Treatments

Dental plaque is present in everybody’s mouths. If not cleaned properly, plaque will harden to form calculus, which leads to other problems such as gum/periodontal disease, which can result as bleeding gums and bad breath. This can be resolved with the right brushing and flossing. However, calculus and stains require a visit to your dental practice to be professionally removed. After a scaling/cleaning, polishing is also normally completed to smoothen surfaces and remove any remaining stains. It is essential to smoothen surfaces and get rid of any roughness, as rough surfaces form pockets of areas which tend to retain plaque. In cases where the patient’s gums are affected, your dental practitioner may decide to clean out the root surfaces and smoothen them as well.

There are two basic types of filling material that are widely used: 1) Dental amalgam, which is a metal alloy 2) Composite resin, which is a very hard plastic.

Dental Amalgam

Used for more than 150 years, dental amalgam (a.k.a. silver filling) is a safe, affordable and durable material used to restore the teeth of many hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Its main benefit is its strength and durability. Its downside is its appearance. The use of amalgam is declining mainly because of a reduction in dental decay and also because of the development of better tooth coloured materials.

Composite Resin

The main advantage of a direct dental composite over traditional materials such as amalgam is improved aesthetics. Composites can be made in a wide range of tooth colors allowing near invisible restoration of teeth. Composites are glued into teeth and this strengthens the tooth’s structure.

Extraction of a tooth is in most cases the last resort in treatment options. If extraction has to be carried out, it is done by first of all ‘numbing’ the area and then removing the tooth. In cases of extreme difficulty, such as wisdom teeth extraction, we refer patients to a specialist.

Why is it necessary

It is usually necessary because of severe pain. There may also be swelling. The classic toothache is usually due to damaged or infected pulp tissue (you call it “the nerve”). Root canal therapy removes this damaged or infected tissue, thereby eliminating the pain. The dental pulp, or “nerve,” can be damaged due to the following reasons: deep decay, severe tooth fracture, repeated fillings over many years, associated severe gum disease and trauma

A veneer is a custom made thin layer of porcelain or composite material bonded to the front of a tooth. This is usually recommended for damaged or worn teeth that are unsightly. Dental veneers can also be used to close gaps between teeth or to correct misaligned teeth to give a perfect smile. A crown is a complete cover ( or ” cap ” )over a tooth that is custom made of porcelain and/or precious metal. This would be prescribed when a tooth is very weak/heavily filled or fractured and sometimes after root canal treatment. A crown strengthens the tooth and becomes its new working surface. Crowns can also be fused together to form a bridge to replace missing teeth.

Complete Denture

If you’ve lost all of your natural teeth, whether from periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury, complete dentures can replace your missing teeth and your smile. Replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health. Without support from the denture, facial muscles sag, making a person look older. You’ll be able to eat, and speak, things that people often take for granted until their natural teeth are lost.

Partial Dentures

Partial dentures replace some missing teeth. There are two types, plastic and metal based. Plastic partial dentures are less expensive to make, but unless they are designed very carefully they can damage the teeth they fit against. Metal partial dentures are usually from an alloy of cobalt and chromium and they are much stronger. They are lighter to wear and can be supported by the remaining teeth. Although the base is metal, they have gum-coloured plastic and natural-looking teeth fixed to them. They are more expensive than the plastic ones.

How do I look after my denture?

The general rule is: brush, soak, brush. Always clean your dentures over a bowl of water or a folded towel in case you drop them. Brush your dentures before soaking, to help remove any food debris. The use of an effervescent denture cleaner will help remove stubborn stains and leave your denture feeling fresher – always follow the manufacturers’ instructions – then brush the dentures again, as you would your own teeth, being careful not to scrub too hard as this may cause grooves in the surface. Most dentists advice using a small to medium headed toothbrush and toothpaste. Make sure you clean all the surfaces of the dentures, including the surface which comes into contact with your gums. This is especially important if you use any kind of denture fixative.

Our teeth absorb stains during normal life… tea, coffee, food colourants, red wine, smoking etc. D2 Dental now have a full range of teeth whitening options to counter this. All treatments within our practice are provided by our dentists. This is important for your peace of mind so you can be sure all treatments are safe, gentle, comfortable, and effective. Our dentists here at D2 Dental use specially developed light technology and a range of Hydrogen and Carbamide Peroxide gels to maximise your benefits, while you can sit back and relax in our comfortable environment. Teeth whitening procedures work by using these peroxides to alter the natural colour of teeth. This can be achieved through the use of fitted whitening trays for home use or by professional application by your dentist. You should work with your dentist to find a technique that suits you. Please Click Here to see our full range of teeth whitening services.  

Would you like to smile with confidence? Today one in every five patients in orthodontic treatment is over 21 years old. It is never too late to achieve your perfect smile!

Here at D2 dental we can provide discreet and efficient options to give you a smile to be confident with. The majority of our cases are completed in just a few short months!

We provide a broad range of options from Inman aligners to clear aligners for ultimate discretion. All treatments are provided by our dentists.

Role of Dental Implants

Dental implants have significantly expanded our capabilities to replace missing teeth, and now allow us to avoid removable tooth replacements in many circumstances. Additionally, dental implants can provide us with the capability of replacing missing teeth without having to involve adjacent sound, natural teeth. You can think of a dental implant as an artificial root. With “roots” now replacing missing teeth, we can build on these implants to construct crowns and fixed bridges. Unlike fixed bridges, individual missing teeth can be replaced with a single implant while leaving adjacent healthy teeth alone. Implants can also be used as primary or additional support for non-removable bridges when traditional therapy required a removable partial denture. There are too many possible treatment approaches to list, and each reconstruction needs to be individually planned.

Reconstruction with Dental Implants

Planning reconstructive care with dental implants requires careful coordination between the surgical phase and reconstructive phase. It is vital to fastidiously plan the entire treatment and prosthesis prior to implant placement surgery. This reduces unexpected surgical and anatomical complications and ensures the best possible outcome.

Diagnosis: Dental x-rays, panoramic x-rays, diagnostic models, and CT scans are commonly performed. This enables full planning of both the surgical and reconstructive phases of treatment.

Implant placement: The surgical procedure to place the implants in the jaw is generally performed with a conventional local anaesthetic. Sedation can be arranged if you are very nervous. While in the past many types of implant remained completely covered by gum tissue during the healing phase, this is now less usual and the implant is allowed to heal with a ‘healing cap’ attached to its head. This cap prevents the gum from growing over. The healing phase is now usually less than three months.

Implant evaluation: After the appropriate healing time, the implants are checked and evaluated for stability.

Reconstruction: It is now time to build the final tooth structure on top of the implant(s). This can be an individual crown or a bridge of some type, thus replacing one or more teeth.