Exams

It is recommended you have a dental check-up once a year.

During an examination, your dentist will check the health of your teeth, gums, and other oral tissues. Your dentist will then discuss with you your treatment needs and the options that are available and most suitable for you.If necessary, x-rays are taken to gain more information about your teeth and gums.

Fissure Sealants

Fissure sealants are plastic coatings that are painted on to the grooves of the back teeth.

The sealant forms a protective layer that keeps food and bacteria from getting stuck in the tiny grooves in the teeth causing decay.

Resin-based fissure sealants should be applied to the permanent molars of children as early after eruption as possible.

This procedure does not replace good tooth brushing and a protective diet. It is only an aid. If the teeth are neglected and the diet has a high sugar content, cavities will still develop.

Hygiene

During your hygiene visit we will remove the plaque and calculus (tartar) from your teeth.This is important for the health of your gums and teeth. We will also discuss ways to maintain good oral hygiene at home, such as the use of dental floss or interdental brushes. If your teeth or gums are very sensitive, it is possible to receive anaesthetic for this procedure (numbing of your teeth and gums). Sometimes a few visits may be necessary to complete this process.

Fluoride Applications

Fluoride varnish provides extra protection against tooth decay when used in addition to brushing. Fluoride varnish is a pale-yellow gel that sets quickly. It is mostly applied to children’s teeth but there also situations in adult teeth when this procedure is indicated.

Scientific studies have shown that fluoride varnish gives added protection to teeth against decay when used in addition to brushing teeth regularly with fluoride toothpaste.

Children's Hygiene

We encourage parents to introduce children to the dental environment at an early age. Becoming familiarwith and learning the regularity of the dental visits is a great gift to give your children. However, when the children are young, they can be a little anxious about having their own appointment and being the centre of attention. We welcome parents to bring their young children with them for their own check-up visits, and they can be seen briefly at the same time as an exciting experience.

We are happy to monitor your child’s oral health and development and carry out preventive treatments such as fissure sealants, fluoride applications or sports guards. If a young child needs an invasive procedure such as an extraction or a filling and is not able to cooperate with the treatment, we will discuss with you referral options where such treatments can be carried out under sedation.

Crowns, Inlays, Onlays

Crowns, and variations of crowns such as onlays, are designed to strengthen or reconstruct teeth that have extensive fillings or have been damaged by fractures. They are also recommended after root canal treatment, to avoid fracture due to fragility and brittleness.

Crowns can also be used to correct cosmetic defects such as discoloured teeth, gaps between teeth (diastemas) or abnormally shaped teeth.

There are many materials used to construct crowns and onlays, from metals such as gold, to resins and ceramics. Each material has its unique advantages and disadvantages. As a result, there is no “perfect” material, and a choice will be made by discussing the situation with the patient.

Fillings

When part of a tooth is lost through decay, accidental damage or just wear and tear, it can be repaired with materials that restore the appearance and / or function of that tooth. We now use only tooth coloured filling materials (composites and glass ionomer cements).

Complete (Full) Denture

If you have lost all of your natural teeth on one or both arches, whether from gum 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 will 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. They can be made of various types of plastic or can bemetal based. Most plastic partial dentures are less expensive to make. They can be bulkier and more uncomfortable to wear. 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.

Bridges

Bridges are fixed restoration, cemented in the mouth. Technically, bridges are like individual crowns attached together in a series. They are most suited for restoring a short gap, of 1-2 teeth, especially if the teeth adjacent to the gap would also benefit from crowning. These serve as abutments (the pillars that support the bridge). If these teeth are healthy and intact, perhaps a different option for filling the gap should be considered, to avoid crowning teeth that don’t need crowning.

Why is it necessary?

It is usually necessary because of severe pain. There may also be swelling, but a tooth can be also be dead and pain free and need this treatment. The classic toothache is usually due to damaged or infected pulp tissue (commonly known as “the nerve”), because of deep decay, repeated fillings over many years, severe tooth fracture or trauma. Root canal therapy removes this damaged or infected tissue, and prepares the space it had occupied, the whole length of the root down to its tip, so it can be filled, and the tooth restored to function.

What happens after?

A tooth that is no longer vital (after the pulp was removed through root canal treatment) becomes more brittle and vulnerable to fractures. Especially in the back teeth it is recommended that it be reinforced by a more solid restoration, such as a crown.

Tooth whitening (bleaching)

The natural colour of the teeth varies widely; also, as we advance in age teeth tend to become darker. And sometimes lifestyle causes staining of the teeth (smoking, lots of black tea and/or coffee). Whatever the cause, you may wish to brighten up your smile. Bleaching is a safe, non-invasive procedure that gives good results.

European regulations now advise home kits, which are safe and effective. Bleaching will work best if the teeth are clean, so a scale and polish treatment is part of the package.

Veneers

Porcelain Veneers - Porcelain veneers are wafer-thin shells of porcelain which are bonded onto the front side of teeth to improvetheir appearance, if they are discoloured, worn, chipped, or misaligned. Single porcelain veneers are notoriously difficult to colour match with the natural teeth beside them. Consequently, the more veneers that are done – the easier the matching.

Direct composite veneers - In some situations, if the change desired is small, covering the tooth with composite material can be effective. This is a more economical and conservative procedure.

Composite additions

The same family of procedures as fillings – composite materials, which very closely resemble the appearance of teeth, can be added to teeth that are misshaped, too small, fractured or otherwise changed to improve symmetry and the general appearance of one or more teeth. This procedure is not invasive, it is very conservative of the tooth structure and can give excellent results.

What are the most treated orthodontic problems?

• Crowding:Teeth may be aligned poorly because the dental arch is small and/or the teeth are large. The bone and gums over the roots of extremely crowded teeth may become thin and recede because of severe crowding. Difficulty cleaning, poor biting relationships and undesirable appearance may all result from crowding.
  
  
• Overjet or protruding upper teeth:Upper front teeth that protrude beyond normal contact with the lower front teeth are prone to injury and can make biting difficult. If the lips do not come together the gums and teeth dry out and this contributes to cavities and gum inflammation. Appearance can also be affected.  Thumb and finger sucking habits can cause a protrusion of the upper incisor teeth.
  
  
• Deep overbite: A deep overbite or deep bite occurs when the lower incisor (front) teeth bite too close or into the gum tissue behind the upper teeth. When the lower front teeth bite into the palate or gum tissue behind the upper front teeth, significant bone damage and discomfort can occur. A deep bite can also contribute to excessive wear of the incisor teeth.
  
  
• Open bite:An open bite results when the upper and lower incisor teeth do not touch when biting down. This open space between the upper and lower front teeth makes biting into something difficult and causes all the chewing pressure to be placed on the back teeth. This excessive biting pressure and rubbing together of the back teeth makes chewing less efficient and may contribute to significant tooth wear.
  
  
• Spacing: If teeth are missing or small, or the dental arch is very wide, space between the teeth can occur. The most common complaint from those with excessive space is poor appearance.
  
  
• Crossbite:The most common type of a crossbite is when the upper teeth bite inside the lower teeth (toward the tongue). One or more teeth can be involved. Crossbites of both back teeth and front teeth are commonly corrected early due to biting and chewing difficulties. If left untreated can cause damage, especially if one or two front teeth are involved.

We are working with two systems:

• Metal braces (train tracks). We are using the Damon system, which is a modern top of the range bracket system, comfortable, hygienic and effective.
  
  
• Invisalign – simpler corrections can be carried out in this discreet comfortable manner, with clear aligners.

At what age can people have orthodontic treatment?

• Children – Few situations would require treatment to start early. Most problems can be corrected after all the baby teeth are out and the permanent teeth are erupted. By then the child is more mature and able to keep good hygiene and cooperate with the treatment. We advise that children have regular visits so that their oral development can be monitored, and their needs be discussed.
  
  
• Adults can also benefit from orthodontics, because healthy teeth can be moved at almost any age and braces are common-place and socially acceptable. Many adults find that they reached a stage in their lives when other pressures have eased off and they now have the time and space to do some things for themselves. Whether looking for cosmetic improvements or moving some teeth in preparation for more advanced restorative treatments, orthodontics is a viable and useful tool.