Directly west of us
Our nearest suburb on the inland side. Conservative cosmetic dentistry — bonding, microabrasion and whitening.
Book a VisitClear Island Waters lies directly west of us, on the inland side of Mermaid Waters. Helix Dental is a short run east on local roads, at 2/299 Rio Vista Blvd — conservative cosmetic and general dentistry, with parking on site.
Directly west of us
Our nearest suburb on the inland side. Conservative cosmetic dentistry — bonding, microabrasion and whitening.
Book a VisitFinding us
Clear Island Waters sits directly west of Mermaid Waters, on the inland side of the same waterway system — a quiet residential estate built around lakes and canals, with the main arterial roads running along its edges rather than through it. Helix Dental is east of you, and the trip is a short one on local roads: you are heading towards the coast, but stopping well short of it.
We are at 2/299 Rio Vista Blvd, Mermaid Waters QLD 4218, with parking on site. For Clear Island Waters residents this is one of the nearer practices in any direction, which is worth knowing when you are planning a course of treatment that needs several visits rather than one. Call 07 5572 8969 if you would like directions.
Where we focus
A good deal of what we are asked for from this side of the suburb is small-scale rather than wholesale — a chipped edge, an uneven line, a mark on an incisor. Where that is the case, the approach that removes the least tooth structure is generally the one worth starting with.
Bonding uses a tooth-coloured resin shaped directly onto the tooth and set in place, usually in a single appointment and often with little or no preparation of the tooth beneath. It suits chipped edges, small gaps and minor shape corrections. Composite picks up stain over the years and can need repolishing or replacing, which we explain before you decide.
White or discoloured marks in enamel are common and have a range of causes. Microabrasion removes a very thin surface layer to reduce the appearance of marks that sit shallowly in the enamel. Whether it is appropriate depends on how deep the mark goes, so the assessment matters more than the technique.
Not every cosmetic concern calls for veneers or crowns. Conservative options include recontouring, small additions of composite and staged combinations of treatments — approaches that preserve natural tooth structure. Where a more extensive approach really is the better answer, we will say so and explain why.
Boutique whitening follows an examination confirming the teeth and gums are healthy, because whitening an active problem is a poor idea. It lightens natural tooth structure only. Sensitivity during treatment is common and usually settles, and results vary between people depending on the starting shade and the cause of the discolouration.
Our team
Dr Matt Hedge is the principal dentist at Helix Dental. His approach to cosmetic work is a conservative one: understand what the patient actually wants changed, look at what can be achieved by removing as little tooth structure as possible, and only move to more extensive treatment where the smaller options will not hold up.
Dr Hedge maintains his professional development across both general and cosmetic dentistry, and his day-to-day work spans routine care through to restorative and cosmetic treatment. Patients from Clear Island Waters most often see him for planning appointments, where the object is to leave with a clear picture of the options rather than a decision made on the spot.
Good to know
Composite is a resin applied and shaped on the tooth in the chair, usually in one visit and often with minimal preparation of the tooth. Porcelain veneers are made in a laboratory and bonded on afterwards, which requires preparing the tooth surface and more than one appointment. Composite is the more conservative and more easily reversed of the two; porcelain resists staining better and generally lasts longer. The right choice depends on how much change is needed and on the condition of the tooth underneath.
They are areas where the mineral content of the enamel differs from the enamel around them, and the causes range from developmental changes while the tooth was forming to early decay or a period of plaque sitting against the surface. Treatment depends entirely on depth. Shallow marks may respond to microabrasion; deeper ones need a different approach. An examination is what settles it.
No. Whitening acts on natural tooth structure and has no effect on composite fillings, porcelain veneers or ceramic crowns. If you have any of those in the front of your mouth, they will stay the shade they are while the teeth around them lighten, so they may need replacing afterwards to match. Anyone planning both should whiten first and match the restorations to the new shade second.
It varies with what is being done. Bonding a chipped edge is frequently a single visit. Microabrasion may take one or more, depending on how the enamel responds. Work involving several teeth is normally staged so that you can see the result of one step before the next is committed to. The number of visits is set out in your plan before treatment begins.
Yes, and we would prefer you did. After the examination you receive a written plan setting out what is proposed, in what order, and what each stage costs, along with the alternatives — including doing nothing for now, where that is a reasonable option. Take it away and think about it. Payment plan options can be discussed at the same time.
We are a short run east at 2/299 Rio Vista Blvd, Mermaid Waters, with parking on site. Call 07 5572 8969 or email hello@helixdental.com.au.
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