Mediclinic’s 10 Day Clinics are equipped and ready for adult and paediatric patients who need routine procedures to fix or remove damaged teeth.
Practising good oral hygiene from an early age prevents tooth decay, gum disease and other ailments that detract from a healthy smile. In fact, as Dr Tinus Basson, a dentist who operates at Mediclinic Nelspruit Day Clinic explains, good oral health can also lower your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases later in life. It can even help prevent heart attacks.
“If you suffer from gum disease as an adult, the bacteria from your mouth can get into your bloodstream, producing a protein that thickens your blood,” says Dr Basson. “This means clots are more likely to form and your risk of a heart attack increases because your heart isn’t getting the nutrients and oxygen it needs.”
Dentists explain that teaching your child proper oral care is vital because healthy milk teeth play an important role in proper speech development. “They also create ‘pathways’ for permanent teeth to emerge,’ says Dr Basson. “If milk teeth are skew or missing, permanent teeth can grow incorrectly and cause complications.”
If your child has an infected milk tooth, your dentist might suggest a pulpectomy. This entails the total removal of pulp tissue from the crown and roots of the tooth. Dr Basson explains that pulpectomies are a common procedures at Mediclinic Nelspruit Day Clinic.
“After cleaning out the infected pulp, your dentist will fill the now-empty root canals with absorbable material to seal them,” he says. “This allows the milk teeth to remain in your child’s mouth until the permanent one is ready to take its place.”
A pulpectomy is actually a partial root canal procedure. When full root canal treatment is performed – usually on permanent teeth – all of the pulp and root is treated. Instead of being filled with absorbable material, your tooth will get a permanent filling or crown.
Root canal therapy (known as an endodontic treatment) can be carried out at a day clinic and is necessary when the pulp, the soft tissue inside the root canal, becomes inflamed or infected. This can be caused by decay or a crack or chip in the tooth, Dr Basson explains. “When a tooth is cracked, chipped or showing signs of decay, root canal therapy can often save the tooth.”
Other routine dental procedures that can be performed at a day clinic include extractions and fillings.
Rest assured that if you or your child needs to visit a Mediclinic Day Clinic, you can still expect high quality care – just in a cost-effective, streamlined environment. And because both you and your chosen day clinic know the date of surgery in advance, preparation is streamlined and thorough. The theatres are fully equipped, specialised staff are on duty, just like in a hospital, and there are dedicated areas where you can recover before being safely discharged.
Find Mediclinic Day Clinics at the following locations
Mediclinic Stellenbosch Day Clinic
1 Elsie Du Toit Drive, Stellenbosch, 7600
Phone: +27 21 861 2000
Mediclinic Bloemfontein Day Clinic
cnr Kellner Street & Parfitt Avenue, Westdene, Bloemfontein, 9301
Phone: +27 51 404 6100
Mediclinic Nelspruit Day Clinic
1 Louise Street, Sonheuwel, Nelspruit, 1200
Phone: +27 13 759 0501
Mediclinic Limpopo Day Clinic
70 Plein Street, Polokwane, 0750
Phone: +27 15 230 9400
Mediclinic Durbanville Day Clinic
45 Wellington Road, Durbanville, Cape Town, 7550
Phone: +27 21 980 2135
Mediclinic Newcastle Day Clinic
Cnr Hospital & Bird Street, Newcastle Central, Newcastle, 2940
Phone: 034 317 0001
Mediclinic Cape Gate Day Clinic
Cnr Okavango Avenue & Tanner Street, Brackenfell, 7560
Phone: (021) 983 6000
Mediclinic Winelands Day Clinic
Awaiting confirmation
Mediclinic Welkom Day Clinic
5 Lategan Street, St. Helena, Welkom, 9460
Phone: 057 916 5630
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