COVID-19 LATEST UPDATE: GOOD NEWS FOR HAPPY CHOMPERS!

As of 14th May, the Australian Dental Association (SA Branch) and the SA Government have eased restrictions on the practice of dentistry in the state.

The Mount Barker Dental Centre is now operating under Level 1 restrictions. This means we are able to carry out all aspects of dental treatment, while still adhering to our strict Covid-19 screening and social distancing practices. (This is to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all of our valued patients and staff.)

Please feel free to contact us on 83911655 to make an appointment.

I’m Still Feeling Unsure About My Treatment? What Steps Are In place To Reduce COVID Risks?

As registered health professionals, we are staying up to date with recommendations on how we should manage the risks of COVID. A few of the measures we have taken to ensure your safety are as follows, however if you have any other concerns, please call and talk to a team member to help discuss your individual treatment and needs:

• Removing magazines and toys from the waiting room
• Ensuring that social distancing is maintained in the waiting room and reception counter
• Removal of the lucky dip bin for children (Sorry Kids, will an IOU work?)
• Using a special mouth wash which eliminates virus’ from the mouth prior to treatment
• Not seeing patients who have been in contact with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case, nor people who are showing cold or flu symptoms
• Providing hand sanitation prior to patients entering the building
• Ensuring that personal protective equipment used in the clinic is, as usual, medical grade and approved by the Therapeutic Goods Association of Australia
• Disinfecting the clinic several times per day with viracidal disinfectants
• Ensuring that staff are not showing any cold or flu symptoms and haven’t been in contact with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19
• Avoiding having extra people in the clinic – please only bring a support person if it is necessary for your treatment or decision making

Sugars, are they all equal for our teeth?

Did you know there are different types of sugars? Brown sugar, cane sugar, icing sugar often come to mind, but what about other forms of sugars?

Sugars are classified as 2 different types: either added sugars, or natural sugars.

Added sugars can sneak their way into many foods – tomato sauce, pasta sauce, even ‘natural’ yogurts. Natural sugars can be just as tricky to detect as added sugars. There are 6 main types of natural sugars that we find.

So it’s just sucrose (added sugar) that is bad for my teeth right?

Whilst all sugars may not be considered equal from a health point of view, to our teeth – all sugars, including natural sugars – are in fact damaging, with the exception of lactose. There is little dental decay noticed by lactose alone, but many foods containing lactose may also contain added sugars (yoghurt, ice cream, flavoured milks). Fructose can be especially damaging for our teeth because it is often found in foods that are highly acidic, which adds to the damage they it can do.

So what does this mean for my teeth?

We often see patients who are surprised to find out they have dental decay, especially as they often consider themselves to have no ‘added’ sugar in their diets. Often we would choose to have a piece of fruit rather than a slice of cake for afternoon or morning tea thinking we are making a healthier choice, but in reality, both of these foods are damaging to our teeth. Parents can often fall into this trap with their children, as children that eat several pieces of fruit per day can often require numerous fillings.

How can I prevent sugar damage to my teeth?

The easiest way to prevent the damage of sugar, is to reduce the exposure time. This means to try to have less meals or snacks through the day. This may be conflicting to what you hear with many diets, which suggest eating several small snacks throughout the day.

If you are having several snacks, we recommend finding some foods that are low in natural sugars, as well as added sugar.

Some great examples are:
– popcorn
– nuts and grains
– plain yoghurt (no added sugar, low in lactose – greek)
– carrots
– celery
– eggs

Hello, Afterpay.

We have great news, we are making it even easier for you to keep up to date with your dental needs. We are now accepting afterpay as a method of payment for your dental treatment – this includes all aspects of dental care that we offer.

Delaying dental treatment can result in more expensive dental treatment, and more invasive dental treatment so we are proud to be one of the first dental clinics in South Australia offering this service.

DIY Tooth Whitening – Does it Work?

Do you follow us on facebook? We recently made a post that included a video that discussed DIY tooth whitening kits that you can purchase online. We didn’t do the trial ourselves, so the credit goes to Method Dental for this one – but it is definitely worth a watch! There are so many different ones on the market. Some DIY tooth whitening kits can be very expensive for the value that they offer. We encourage you to seek professional advice before you make a purchase, because we want to ensure the safety of your teeth, as well as your back pocket!

An update on dental funding for kids

Great news ….. the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) will continue in 2017! The CDBS was facing the axe as part of the federal government’s search for budget savings but in mid December its continuation was announced.

Even better news was received in February when the federal government announced that CDBS benefits would be $1000 over a two year period (up from the $700 announced in December).

This scheme offers a wonderful opportunity for many families to improve their kids’ oral health. Eligible children aged 2-17 years can access up to $1000 in benefits over a two year period for basic dental services.

Mount Barker Dental Centre’s policy is to accept the scheduled government fee as full payment.

For further information on eligibility and services covered please see our FAQ: How does the government scheme supporting dental care for kids work?

Financial support for our low income patients

Mount Barker Dental Centre has joined the community based Dental No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) which offers interest free loans between $300 and $1200 to fund your dental treatment. If you have a Health Care Card or your income (after tax) is less than $45000 per year you may be eligible. Call Uniting Communities on 8202 5180 to let them know that you are interested in applying for a Dental NILS loan.