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Preventive Dentistry
Preventive dentistry is the modern way of reducing the amount of dental treatment necessary to maintain a healthy mouth. It helps you to keep your teeth. The two major causes of tooth loss are decay and gum disease. When we prevent or deal with these two problems, you have more chance of keeping your teeth for life. Together with your dentist and hygienist , you can help to prevent the need for treatment, and so avoid the traditional pattern of fillings and extractions. We may recommend a course of treatment to get your mouth into good condition, and a maintenance plan to help you keep it that way.
If you have some of your own teeth, preventive dentistry will benefit you. Even if you don't, you will still benefit because conditions like mouth cancer and denture stomatitis can be spotted during regular visits to the dentist and then treated. It is excellent for children and young people, but it is never too late to start.
Your dentist will first assess your teeth and gums. If you need any treatment to get your mouth really healthy, your dentist will discuss it with you. In a healthy mouth it is unlikely that decay or gum disease will continue to be a problem.
- Your hygienist or dentist will thoroughly ‘scale and polish’ your teeth.
- Your dentist or hygienist will show you the best methods of brushing and flossing. This will remove the bacterial ‘plaque’ which forms constantly on your teeth and gums. When you eat or drink something sugary, the plaque turns the sugar into acid, which will cause tooth decay. Plaque will also cause gum inflammation if it is not regularly and thoroughly removed. The hard tartar (calculus) which builds up on the teeth also starts off as plaque.
- You will be shown which oral care products are the best ones for you to use.
- Your hygienist may discuss diet and any habits such as smoking and drinking with you.
- Your dentist will also make sure that all your fillings are in good repair and there are no rough edges to make cleaning difficult.
If your dentist sees that a tooth is cracked, or is weak and in danger of breaking, they may advise a new filling or perhaps a crown or ‘onlay’ to protect it. This will be better than waiting for it to break at an inconvenient time, when more extensive treatment might then be needed.
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride helps teeth resist decay. If your dentist thinks added fluoride would be useful, they may recommend applying a fluoride gel. They may also suggest that you use fluoride rinses, tablets or drops at home as an extra help against decay.
Pit and Fissure Sealants
The biting surfaces of children’s teeth can be protected using ‘sealants’. These make the tooth surface smoother and easier to clean, and stop decay starting in the difficult to clean areas.
Fillings
For over 150 years standard fillings have been made out of a silvery-grey material called ‘amalgam’. This is still one of the strongest and long lasting materials available for fillings. However, many people find it unattractive and some are concerned about possible health risks.
White fillings are now becoming a popular alternative to amalgam fillings. New dental materials mean it is much easier to find a perfect match for the shades of individual teeth. In most cases, it is impossible to see that the tooth even has a filling. Sometimes white filling material can be used to cover unsightly marks on the teeth, in a similar way to veneers.
Crowns
When a tooth is badly broken or heavily filled, your dentist may need to crown or ‘cap’ it to restore its appearance and strength.
Crowns can be made of a variety of different materials, such as porcelain or porcelain bonded to gold. New materials are continually being introduced. Different crowns suit different situations and your dentist will disuss with you which crown would be best for you.
Root canal treatment
Root canal treatment (also called endodontics) is needed when the blood or nerve supply of the tooth (known as the pulp) is infected through decay or injury. You may not feel any pain in the early stages of the infection. In some cases, your tooth could darken in colour which may mean that the nerve of the tooth has died (or is dying).
If the pulp becomes infected, the infection may spread through the root canal system of the tooth. This may eventually lead to an abscess. An abscess is an inflamed area in which pus collects. It can cause swelling of the tissues around the tooth. The symptoms of an abscess can range from dull ache to severe pain and the tooth may be tender when you bite. If root canal treatment is not carried out, the infection will spread and the tooth may need to be taken out.
The aim of root canal treatment is to remove all infection from the root canal. It is a skilled and time-consuming procedure, and will normally involve two or more visits to your dentist. You will be given a local anaesthetic and it should feel no different to you than having an ordinary filling done.
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 put in and the tooth is left to settle.
Tooth Whitening
There are two ways you can bleach your teeth: home or in surgery bleaching.
Home bleaching involves making plastic mouthpieces that look like protective sport mouth guards. You must wear these mouthpieces with a hydrogen peroxide based bleach for two to four hours a day for a minimum four to eight days.
In surgery bleaching will be simpler for you though a little more expensive. Plastic mouthguards are made just as for home bleaching, but fewer and shorter treatments are needed. Each session with your dentist will last between an hour and a half to two hours depending upon the amount of colour change desired. There is no need for local anaesthetic or drilling. You can relax by listening to music during the procedure. Colour changes are visible after the first visit. We nearly always use a combined technique of tray bleaching and Zoom 2 Power bleaching in our surgery because of the fabulous results and patient convenience. We've used this procedure for several years and have found it to be both safe and effective. The effect of this particular whitening treatment can last many years with proper care.
Only natural tooth structure responds to bleaching. Fillings and porcelain will NOT bleach. You need to consider this before bleaching because significantly whiter teeth may cause your old porcelain and/or bonding to look fairly yellow.