For Patients

A dental or medical referral is not required to have a consultation or treatment at The Perio Specialists and Dental Implants. We accept direct bookings from patients and can assist you in managing your dental needs in our practice, or we can share your management with other dental providers. Many patients who visit us are either referred by their general dental provider or nominate who their provider is, to make co-ordinating more complex treatment easier.

To book an appointment without a referral, book online using our online booking system, or contact us at (07) 5651 7374.

Treatment costs will vary depending on a number of factors, including the severity of your case and what type of procedures will be required as part of your personal treatment plan. In most cases, following your initial consultation, a customised treatment plan will be provided to you which outlines the cost of your treatment. For more advanced treatments or those involving multiple practitioners, there may be a few more steps involved before a fully costed plan can be provided.

If you have private dental insurance, you may be entitled to some health fund rebates, depending on your plan. We offer a range of payment solutions that can help you with the financial aspect of your dental treatment. Please see Payment Plans for more information.

If you have been referred by your dental provider or tell us who they are, we will work together with you and them to get the possible treatment outcomes. This may include some preparatory work prior to us undertaking more advanced procedures, asking your dental provider to perform some of the treatment during your care with us, and assisting us provide you with long-term maintenance and care.

There are several procedures that can be performed by both a dentist and a periodontist. But when it comes to treating gum disease and providing services relating to the soft tissue and bone supporting your teeth and jaw, Periodontists are the most qualified to perform these procedures.

Periodontists can perform a variety of procedures, ranging from preventative to cosmetic to surgical. For more severe cases of gum disease that have resulted in loss of teeth, periodontists may perform dental implants, full mouth reconstruction, and/or bone grafts, whereas in less severe cases, a periodontist may perform milder procedures, such as periodontal maintenance or scale and root planing to halt or reverse the effects of gum disease.

Dr Anthony Puljich will work in partnership with your general dentist to develop a comprehensive care plan that is individualized to your unique oral health care needs.

Scheduling regular visits with both your general dentist and periodontist is the best way to optimize your oral health and ensure that you receive the best possible oral health care.

Following your treatment at The Perio Specialists and Dental Implants, you will be provided a customised supportive/preventative care program. This care program includes a thorough gum and tooth assessment, a cleaning and/or debridement of teeth, and oral hygiene instructions.

For patients with a history of periodontitis and gum disease, it is recommended to be more closely monitored than usual. As such, you may be placed on a 3- or 4- monthly visit cycle. For dental implant patients, we usually recommend a yearly review in addition to your regular preventative care visits.

Periodontal surgery is required in areas that have experienced severe periodontitis destruction. Periodontal surgery allows your periodontist to gain better access to the roots for debridement, to remove diseased tissue and recontour the remaining tissue. Recontouring the remaining tissue will allow a more favourable healing outcome, tissue that is easier to keep clean with your at home oral hygiene regimen.

Periodontal disease is an auto-immune/auto-inflammatory disease that is triggered by the bacteria in your mouth. Dental biofilm or plaque is sticky, whitish film that consists of oral bacteria. The longer the biofilm stays on your teeth, it can become calcified (forming calculus or tartar) and the bacterial type and proportions change. In susceptible people, this evolving bacterial colony can trigger your immune and inflammatory system to shrink away from the teeth.

The bacteria that trigger this reaction are always present in your mouth, even in times of health. They are kept in check by other, healthier bacteria which are in greater proportions. Its until the biofilm evolves into a more pathogenic environment that the harmful bacteria takeover.

There is a strong genetic link with an individual's susceptibility of periodontitis. If your parents or siblings have a history of gum disease, there is a chance you may be susceptible too. Your genetics help determine the way your immune and inflammatory systems react to oral bacteria. A huge emphasis of periodontal treatment is keeping the bacterial levels as low as possible, so you don’t cross your individual threshold that might trigger your immune and inflammatory system in a negative way. Understanding how genetics influences our susceptibility to disease is an increasing area of medical and dental research.

If left untreated, early stages of gum disease and gingivitis can evolve into Periodontitis.

Periodontitis is a progressive and harmful disease that causes destruction of the supporting tissues around your teeth. Over time, as these supporting structure shrink away, your teeth may become sensitive to cold and become loose or mobile during function, and you may develop black triangles and get food stuck between your teeth where the gums have shrunk away. As the disease progresses, the teeth may become non-function or extremely painful, which means they will need to be removed. This can compromise your ongoing oral health and function.

If you have been diagnosed with gum disease, or think you may be showing signs of gum disease, please book an appointment with our Periodontal specialist, Dr Anthony Puljich.

Dr Anthony Puljich practices in Carrara, at our conveniently located clinic in Coco’s Shopping Centre, Shop 10 - 12 / 1 Manchester Road, Carrara QLD 4211. You can enter the shopping centre from Manchester Road or directly off Nerang-Broadbeach Rd. There is ample parking conveniently located out the front of our tenancy, the surrounding carpark and street parking behind the centre.

Periodontitis is a progressive and harmful disease that causes destruction of the supporting tissues around your teeth. Over time, as these supporting structure shrink away, your teeth may become sensitive to cold and become loose or mobile during function, and you may develop black triangles and get food stuck between your teeth where the gums have shrunk away. As the disease progresses, the teeth may become non-function or extremely painful, which means they will need to be removed. This can compromise your ongoing oral health and function.

If you have been diagnosed with gum disease, or think you may be showing signs of gum disease, please book an appointment with our Periodontal specialist, Dr Anthony Puljich.

A list of any medical conditions and medications will be extremely helpful to bring to your first appointment. This includes a list of any over-the-counter medication or supplements you may be taking, any medical conditions you have been diagnosed with and a brief history, how well controlled your medical conditions, and a list of regular previous and current medications you are taking, including dosage and frequency.