day. Brushing and flossing remove most of it, but any that's left hardens into calculus (tartar) within days, and once it's hard no toothbrush will shift it. Calculus irritates the gums, harbours more bacteria and leads to gum disease.
A professional clean uses an ultrasonic scaler and fine hand instruments to remove calculus from above and below the gum line, then polishes the teeth to remove surface stain and make it harder for plaque to stick. Fluoride is applied last to strengthen enamel.
Oral cancer screening
Every check-up includes a look at the lips, tongue, floor of the mouth, cheeks, palate and throat for anything unusual. Oral cancer is far more treatable when found early, and the dentist is usually the first person to see it. If you've noticed a sore that won't heal, a lump, a white or red patch, or numbness, mention it.
What we look for on X-rays
Decay between the teeth, decay under old fillings, bone levels around the roots (the key measure of gum disease), infections at root tips, impacted wisdom teeth and cysts. None of these are visible by eye until they're advanced. Standard bitewing X-rays are taken about every two years; our 3D imaging is used when a specific problem needs a closer look.
Home care that makes a difference
- Soft toothbrush, gentle pressure, two minutes, twice a day. Electric brushes help most people.
- Fluoride toothpaste. Spit, don't rinse, so the fluoride stays on the teeth.
- Clean between the teeth daily with floss or interdental brushes. This is where most gum disease and decay starts.
- Limit how often you have sugary or acidic food and drink, not just how much.
- Drink tap water. Bundaberg's water supply is fluoridated.
- Don't smoke or vape. Both accelerate gum disease and stain teeth.