OTHER SERVICES
OTHER SERVICES
ENJOY A SPECIALIST LEVEL OF CARE
At Sydney Prosthodontic Group, we treat people, not just teeth. What our patients truly want isn't an implant or a crown — it's the confidence to smile freely, eat without restriction, and live without holding back. That's the philosophy behind our motto: improving lives, one smile at a time.
From your first consultation through to completion, every decision is made with you in mind. We consider your lifestyle, schedule, comfort, and budget — ensuring the path to your ideal outcome is as seamless as the result itself.
Our specialist prosthodontists offer a comprehensive range of personalised solutions, from single-tooth restoration to full-mouth makeovers. Modern dentistry offers multiple ways to solve the same problem, and we take the time to explain every option — the benefits and trade-offs — so you can choose the plan that genuinely suits your needs.
Below we've outlined some of the most common concerns we treat and the solutions we offer. Not every option is right for everyone, and we'll always guide you toward what works best for your individual situation.
DENTURES
Conventional removable dentures – this is a very cost effective option for the replacement of missing teeth. While it could be undesirable to some patients, it does carry certain benefits: low treatment risks; quick to complete; inexpensive; easy to keep clean; easy to repair.
Implant-secured dentures – if the dentures that you have been wearing for some time are becoming unsightly, loose or hurt upon chewing, you may want to consider having a few implants placed to act as stabilisers to secure your dentures. This will improve appearance, comfort, speech and chewing as well as being a great option for those at high-risk of developing implant infections because the easily-removable dentures allow for ideal access for daily cleaning of the implants.
TEMPORAMANDIBULAR DISORDER (TMD) MANAGEMENT
Up to 25% of the population at some stage in their lives has suffered from TMD which may involve: jaw or muscle pain, locked jaw, clicking jaw, unable to open your mouth wide enough and ringing in the ears (i.e. tinnitus).
Our prosthodontists have specialist expertise in this area. Dr. Johnson Chou has worked extensively with a leading Sydney-based orthodontist and managed many children suffering from TMD. Patients with this problem can greatly benefit from a discussion with any of our prosthodontists.
SLEEP APNOEA MANAGEMENT
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is found to increase teeth grinding during sleep. The management of OSA with mild to medium severity can be carried out with a removable oral device, called a mandibular advancement splint. This removable splint is inserted into your mouth to bring forward your lower jaw, which in turn opens your airway to decrease snoring. The most popular brand for this device is from SomnoMed. Patients with mild to medium OSA who find a CPAP machine difficult to tolerate or frequently travel are good candidates for this appliance.
SEDATION
For the dental anxious patient or patients requiring complex surgical treatment, we offer oral sedation or intravenous sedation.
Oral sedation – a valium tablet(s) is given approximately 1 hours prior to your procedure for you to achieve a relaxed state of mind. You do need a responsible adult to drive you home after the dental procedure. This option is good for patients who prefer a light level of sedation.
Intravenous sedation – this service is provided by an anaesthetist who comes to our practice just for you. He will be delivering sedative medications through your vein to achieve a deep state of mind where you often drift to sleep. He will be staying by your side at all times to ensure your safety. Fasting protocol must take place prior and you do need a responsible adult to drive you home after the dental procedure. This option is good for patients who prefer a heavy level of sedation.
CONE BEAM (CBCT)
3D BONE SCAN
Our practice offers the latest CBCT 3D bone scan machine on site, which means we can take 3D x-rays on the spot without the need to refer you to a radiology centre elsewhere. This machine offers the lowest dosage of radiation and the sharpest image quality to aid in the accuracy of our diagnosis and treatment plan.
A 3D bone scan is taken when you're thinking of having dental implants or require comprehensive assessment. This scan provides critical information that a 2D-xray does not. When undertaking dental implant surgery, it is pertinent to your safety for us to know the bone height/width/density as well as the precise measurements and 3D appearance of critical structures like the sinuses and nerves.
BOTULINUM TOXIN (BOTOX) INJECTION
Botulinum toxin type A (BTx-A) is a neurotoxin produced by a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum bacterium. It is commonly referred to Botox because this is the first and most common brand of BTx-A. Nowadays there are other brands of BTx-A available, e.g. Dysport, Xeomin. Our practice uses Xeomin because it is the purest form of BTx-A when compared to all other products, which causes less incidence of resistance against BTx-A. This neurotoxin causes paralysis of the muscles fibres, hence making the muscles relaxed. This has a wide range of medical applications, including management of muscle spasm, wrinkles, migraines, and jaw muscle/joint pain, etc.
How does BTx-A treat jaw muscle/joint pain or temporomandibular disorder (TMD)?
It is injected into the jaw clenching (masseter +/- temporalis) muscles, which relaxes the muscle and relieves jaw tension. During subconscious teeth clenching or grinding, the muscles cannot bite down as hard as before. This reduction in bite force gives the body a greater opportunity to heal, to reduce inflammation and therefore reduce pain. It takes approximately 10 days to reach maximum effectiveness. One course of BTx-A treatment usually lasts between 3-4 months. This does not affect your ability to eat or speak. If this treatment is repeated every 3 months for 1-2 years, the size of the (masseter) muscle usually reduces, which leads to a longer lasting outcome.
What happens during BTx-A treatment?
BTx-A injections involve simple injections into the affected jaw muscles. Only the targeted areas injected will be "relaxed" which does not affect the rest of the body. It is less painful than a vaccination injection or an oral injection. Each treatment session generally takes 10-15 minutes.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY
TREATMENT PLANNING
Prosthodontists are the dental specialists that others dentists turn to for the management of complex problems. This involves a thorough process of assessment, diagnosis and formulation of a comprehensive treatment plan. Not only will we set out a clear plan for you from the start, we will also liaise with your referring dentist and potentially other dental specialists and oversee your entire treatment process to the end to ensure you receive the best possible outcome.
As an example, a treatment process to achieve your desired smile and function that would be completed when we restore your front teeth with veneers and replace missing teeth with dental implants may have started by us first referring you to see several specialists: a root canal specialist to treat a dental abscess; a gum specialist to treat a gum infection; a braces specialist to move the teeth to the correct position; and a general dentist to take care of some fillings. We will co-ordinate your treatment needs from the start, liaise with all involved parties and complete your treatment at the end. In other words, you can consider our prosthodontists your personal dental manager!
