Dr. Malik wants to ensure that Mernda families can easily afford dental care. That’s why Universal Smiles Dental accepts all health funds, processes HICAPS claims onsite for quick and easy payment, and works with third-party financial groups who help patients with monthly payments they can easily fit into their budgets. 

Universal Smiles Dental also accepts most major credit cards, checks or cash for payment at the time of service.  

Our goal is never to have finances stand in the way of our patient’s dental care, especially when emergency dental procedures are needed. So, if you have questions about your treatment plan or payment options, we encourage you to talk with our team. 

We’re happy to work with you to help you find the best way to complete the dentistry you need without depleting your wallet. In some cases, treatment may be broken into phases that make it more comfortable to pay over time or fit into your budget. 

If you’d like to learn more about your health fund coverage, which third-party financing companies we recommend, HICAPS processing, or other payment options, we invite you to contact our Mernda dental clinic.

Dr. Malik wants to ensure that Mernda families can easily afford dental care. That’s why Universal Smiles Dental accepts all health funds, processes HICAPS claims onsite for quick and easy payment, and works with third-party financial groups who help patients with monthly payments they can easily fit into their budgets. 

Universal Smiles Dental also accepts most major credit cards, checks or cash for payment at the time of service.  

A dental bridge uses two crowns as anchors that attach to your healthy teeth to support one or more prosthetic teeth in between. 

A partial denture fills the gaps in your smile with prosthetic teeth that attach to a removable appliance. 

A traditional complete denture replaces an entire arch of teeth with a removable appliance typically made of acrylic and custom-designed for your smile.

Dental implants closely mimic your tooth by restoring both its root and crown. They are the only tooth replacement option to replace a tooth and its root. 

Implants can also support a bridge or denture to hold the appliance in place securely. 

Dr Malik would love to review your options with you during an evaluation. You can book an appointment at Universal Smiles Dental online or by talking with our team over the phone. 

We are here for you when you need us most at Universal Smiles Dental!

Dental emergencies can be stressful, and Dr Malik makes every effort to see emergency patients on the same day for treatment if possible. He also offers after-hours care if your emergency occurs outside regular business hours. 

We encourage patients to contact our Mernda dental office first in the case of emergency because we are more likely better equipped to handle tooth emergencies than your local hospital emergency room. Our team will assess your situation over the phone and guide you with the next steps to help you find the relief you need to return to your normal activities. 

At Universal Smiles Dental, we’re well-equipped to handle these dental emergencies:

• A knocked-out tooth
• Cracked or broken dentures
• Broken or chipped tooth
• Lost or damaged restoration like a filling or crown
• Toothaches, abscesses, or tooth infections
• Facial swelling and pain

Some of the emergency dental treatments Dr Malik may recommend are:

• Tooth-coloured fillings
• Porcelain crowns or veneers
• Dental bridges
• Root canal treatment
• Tooth extraction
• Dental implants

If you or a loved one needs an emergency dentist in Mernda, VIC, they can trust, please get in touch with Universal Smiles Dental. 

Yes! Dr Malik is excited to bring Invisalign clear aligners to our dental practice because they are ideal for busy adults and teens who want to straighten their teeth with discretion. 

Invisalign clear aligners eliminate the need for metal brackets and wires because they use plastic, BPA-free trays that fit snugly over your teeth to move them into position gradually.  

Dr Malik creates your customised treatment plan that Invisalign uses to create clear aligners. You’ll wear each set of aligners for one to three weeks, according to Dr Malik’s specifications, and you can change your aligners at home, reducing visits to your dentist throughout your treatment. 

You’ll check in with Dr Malik periodically during your treatment to ensure your smile is progressing as planned. Most patients find that they can achieve their desired results with Invisalign in about 10 to 18 months, depending on their needs. 

Invisalign offers several benefits that our patients appreciate, such as:

• Easy tooth care and smile maintenance since you can remove aligners for brushing and flossing.
• No restrictions on your diet because you’ll take your aligners out for meals.
• No worries about smiling or interacting with others since clear aligners are virtually invisible.
• Aligners are comfortable and easy to wear compared to metal brackets and wires that poke your gums and soft tissues. 

We welcome your call to Unviseral Smiles Dental if you’d like to learn more about Invisalign in Mernda.

For healthy patients with no smile concerns, the recommendation is to visit your dentist every six months for preventive teeth cleans and check-ups. Patients managing gum disease may need additional cleans throughout the year to help keep their condition under control. 

Your preventive dental appointments allow us to help you protect your healthy smile because Dr Malik will screen you for common problems during your exam, like tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. The earlier we can detect these problems, the easier they are to treat. 

We will also screen you for oral cancer, which has a better prognosis for successful recovery the earlier it’s detected. 

During your professional teeth clean, we’ll remove the plaque and bacteria build-up that maybe you missed at home. Plaque and bacteria contribute to the inflammation that causes gum disease and tooth decay, so it’s essential to remove them to protect your smile.  

Gum health is closely related to other non-dental conditions like:

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• High blood pressure
• Dementia
• Complications during pregnancy

Taking good care of your gums not only protects your teeth, but also reduces your chances of developing other health complications. 

At Universal Smiles Dental, Dr Malik offers solutions for sleep apnoea with custom oral appliances that are comfortable and easy to wear so they don’t interrupt your sleep. 

Obstructive sleep apnoea is the most common type. It is a dangerous sleep disorder that actually causes you to wake multiple times throughout the night, sometimes without your realization, due to an obstructed airway.  

When your airway is blocked and cuts off breathing, the lack of oxygen triggers your brain to wake you up. This can happen hundreds of times throughout the night for patients who suffer from severe sleep apnoea, resulting in a lack of the restful and rejuvenating sleep you need. 

The standard of care for sleep apnoea is continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) therapy, which requires patients to wear a mask that delivers continuous air pressure to keep the airways open for clear breathing. Many patients find the CPAP more difficult to wear than an oral appliance. 

For mild or moderate cases of sleep apnoea, the oral appliance may take the place of CPAP therapy. Patients with severe sleep apnoea may be able to combine both treatments to achieve clear breathing and a restful night’s sleep.