General Dental at Lifelong

It’s never too late to refresh your smile – procedures such as dental implants, veneers and teeth whitening can transform your smile at any age.

Cosmetic Dentistry

A lifelong functional and healthy smile is about more than just being sparkly and bright. At Lifelong Dental, we understand cosmetic dentistry goes hand-in-hand with restorative dentistry. We tailor our treatments to your specific needs so the end result always blends in beautifully with your face and appearance. This is what sets Dr Geoff Storey apart from many cosmetic dentists as his decades of experience in full mouth rehabilitation and cosmetic makeovers are and remain a proven success.

The best treatments are the ones that not only improve your appearance but also offer long-term function and patient comfort.

We offer a wide range of dental treatments and are equipped to handle any of your concerns. Our experienced clinicians will help you to select the treatment option appropriate to your individual needs and dental goals. Many of our adult patients come to us with issues including:

• Worn down teeth
• Discoloured teeth
• Crooked teeth
• Chipped or broken teeth
• Short teeth
• Missing teeth

Depending on your specific needs, we always tailor the best treatment plan for you.

Orthodontics

Orthodontics is not only about giving people a beautiful smile (today there are many systems and options available to achieve this), it is also about enhancing the function of the teeth. Straight teeth which bite correctly are proven to reduce tooth decay, gum disease, premature and excessive wearing and cracking of teeth. Orthodontic treatment options have forms and there are a number of options such as clear aligners and traditional braces.
Proper planning, appropriate treatment choice and experience is essential to achieving the best outcomes.

Teeth whitening

The simplest procedure to beautify your teeth is whitening. However, before you embark on your whitening treatment, it’s really important that we thoroughly examine your teeth to ensure they are all well sealed. This step is so important as it prevents more damage to your teeth, and is part of the reason why we recommend you not use store-bought whitening treatments.
Once we have established if your teeth are healthy and stable enough to undergo a whitening treatment, we create you a custom set of trays to ensure they fit your mouth exactly, minimising the risk of any of the gel leaking out onto areas of your mouth where it doesn’t belong. With these take-home trays and gel, you will typically be able to dramatically improve the colour of your natural teeth within a week or less of use.

Implants

Permanent replacement of missing teeth can be achieved by using dental implants. Dental implants are like artificial tooth roots that anchor into the bone and can be used to support a single tooth, multiple teeth or a full arch of teeth. The long-term success of implants is highly dependent on thorough planning, choice of quality implants and operator experience and skill. With over 25 years of Implant experience, our experienced clinicians can help tailor a suitable treatment plan to suit your individual needs.

Crowns

If the damage to a tooth is both functional and aesthetic, in order to preserve what is left of the tooth, and prevent future breakages, splitting and potential tooth loss, we may recommend a dental crown. A dental crown is usually a porcelain-on-metal cap which is placed onto a damaged tooth. The metal means the crown is strong enough to withstand the pressure exerted by your bite and the porcelain makes the restoration look just like all of your natural teeth. Full porcelain (no metal) alternatives are also available, as well as full gold crowns.

Porcelain Veneers

Thanks to the advancements in modern dental technology, the new porcelain veneers available are beautiful, strong, and look just like your natural tooth. Almost like a thin shell for your tooth, porcelain veneers can be used to cover more severe staining that teeth whitening is unable to address, or even to cover chips, cracks and gaps in your teeth. Veneers can be a very fast and effective way to transform your smile.
At Lifelong Dental, we always tailor our treatments to you so that the end result blends in beautifully and naturally with your face. We can also combine certain treatments to achieve the optimal results for you. Again, we are committed to lifelong preventative treatments, no replacement option will ever truly become or feel the way nature intended. Therefore, we will endeavour to do what we can to preserve your natural tooth in order to prevent extensive and expensive alternate treatments.

Complex Oral Rehabilitation

Teeth and fillings can chip, fracture, split and wear down over time with minimal or no pain. This can happen to some extent at any age but frequently becomes more marked once people are in their forties and beyond.
There are a number of reasons that cause teeth to breakdown, these include:
• Previously placed extensive large fillings
• Teeth lost in the past without good functional replacement
• Less regular and efficient flossing and brushing
• Clenching or grinding of teeth
• General health and medication

Such breakdown often results in teeth appearing aged beyond their years and not appearing to look quite like we thought they did. With this in mind, it is not unusual for new patients referred to Dr Geoff Storey to be in a position that requires much analysis, consideration and discussion as to the possible paths for their future oral rehabilitation.

Our approach

For all our new patients to Lifelong Dental, we begin with a comprehensive examination that includes in-depth discussion to understand the past and present medical history of our patients. Once we have a greater understanding of these factors we are able to discuss all of the possible treatment options as they relate to your desired outcomes including time involved, and cost.
In these discussions, individualised consideration is always given to many aspects of dentistry that we provide at Lifelong Dental, which may include:

• Amalgam and Composite Fillings
• Porcelain and Gold Restorations
• Crowns
• Gum Problems
• Orthodontics
• Teeth Whitening
• Replacement of missing teeth with removable partial dentures, fixed bridges, or implants

We can then provide detailed costings and coordinate appointments that may be required. No matter what path is chosen by our patients from the discussions, we are able to achieve the most pleasing of outcomes assisted by Dr Geoff Storey and the team at Lifelong Dental.

As with all dental procedures, our high success is because we always emphasise patient comfort, desired outcome, and longevity. Dr Geoff Storey has extensive experience and knowledge in all aspects of this more complex oral rehabilitation, having been in practice for over 20 years in Lara and Greater Geelong.

Smile Make Overs

Are you unhappy with the appearance of your teeth? Do you avoid smiling or laughing in case people will notice?

A smile makeover has the ability to completely transform the appearance and function of your smile. A smile makeover combines several treatments, through cosmetic, restorative and orthodontic, to help you achieve a more aesthetically pleasing, healthier smile. Dr Geoff Storey at Lifelong Dental has been providing Lara and Geelong aesthetically pleasing smiles and fully understands the impact some smiles may have on overall self-confidence.

The objective of a smile makeover is to not only improve the appearance of your smile, but also the functionality. Some of the treatments involved in a smile makeover may include porcelain veneers, porcelain crowns, teeth whitening, clear aligners, and/or dental implants.

Our smile makeovers can:

• Close gaps between teeth
• Fix alignment issues
• Rejuvenate discoloured/stained teeth
• Cover blemishes
• Conceal gaps
• Repair cracks in teeth
• Gum lift
• Straighten crooked teeth

Smile makeovers at Lifelong Dental

Lifelong Dental’s experienced clinicians work in collaboration to provide each and every one of our patients high-quality, affordable dentistry. Whether you require our assistance for restoring form and function to your mouth, preventing future breakdown or improving your smile we look forward to meeting you and assisting all your lifelong dental health goals. We understand experience is imperative when choosing to entrust someone with such an important aspect of dental health needs, we would be delighted to answer any questions you may have.

TMJ Dysfunction.

What is TMJ?

TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) is one of the most used parts of the body. It connects the jaw bone to the temple bone of the skull – just in front of your ear. Each of the joints contains a disc (cartilage) that prevents the surface of the bones from wearing while also acting as a shock absorber for the joint. There is one located on each side of the face. This joint gets used every moment of the day – talking, breathing, eating and drinking.

Treatment of TMJ Dysfunction Syndrome.

Since there are various symptoms for TMJ syndrome, there are also various options available for the effective treatment of TMJ syndrome. It is always best to get treatment as soon as the issue arises as early treatment can often be key to prevent any further damage from occurring. Treatment options can include:

• Applying an ice pack – It sounds very basic but applying ice as soon as the pain is noticed can help to relieve the pain while also providing a bit of relief.
• Jaw exercise – Your dentist or doctor can prescribe a set of exercise that will help relieve the pain from TMJ Syndrome
• Rest and Reduce Stress – TMJ and stress are linked in many ways and is one of the main symptoms. Relaxing and getting enough sleep can often be all that is required for effective treatment of TMJ syndrome.
• Night splint – These professionally prescribed guards can help to prevent teeth clenching and grinding (which is a symptom of TMJ syndrome).

If you are in need of effective treatment and prevention for TMJ dysfunction or wanting to know about our treatment options, contact Dr Geoff Storey and your experienced Lifelong Dental team today

Sleep Apnoea

What is snoring & sleep apnoea?

Sleep apnoea refers to a sleeping disorder where breathing during the night becomes shallow or in most cases becomes paused. This is due to the tissues in the back of the throat collapsing as well as the jaw relaxing. This can eventually result in the throat area becoming blocked. Not only can this interfere with sleep at night, but it is also now recognised as a serious medical issue that needs to be treated as soon as possible before it becomes worse.

Why early intervention is important

Most of the time, the patient is well unaware that they are snoring during the night until the patient’s partner notices. Some symptoms can include:
• Frequent pauses during breathing
• Always feeling tired the next day
• Constantly waking up with a sore throat or dry mouth
• Continuous loud snoring every night
• Waking up with a headache every morning

Treatment options for sleep apnoea

Being able to find the best and most effective treatment option can be quite difficult due to a large number of options available. Here at Lifelong Dental, we understand the importance of having a healthy night sleep and waking up the next day feeling refreshed.

Once sleep apnoea has been identified, our experienced team can complete an assessment of the sleeping disorder and offer advice regarding treatment options. In most common cases with patients, a sleeping device may be suggested as a possible option.

This sleeping device (more commonly known as mandibular Advancement Splint) is tailor-made to fit inside the mouth and be used while sleeping. This is an excellent option, especially if wanting to avoid expensive surgery.

If you are worried you or your partner regarding sleep apnoea, contact our experienced team to book in for an appointment with Dr Geoff Storey, where we will sit down and work out what is the best treatment option for you.

Dental Implants

Dental Implants may support a single tooth, multiple teeth or a full arch of teeth. Dental implants are a fixed and permanent solution to replace missing teeth. The treatment techniques and options are extensive.

Dental implants are placed into the jaw and fuse with the bone. This process, known as “osseo-integration”, was identified in the 1960s. Implant technology has continued to improve since. After placing the implant, a healing period is often required. Once the healing process is complete, the replacement tooth or teeth are placed. In some situations, they can be placed straight away (less than a day). The replacement teeth are custom-made to look and feel like natural teeth. Harmony between the tissues, smile and face are critical. Dental implants also stimulate the jaw bone and stop it from dissolving.

Advantages of dental implants:

Nobody wants to waste time vising multiple doctors, and when opting and investing in these treatments, we ensure we use renowned oral and maxillofacial surgeons to ensure you the very best procedure and successful outcomes with specialist treatment. Often having oral surgeons complete the surgical phase, with Medicare rebates becomes much more cost-effective for our patients, whilst ensuring top-level surgical placements.

As your general dentist, Dr Geoffrey Storey and the team will be responsible for your general dental health will be involved in your treatment. This is important as all implant work requires continual maintenance. Once the surgeon has approved the osteo-integration of the surgical component of your new dental implant, Dr

Geoff Storey will complete the restorative phase attaching the dental implant crown to the fixture. With his extensive experience in this field and successful relationships with leading Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons in our region, and teamed together we have successfully achieved endless high-level dental implant treatments for decades.

Experience makes a big difference, come and experience your tailored treatment options by our experienced team at Lifelong Dental.

Single and multiple tooth replacement

Implants can be used to replace one or more missing teeth. A crown or bridge is then attached to the implant. These are designed to look like and function like your natural teeth. They will not compromise any of your remaining teeth.

The treatment process is detailed. It requires extensive diagnostics and precise pre-planning. Before treatment, we will complete a thorough oral and general health exam. Detailed radiographs are also required. This guides us in the most suitable placement position for your implant.

Implants are a titanium screw. They are placed in the jawbone where the tooth/teeth have been lost. The jaw bone bonds with the implant, firmly anchoring it to the bone. This then acts as a substitute for the missing tooth root. After a period of healing, the final crown or bridge is attached.

Implants have a very high success rate. They can replace a single tooth or multiple teeth. There are even techniques which provide an alternative to full dentures.

Over-denture

Traditional dentures are reliant on suction and adhesive gel. Instead, over-dentures fit securely to a natural tooth root, or dental implant. This provides excellent support and stability for your over-denture.

Full mouth rehabilitation

It is now possible to completely change your smile! Attrition takes its toll and leads to a “tired and worn dentition”. Using a variety of dental treatments, we can restore your mouth’s function and appearance. We will also help you achieve and maintain optimum oral health. This is crucial in maintaining your dental and overall health in the long term.

An essential step to reconstruct your mouth is to examine your ‘bite’ or ‘occlusion’. This ensures your top and bottom teeth and jaws align.

Implant dentist servicing Lara and Geelong

If you need an experienced and caring dentist to assess, treatment plan and manage your implant journey, Dr Geoffrey Storey and highly skilled team at Lifelong Dental are waiting to hear from you.

FAQs
What is TMJ Dysfunction?

TMJ dysfunction syndrome refers to the condition where inflammation and impaired function occurs at the joint. Sometimes it can be a combination of symptoms that can cause TMJ Syndrome making it difficult to diagnose.  Some of these symptoms include and/or contributed to by:

  • Pain when chewing
  • Teeth grinding
  • Popping of the jaw
  • Headaches/migraines
  • Sore jaws
  • Ringing sound in ears

Due to various symptoms of TMJ syndrome, many patients are unaware that it’s occurring until further damage has occurred which can possibly result in surgery to correct this condition.

Why is sleep apnoea harmful?

Sleep apnoea can cause an interruption to the circulation of oxygen in the blood, which decreases the bodies ability to replenish itself. This can have a severe effect as it reduces the supply of oxygen to vital organs such as the brain and the heart.

When the brain realises that the body is actually struggling to breathe, it will briefly wake up and override the system by shocking the cardiovascular system into action to clear the airway. This can be witnessed by a sleeping partner, as a sudden gasp for air or a choking noise. It is possible for this to happen hundreds of times per night. The patient suffering from sleep apnoea may not even remember waking up, but the brain and body can start to feel the effects of the disturbances.

What is the relation between Sleep Apnoea and oral health

Sleep Apnoea has been shown to negatively affect your oral health too. There are a few dental problems that can be directly related to sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea increases the likelihood of teeth grinding. One in every four people who have sleep apnoea grind their teeth. Over time this can cause tooth sensitivity, and in some cases, cracked and damaged teeth.

Sleep apnoea can also be associated with jaw pain such as TMD. It is also more common for patients to breathe through their mouth, which can cause the mouth to dry out protective saliva and may lead to tooth decay and overnight discomfort.

What are the risks of sleep apnoea?

Sleep Apnoea increases the following risks:

  • Stroke (blood clots in the brain)
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Heart Attack
  • Obesity
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Depression
  • Headaches

If you feel the above may relate to you, please don’t hesitate to arrange your consultation with Dr Geoff Storey at Lifelong Dental, to ensure you are examined and correctly diagnosed for the prevention of future complications whilst focusing on optimising complete lifelong dental health.

Am I suitable for a smile makeover?

Smile makeovers are great in the fact that anyone is suitable to undergo treatment. This means that if you’re looking to improve the function, appearance or health of your smile, then we have a suitable treatment for you.

What is the treatment process?

Here at Lifelong Dental, we understand that each individual’s oral health care needs are different. This is why each treatment process is tailor-made for each patient to suit their individual needs.

During your initial consultation with Dr Geoff Storey, we will do a full inspection of your mouth and gums, to assess your oral health. This will help us ascertain which treatments will be right for you to transform the function and appearance of your smile. Your expectation, lifestyle factors, social history and our passion for simply ‘getting to know you’ is important to help us to determine which treatments are right for you.

During your consultation, we will discuss the smile makeover treatment stages and will answer any questions that you may have.