Dental information

General dentistry

Tooth decay is a common problem, and most people have a 95% chance of suffering with some form of it. As soon as it occurs, it is important to remove the decay, clean and repair the tooth. Missing or lost teeth should also be replaced to ensure you have the highest possible oral health.

Composite fillings are tooth-coloured (compared to the silver amalgam ones) and are usually made from a resin that is mixed with powdered glass quartz, silica or other forms of ceramic.

They are aesthetically better than amalgam fillings and have been developed extensively in recent years, so that they can be made to mimic the natural tooth layers very closely.

Composite fillings are bonded chemically to the tooth structure and so can be used to strengthen and protect teeth with this and fragile cusps.

Although very much improved over recent years, the wear resistance of composite is lower than some other materials. This may mean that laboratory produced restorations (such as ceramic crowns and inlays) may be more hard wearing for restoring whole or large parts of front and back teeth, especially in high load bearing areas.

An inlay is a small setting within the biting surface of the tooth. An onlay is a facing which restores and replaces the whole biting surface of the tooth. Inlays and onlays can be made of either porcelain or gold.

Porcelain offers the advantage that it can be perfectly shade-matched to the remaining tooth and also that it can be chemically bonded to the tooth, making it very strong. Gold offers the advantage that it can be made very thin and still keep its strength, and so can be useful in back teeth where there is very little space to restore the tooth.

Onlays can offer the advantage that they require less tooth removal than traditional tooth preparation for crowns, so preserving as much natural tooth surface as possible.

A crown, sometimes called a cap, is a way to cover chipped, broken or weakened teeth, strengthening your teeth and restoring your smile. A crown could also be used to protect the space left from a root filling or to help hold a denture or bridge in place.

Usually your tooth will need to be shaped, under local anaesthetic, and an impression taken by your dentist, which is then sent to the laboratory in order for your crown to be custom-made out of porcelain or porcelain bonded to gold.

Sometimes, especially with root fillings, it is necessary to set a post before fitting the crown. This supports the crown and adds stability and strength. Posts are custom-made or pre-made from metal or ceramic materials and are cemented directly into the root canal, ready for the crown to be fitted over the top. In certain circumstances it is necessary to custom-make a post, which is easily done by a dental technician.

There have been a great number of advances in the ceramic materials used to provide onlays, crowns and veneers over the last decade. This means that beautiful restorations can now be produced which are imperceptible to natural teeth, even by dentists!

A bridge is used to fill the space left by a missing tooth, giving you back a full smile. They are only possible if your surrounding teeth are healthy and strong, as it is these which are used to support the bridge. They are usually made from a porcelain and precious metal blend, although non-precious metals are also sometimes used.

Highly aesthetic, all-porcelain bridges may also be suitable in some cases.

It is important to replace missing teeth not only to improve the appearance of your smile, but also to prevent weakening of the teeth either side, decay and gum disease caused by trapped food particles or alterations to your bite.

Your dentist will help you to choose the best method to replace any missing teeth you may have.

A dental implant is used to secure one or more false teeth, or dentures, into place. It consists of a titanium rod, set into the jawbone, which the false teeth are then fixed to. The combination of rod and false teeth are collectively known as ‘implants’. This is a well-established method, with 95% lasting many years, providing they are cared for correctly.

Setting an implant requires a small operation, using local anaesthetic or even sedation if you are a nervous patient. Occasionally a general anaesthetic may be required for complex cases. After the operation you will feel some discomfort for about a week, as with any healing process.