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A dental implant is a titanium metal rod, which is placed into the jawbone. It is used to support one or more false teeth. In practice, both false teeth and their supporting rod are known as ‘implants’.

Implants are a well-established, tried-and-tested treatment. 90 percent of modern implants last for at least 15 years. You can have any number of implants – from one single tooth, to a complete set of teeth.

In some cases it may not be possible to replace missing teeth with implants. It depends on the state of the bone in your jaw. Your dentist will arrange for a number of special tests to assess the amount of bone still there. If there is not enough, or it is not healthy enough, it may not be possible to place implants without grafting bone into the area first.

Placing the implants requires a small operation. This can be carried out under local anaesthetic with sedation, or with a general anaesthetic. The placement will therefore be painless, but you may feel some discomfort during the week following the surgery. This is usually due to having sutures (stitches) in place, and the normal healing process.

The implants need to bond (integrate) with the bone after they have been in place before the new teeth are put in place. This takes at least 3 months in the lower jaw, and 6 months in the upper jaw. If you have one, two or three teeth replaced, you will have a temporary restoration in the meantime. If you have complete dentures, then these can be worn throughout the healing period once they have been modified after surgery.

If you feel nervous about undertaking dental treatment then you may find that sedation is the answer and the practice is able to provide several forms of sedation techniques for anxious patients.

One form is called Intravenous Sedation; a sedative drug is fed into the back of the hand via a needle. You will remain conscious throughout the treatment and can respond to commands. Some patients feel they have been asleep, this is due to the drug causing them to forget the period during treatment, and a short time after. If you opt for this you must arrive with a responsible adult, who must remain with you the rest of the day. You must not return to work that day.

The second form is Inhalation Sedation; nitrous oxide is inhaled through the nose causing the patient to relax. This technique is generally more suited to children, although some adults may benefit. You will not need an escort and recovery is almost immediate.

The third for is Oral Sedation. Your dentist may prescribe you a tablet to take at home prior to your arrival at the surgery. Oral sedation is less predictable than intravenous but may be useful in patients who are too nervous to even get to the dental surgery. This type of sedation is also useful in certain medical conditions where the stress of visiting the dentist may lead to worsening of the condition.

If you feel you may benefit from sedation, speak with your dentist.

You can have inlays and onlays instead of fillings. Fillings are soft to begin with and are moulded to shape in the mouth. Inlays and onlays are made outside the mouth, usually in a dental laboratory, and then glued to the tooth at the surgery.

An inlay sits in a hole in the tooth. An onlay sits on the tooth and builds up its shape. Inlays and onlays can be made in tooth-coloured porcelain, gold or a material called composite. Different materials are suitable for different parts of the mouth.

What are the benefits

• Inlays and onlays are strong and can last longer than fillings.
• They are especially suitable for the chewing surfaces of back teeth and for large repairs to front teeth where it can be difficult to make a white filling look natural.
• Your dentist can match the colour of your teeth.

Unlike silver (amalgam) fillings, white fillings stick to the teeth, so they can be used to repair teeth (especially front teeth) that have been chipped, broken or decayed. They can sometimes be used in back teeth if there is not too much decay or damage.

Advantages of white fillings

• White fillings are the same colour as the teeth.
• White fillings are sticky so they can be used to reshape and rebuild broken edges or worn teeth.
• A tooth need less preparation for a white filling than for a silver filling.

Disadvantages of white fillings

White fillings are not as strong as silver fillings so they may not be suitable for large fillings in back teeth. They also need very dry conditions, which can be hard to achieve right at the back of your mouth.

Root canal treatment, (also known as Endodontics) is needed when the blood or nerve supply of the tooth (known as pulp) is infected through decay or injury.

Root canal treatment is needed if the pulp becomes infected, the infection may spread through the root canal system of the tooth, which may eventually lead to an abscess.

If root canal treatment is not carried out, the infection will spread and the tooth may need to be taken out. The aim of the treatment is to remove all infection from the root canal. The root canal is then cleaned and filled to prevent further infection.

Root canal treatment is a skilled and time-consuming procedure. Most courses of treatment will involve two or more visits to your dentist.

At the first appointment, the infected pulp is removed. Any Abscesses, which may be present, can also be drained at this time. The root canal is then cleaned and shaped ready for the filling. A temporary filling is inserted and the tooth is left to settle.

The tooth is checked at a later visit and when all the infection has cleared, the tooth is permanently filled.

Invisalign can help treat a variety of orthodontic concerns including teeth which are crooked, crowded or with gaps – but because it is clear, removable and confortable, it won’t interfere with your life.

Because it’s nearly invisible almost no-one can tell you are wearing Invisalign, so you can smile more during as well as after your treatment. You can remove Invisalign so you can eat and drink what you like, and studies have shown that it can be better for your dental hygiene during treatment as well! With no metal or sharp edges, Invisalign is comfortable to wear and does not cause allergies.

So far over 480,000 patients worldwide have more reasons to smile, thanks to Invisalign.

Clear, removable, comfortable.

We take a special interest in providing you with everything you need to improve your smile.

For many years dentistry consisted of just filling and extracting teeth, this is no longer the case. Many people now want to improve their appearance and turn to cosmetic dentistry, or ‘aesthetic dentistry’, just as they would use cosmetic surgery. The treatments can be used to straighten, lighten, reshape and repair teeth. Cosmetic treatments include veneers, crowns, bridges and tooth-coloured restorations.

“..more than 1 in 4 people in the UK do not like the appearance of their teeth.” Source: Adult Dental Health Survey , Office of Populations, censuses and surveys.

We have all the latest equipment and techniques in modern dentistry to allow us to whiten teeth, close gaps, lengthen, shorten or straighten teeth and to replace metal fillings with those indiscernible from your natural tooth.

A veneer is a thin layer of porcelain made to fit over the front surface of a tooth, very much as a false fingernail fits over a nail. Sometimes a natural colour ‘composite’ material is used instead of porcelain.

Veneers make teeth look natural and healthy, and because they are very thin and are held in place by a special strong bond (rather like super-glue) very little preparation of the tooth is necessary.

Veneers can improve the colour, shape and position of teeth. A precise shade of porcelain can be chosen to give the required colour, to improve a single discoloured or stained tooth or to lighten front teeth (usually the upper ones) generally. A veneer can make chipped tooth intact again – the porcelain covers the whole of the front of the tooth with a thicker section replacing the broken part. Veneers can also be used to close small gaps, when orthodontics are not suitable. If one tooth is slightly out of position, a veneer can sometimes be fitted to bring it into line with the others.

Tooth discolouration may be intrinsic – the teeth simply developed with discolouration – or extrinsic – the teeth were stained by coffee or foods, for example.

If teeth are discoloured, then it may be possible to lighten them by applying tooth whiteners, using a tray which is fitted to the shape of your mouth. The dentist takes an impression of your teeth to make the tray and whitener is then put in the tray beside the teeth which are to be treated. Whiteners normally use hydrogen peroxide. Superficial staining is generally easier to deal with than intrinsic staining.

There are other techniques for tooth bleaching, eg. selective bleaching, single tooth bleaching, non-vital tooth bleaching. For more details ask your dentist.

Disadvantages

Bleaching may cause short term sensitivity. Long term effects of bleaching has not yet been evaluated.