General Dentistry

“General Dentistry should be Preventive”

What is general dentistry?

General dentistry is a common term in dentistry which helps patients in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of problems, disorders and diseases relating to all soft tissues in the mouth. The goal of general dentistry treatment is to help people maintain optimal oral health. General dentistry should, in fact, be preventive dentistry.

Ideally, general dentistry should be preventative. Unfortunately quite a number of people do not understand oral health, resulting in dental conditions such as:

Toothaches
Bad breath
Bleeding and swollen gums
Tooth cavities
Loose teeth
Broken teeth
Chronic tooth decay

You need to a Good Dentist who practices Good Dentistry who can help you solve your problems.

What to look for in a family dentist for general dental care:

Bondi Dental is a reputable dental centre which has been treating Bondi families for decades. We support your family with modern dental care, using the latest equipment and have a knowledge and helpful staff. We invite you to relax in our comfortable, newly renovated waiting room.

Here are just a few general services you should expect from your general dental care dentist:

Regular checkups: Most patients need to see the dentist every six months. Some patients might need to go slightly more often, if they have chronic dental or gum problems or sensitive conditions that require more attention. Your dentist should help you to maintain a regular schedule of maintenance so that you can have reliable, ongoing expert monitoring of your dental health. Many dental health problems tend to develop gradually – and prevention is always the best medicine. For these reasons, it is important to keep up a schedule of regular dental checkups, which is now called Active Dental Maintenance.

Teeth cleanings: Every periodic visit to the dentist should include thorough teeth cleaning, provided by the dentist or a dental hygienist.

During teeth cleaning, your dentist or hygienist will also evaluate the health of your gums – for example, if your gums bleed too much during the cleaning and flossing, this could be a sign of an early stage of gum disease which can be treated by dental professionals removing the plague build up around your teeth. If this condition is not detected and continues to deteriorate, your gums will become more inflamed and swollen and you will suffer bone loss and your teeth may become loose and fall out.

Early detection of dental problems: Regular visits to the dentist can enable your dentist to detect dental problems such as tooth decay. Early removal of tooth decay can avoid involvement of the pulp that may lead to more complex treatments such as Root Canal Therapy.

Oral cancer screening: Every dental appointment also needs to include a routine screening for oral cancer. This usually doesn’t take long; the dentist just needs to look in your mouth to check the appearance of your gums, lips and tongue. Oral cancer is one of the few types of cancer that has not seen a decrease in fatality rates – it can be difficult to treat. However, it is quite possible to prevent oral cancer through screenings and early detection – and this is part of what your dentist will look for at every dental appointment.
Oral health care counselling and maintenance: Dentists are not just in the business of doing root canals and filling cavities – they are oral health care experts who can help you maintain your overall oral health. Dentists can offer advice on diet, beverages and other issues related to your oral health. One of the most important roles for a dentist is to help patients maintain good dental hygiene habits and avoid dental problems before they arise.
Sensitivity to the needs of children: Some children are afraid to go to the dentist. A good family dentist will be aware of this challenge, and will make special efforts to help the little ones feel comfortable in the dentist’s chair. Good family dentists should have a pleasant and welcoming demeanour for patients of all ages.

Dental services provided by Bondi Dental:

Professional diagnosis
Active maintenance (regular check-ups, scale and cleaning)
Root canal therapy
Wisdom teeth extraction
Periodontal gum treatment
Treatment of chronic conditions
Tooth coloured fillings
Crowns and bridges
Laminated composite veneers
Porcelain veneers
Dental implants
Teeth whitening

What is Good Dentistry?

Good dentistry is about good management of your individual dental situation. If a dentist's treatments are well administered, it will help you save time and money, and your visits to the dentist will be organized, predictable and relaxed.

Good Dentistry at Bondi Dental

The practice of good dentistry is to provide high quality dental treatments to patients with the objective of helping them maintain their ‘teeth for life’.

Bondi Dental in Sydney works to find solutions and treatments through a detailed analysis of symptoms conducted by Dr Andrew Sih. Immediate and long term solutions to dental symptoms can be effectively achieved by visiting the clinic.

At Bondi Dental you can expect to get:

Precise and accurate diagnosis based on

Detailed dental and medical history
Examination of soft and hard tissues
Recognizing symptoms and pathology
Radiographs
Study models

Treatment plans based on

Good understanding of patients’ needs
Appropriate treatment options relative to the nature of the problem
Short and long term planning, tailored for each individuals needs
Ensure optimal long term results and avoid unnecessary expenses
Early treatment to avoid complications

Good fillings guaranteed to be

Decay free and biologically sealed to prevent future decay
Occlusally (bite) balanced
Prevent food from being trapped and easy to floss
Smooth margins – for healthy gum and easy cleaning
Coloured to match your teeth

Crowns and bridges that:

Provide maximum comfort and have a natural appearance
Are decay free, biologically sealed
Are occlusally balanced with the correct bite
Allow for easy food removal and easy to floss
Have smooth margins – for healthy gum and easy cleaning
Have consistent colour and translucency as your other teeth

Root canal therapy with:

Rubber dams to isolate tooth
Root canal systems that are clean to the apex and free from bacteria
Root canals which are properly sealed

Prophylaxis (Scale and Clean) based on:

The thorough removal of plague and calculus deposits
Removal of stain
Ensuring proper health tissue response
Reinforcement of oral hygiene

What makes a Good Dentist?

We go to see a dentist to maintain our oral health and to solve our dental problems. It is important that we should know how to choose a good dentist who is competent, knowledgeable, experienced and reliable. A good dentist should demonstrate both good clinical skills and patient-care.

On the clinical side, a good dentist should provide patients with accurate diagnosis of their problem. He should possess updated knowledge and skills to provide high standards of treatment tailored to the patients’ needs and requirements.

On the patient-care side, a good dentist should be sensitive to the patients’ psychological and physical well being, before, during and after treatment. Patients should fully understand their dental condition, and feel comfortable and relaxed knowing that their problems will be properly solved.

A good dentist should enable every patient to walk out with a smile.

Good dentists at Bondi Dental

Dr Andrew Sih is the Principal Dentist at Bondi Dental. Dr Sih is a reputable and competent dentist who has had more 30 years of experience in dentistry. He provides high quality dental services in all aspects of dentistry and has special interests in cosmetic and restorative dentistry, including dental implants.

Friendly and down-to-earth, Dr Sih is a dentist who really cares about his patients. Dr Sih excels in making accurate diagnosis, giving full and detailed explanations to his patients in Sydney, followed by proposals on various treatments most suitable to their needs and requirements.

Years of experience, professional skills, ethics and a cheerful disposition coupled with continual post-graduate studies in Advanced Clinical Procedures, up-to-date technologies and modern materials all contribute to Dr Sih’s leading position in dentistry.

Dr Terry Yuen is a top surgeon and a highly reputable dental implant specialist in Adelaide.

Dr Yuen is a member of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and a Member of the Australian Osseointegration Society. Dr Yuen travels extensively around the world to keep up to date on the latest technology and education

Dr Yuen has given lectures and seminars locally and overseas and has published research papers in local and international journals. Dr Yuen is highly experienced and in the past twenty years has performed more 2000 successful cases of dental implant procedures.

Happy to find Dr Sih when in Hong Kong

A nice trip to Dr Sih's Cosmetic and General Dental Practice in Bondi, Sydney:
The whole experience started when I took my daughter, Tiffany (four and half years old), to see a dentist in Hong Kong in April 2007. We were told that she needed four "root canals" and three fillings done under general anaesthetics, which would cost at least fifty thousand Hong Kong Dollars. I was very unsure about the suggested diagnosis and treatment.

I was very apprehensive and my good friend told me that I must see someone who is very reliable and trustworthy. She suggested that I consider going to Sydney and visit her most trusted dentist, Dr Andrew Sih.

I then called Dr Sih over the phone. Dr Sih was very kind and understanding. He asked me very detailed questions about my daughter's conditions, and then gave me a few suggestions as to what should be and could be done for Tiffany and the estimated costs.
I felt very comfortable and convinced after talking to Dr Sih. He gave me confidence.

Consultation in Sydney

I immediately booked flights for Tiffany and myself for Sydney. On our first day of arrival, we went to see Dr Sih. He was very professional and friendly when dealing with Tiffany, and I could tell that Tiffany really trusted him. Dr Sih allowed two afternoon sessions for the whole treatment.

During the first day of treatment, though Tiffany was a bit scared, yet she was
quite comfortable with Dr Sih and was willing to listen to him and do what he told her to do. This normally would be quite difficult for little children visiting their dentists for the first time.

On the second day, Tiffany was so relaxed that she could go into Dr Sih's clinic without me sitting beside her. She was beaming with a big smile after the whole procedure was done.

Saving in Sydney, Quality Dentistry

In actual fact, Tiffany only needed fillings done without any root canals. And she didn't need general anaesthetics either. All she was given was a child dosage of tranquillizer, laughing gas and local anaesthetics, which was definitely less invasive.

All in all, I was extremely pleased with the whole experience and with the way that Dr Sih handled Tiffany. Tiffany still talks about her dental visit in Sydney, and actually wants to visit Dr Sih again! When a child looks forward to her next dental visit, that says something about the dentist!

Another comment I wish to make is that, the total cost of Tiffany's dental treatment with Dr Sih, including our return air tickets to Sydney, was considerably less than what I would have to spend if the work was done in Hong Kong.

Thank you, Dr Sih
Sheila Chan

If you want to maintain your oral health, or require any of the above dental services, call Bondi Dental now, at 1 300 988 010 and you can be assured of the best dental care.