General Dentistry

White fillings

White fillings, otherwise known as composite fillings, have the main advantage of bonding to the tooth. This means less tooth removal and therefore less tooth destruction when carrying out the filling. This can reduce the chances of the tooth needing a crown in the future. They also offer the added cosmetic benefit of looking natural and can be used on front and back teeth.

A crown is a custom made cap that fits over a tooth. Normally this is to prevent the tooth from further fracture in the future, especially if the tooth is heavily filled or has undergone root canal treatment. Crowns can be made in metal/gold or white crowns can be made from porcelain.

Crowns we offer:

• Metal/Gold Crowns
• Porcelain bonded to metal crowns – these crowns are made of metal and porcelain, they give a great cosmetic appearance with the added benefit of the strength from the metal.
• Fully Porcelain Crowns – fully porcelain crowns give the best cosmetic appearance and are made of a strong, reinforced type of porcelain. No metal is used to make these crowns so they can be made to look very natural.

Replacing a gap - Bridges

A bridge can be used to replace a gap in certain circumstances. If suitable, the neighbouring tooth to the gap can be prepared for a bridge and used to retain an artificial tooth to fill the gap.

A bridge stays fixed in the mouth and cannot be removed.

Dentures are an effective way of replacing gaps in the teeth and can be taken in and out of the mouth. They are available in 3 different types, these are:

• Cobalt Chrome (Metal) Dentures
• Acrylic Dentures
• Flexi Dentures

Metal dentures offer the advantage of having clasps which help the denture to stay in better, this can make eating and normal wear easier. They can also be made much thinner than plastic dentures which can make them feel less bulky in the mouth and can make speaking easier. They are also healthier for your gums.

Flexi Dentures are a great alternative to normal plastic dentures. They have a flexible structure which many patients find more comfortable. This means that they are less likely to break and can also help them to stay in better.

Acrylic dentures are made of a hard type of plastic and are a good, cost-effective way of restoring gaps in the teeth.

Root canal treatment is used to treat an infection in the centre of the tooth. The infection can be caused by:

• Leaky fillings
• Tooth decay
• Trauma to a tooth

The procedure involves cleaning out the canals of the tooth and then filling the canals with a material to prevent it from getting infected in the future. A root filled tooth is considerably weakened by the procedure so normally needs a crown to help reinforce the tooth and prevent it from fracturing.