Fillings

There are many types of fillings available. Amalgam Fillings are silver, metal fillings. Amalgam has the benefit of being strong and long-lasting and the dentist can complete the work in one appointment. They are the least expensive option.

Composite Resin Fillings, known as white fillings, made from plastic and glass particles. These take longer to complete as they have to be applied in layers which must be cured using a visible blue light.

Glass Ionomer Fillings are made from acrylic and fluoroaluminosilicate. They are also tooth coloured and are semi permanent fillings used for fillings in young children, fillings at the gum margin in adults and for teeth with poor prognosis

Crown and Bridges

Crowns and bridges are porcelain or metal teeth that cover existing teeth. They are fixed to your teeth and can only be removed by your dentist unlike dentures which can be easily removed from the mouth.

Crowns recreate the shape of a broken down tooth allowing it to be useful in chewing as well as improving the appearance. Crowns are made from various materials with gold and metal alloys offering the most strength. Porcelain or ceramic crowns are also as strong and can be colour matched to the surrounding teeth.

Bridges may be recommended if you have a tooth or teeth missing. They are made from various materials which vary in both appearance and cost. Ceramic and porcelain bridges can also be colour matched to the surrounding teeth. The creation and fitting process for a bridge is the same as for a crown but one or more teeth either side of the space will be prepared.

First the dentist will reduce the tooth and then create a mould by taking an impression of the teeth so they can create the crown using the requested material and shade if applicable.

You will always have a temporary crown/filling on the prepared tooth/teeth before you leave the surgery. At the next appointment your dentist will remove the temporary crown and fit the permanent one

Dentures

Dentures are made with a base that matches the colour of the gums and teeth with a shape and colour tailored to suit you. They are made completely from acrylic or from metal and acrylic.

The stages of making dentures include taking moulds of the teeth and gums, noting how your jaws meet together and trial dentures. New dentures will feel very different to having your natural teeth. Initially there can be some discomfort while your mouth adjusts to the shape of the new dentures and this can be solved easily by returning to your dentist to have them adjusted.

If you are missing many teeth, you may find chewing more difficult or you may not have a complete smile and the muscles of your face may collapse. We can offer partial dentures which will replace a few teeth, or full dentures which replace all of the teeth in the mouth

Root Canal Treatments

Root canal treatment is used when the nerve of a tooth has died or has become damaged and the channels in the roots have become infected. Bacteria then spreads along the root channels causing inflammation, leading to pain and facial swelling. To treat the infected tooth it may be necessary to perform a dental extraction but it is preferable to save the tooth by cleaning out the root channels and taking away the dead, infected pulp. Once cleaned the root channels are sealed and restored using a filling or a crown.

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