White fillings and restorative dentistry

Composite resin, bonded to the tooth and shaded to match it, placed in a single appointment. How long it lasts depends on how much tooth was lost and where it sits — a small one in a front tooth is a different proposition from a large one carrying the bite at the back. The extent is measured and imaged first, because what shows on the surface is not always all of it.

Yes. Crowns are designed and milled on site while you wait, so most are completed in a single visit with no impression putty and no temporary crown. What it costs is set out in your written plan after the examination, with the item numbers for your health fund.

The tooth is fully numbed first, and most people describe the appointment as similar to having a filling. The pain people associate with root canals is usually the infection beforehand, not the treatment. Sedation and general anaesthetic are available if you would rather not be aware of it. Both are quoted separately from the treatment fee.

An emergency first visit opens the tooth and dresses it, which is what settles the pain. That is not the whole root canal course — the rest is completed at later visits — so it is quoted as its own item and the course is quoted separately. You are quoted before anything starts. Outside business hours an attendance fee applies on top; ring the practice and reception will tell you what applies.

Yes. The first stage opens the tooth and dresses it, which is what settles the pain, and it is quoted as its own item. The rest of the course is completed at later appointments and quoted separately. Whether staging suits your tooth is decided at the assessment, not in advance.

The figure comes after the assessment. What drives it is how many canals the tooth has — a front tooth is simpler than a molar — whether the pain has to be settled at a first visit before the course is completed, and whether the tooth needs a crown afterwards. You are quoted in writing before anything starts, and HICAPS claims are processed on the spot.

Usually one to three, depending on the tooth and whether there is active infection. Molars have more canals and take longer. Your dentist will tell you which applies after looking at the tooth and an X-ray.

Both are valid. A root canal keeps your own tooth and the bone around it. An extraction is cheaper up front but leaves a gap that usually needs replacing later. Which is appropriate depends on how much sound tooth is left, and that is decided at an assessment.