Celebrating a year at Oriel Place in Clayfield, Dr James Allen and Dr Emily Allen, the husband-and-wife team behind The Aesthetic Smile Collective, have brought very high standards to the area. Dentistry has become a major growth sector across Brisbane but the story of the Allen family can only bring a sense of respect for their passion.
Read: New Eagle Junction State School Early Years Precinct Officially Opened
When James was a kid, he had a very friendly and relaxed dentist whose process of attending was very much around avoiding pain and discomfort. As he got older, his passion to combine science and art in dentistry became stronger and the importance of the patient’s comfort in the chair remained.
Having qualified in Dentistry at King’s College, London in 2005, he and Emily crossed the globe and 16 years later, The Aesthetic Smile Collective was born in Clayfield, offering their combined 32 years of dental experience.
“Our main aim is to reduce the stress and anxiety that is so common with dental treatment, to enable our patients to avoid problems with their teeth and optimise their smiles,” Dr Emily said.
“As a family-owned practice, there is no outside influence from the dental corporates or health funds. For example, we invested in a 3D scanner which helps us avoid impressions and moulds in the process of creating crowns, bridges, veneers, mouthguards, or night-time splints. It is extremely accurate and is much quicker than traditional methods.” Dr James added.
The Aesthetic Smile Collective also offers “happy gas” to help patients feel more relaxed and interest-free payment plans where a series of planned dental treatments are recommended. Patients can be helped with early access of their Superannuation funds to help with more expensive plans.
Netflix is a great asset with children
Having two young children themselves, Dr James and Dr Emily know that there are many factors that can affect both parents and children from attending dental appointments. They can help with a wide range of issues such as helping with brushing techniques, fillings, cleaning, sports trauma and orthodontic assessment.
A TV on the ceiling above the dental chair can help patients feel more comfortable and zone out. It is great for children to be able to put their favourite Netflix show on.
The great Teeth Whitening debate
A very common question they get from patients is, “What is the best way to whiten my teeth?”
Dr James says, “There are many ways to whiten teeth and the two most common ways are home whitening and in-chair whitening.”
“Home whitening is the most common technique as it is something that can be done at home (1-2 hours per day or overnight). It can take 2-4 weeks to achieve the desired effect, has minimal sensitivity at an affordable cost.”
“In-chair whitening is done with a product called Zoom and this enables the teeth to be whitened in one appointment over one hour to a lighter shade. This can suit patients who are time-conscious or have teeth that are darker. There is some short-term sensitivity with this procedure which fades after 1-2 days. The cost is also higher compared to home whitening.”
Photo Credit: The Aesthetic Smile Collective
Photo Credit: The Aesthetic Smile Collective
New Technology to combat snoring and sleep apnoea
Recent research says that snoring and sleep apnoea have become prevalent in Australia. 5% of the population have severe sleep apnoea and a further 20% have it on a mild level. If left untreated this can have considerable effects on your health, including cracked and chipped teeth.
“We invested in a device called the Watchpat 200 Home Sleep Monitor. Patients can take it home for 24 hours, it slides onto one of your fingers and attaches to the patient’s wrist like a watch. It monitors sleep patterns and enables us to download the data afterward to advise our patients on the most appropriate treatment for them.”
Passion to optimise your smile
James’s decision to pursue a Master’s Degree in Aesthetic Dentistry from King’s College, from which he graduated in 2019, was born from a passion to optimise the smile.
“Aesthetic dentistry is a style of dentistry that enables natural-looking smiles with a functional foundation to ensure the work that is done lasts as long as possible. Cosmetic dentistry is different as the aim for that is to make the teeth appear whiter but often at a high cost to the underlying teeth structure,” Dr James said.
Photo Credit: The Aesthetic Smile Collective
Photo Credit: The Aesthetic Smile Collective
“The main dental problems which can be improved with Aesthetic Dentistry would be improving patient’s smiles through measures such as composite bonding, veneers, crowns, bridges, clear aligner therapy and dental implants.”
The Aesthetic Smile Collective is at Oriel Place at 531 Sandgate Road, Clayfield. You can see their website, which includes an online booking facility here.