This can be advised once we have assessed your teeth. We would advise you book in for an examination where we can take the necessary x-rays and advise you on the suitability for this procedure and whether any alternatives would fair better.

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If you have mild to moderate crowding of your front teeth or they are sticking out then you may well be a suitable candidate for Inman Aligner treatment. One of our expert dentists will be able to assess your suitability at your consultation.

According to the British society of periodontology more than 45% of the UK population is affected by gum disease in some capacity.

There are 2 types of ‘Gum disease’ – one causes reversible damage and is known as ‘Gingivitis’ and the other causes irreversible damage and is known as ‘Periodontitis’.

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Broadly speaking there are 2 main types of tooth whitening either “At home” whitening or “Combination” whitening which involves at home and an in-surgery component to the whitening process.

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We certainly do and would be more than happy to discuss all the options with you. Please contact us to speak to one of our treatment co-ordinators who would be more than happy to go through all the options with you.

Visit our finance page to explore calculate if finance is an affordable All on 4 dental implant solution.

For you to be suitable for a dental implant you will need to have enough height and width of jaw bone in the region of the missing tooth in question. This is usually assessed prior to implant surgery with a 3D scan (or Cone Beam CT - ‘CBCT’ for short) where the height and width of your jaw bones can be assessed to determine your suitability.  Even if you have a deficiency in the bone quality and/or quantity you can still be eligible for a dental implant as we have many clever bone enhancement techniques which we can employ to help us give you a dental implant even in the most difficult of situations.

Other pre-requisities are that your mouth must be made dentally fit with excellent oral hygiene before embarking on treatment with dental implants

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Dental crowns are most commonly used in the following cases:

·       When teeth are significantly broken down andwhere restoring them with a conventional restoration (filling) is either notpossible or is not adequate enough to maintain the integrity of the tooth.

·       For teeth which may not be broken but which arevery heavily restored with large fillings and where there is significant riskof the tooth breaking if it not adequately protected.

·       For back teeth which have had root canaltreatment which renders the tooth a lot weaker and highly susceptible tobreakage – in such cases crowns are strongly recommended to prevent these teethfrom breaking.

·       For teeth that have significant cracks to stopthem from worsening and to reduce the pain .

·       For highly discoloured teeth where otherconservative means of improving the cosmetics of these teeth (ie tooth whitening,veneers, restorations etc) has not worked.

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Dental bridges are fixed replacement for your missing teeth that use existing teeth as support to help hold them in place.

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Dental veneers are custom-made thin shells of tooth-coloured materials that cover the front surface of teeth to improve their appearance. They can be as thin as 0.2mm and are akin to a how a contact lens fits over our eyes.

These shells are designed to a specific shape, size, colour and thickness that is bespoke to you in order to enhance & change the colour, shape, size, or length of your teeth.

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Gingivitis is where your gums become inflamed due to the presence of bacteria (plaque) that accumulates near to it. This inflammation is typically characterised by a ‘fiery red appearance’ bleeding and swelling of the gums to varying degrees and occasional discomfort but rarely pain. In the presence of gingivitis the bone supporting the teeth is fully intact.

Once the bacteria around the teeth and gums is removed thoroughly the inflammation, swelling and bleeding should subside and the gums should return back to full health hence the reversible nature of this disease.

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Gum disease is a very common chronic condition that effects almost 1 in 2 persons in the UK to varying degrees.

It is the most common cause of tooth loss in the UK and worldwide.

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Teeth whitening is a process by which your teeth can be made to look a lot whiter and brighter in a non-invasive manner thereby enhancing the appearance of your smile.

There are many factors that contribute towards gum disease and it boils down to how susceptible or vulnerable you are to this disease process. Whilst we know that plaque bacteria is responsible for the damage that occurs – for some people the plaque causes a more disproportionate damage than with others.

The risk factors that contribute towards an increased vulnerability to gum disease are:

· Genetics: Gum disease runs in families and some people are more genetically prone to getting this condition than others. In such cases even small amounts of plaque will cause a disproportionate amount of damage to the gums and supporting bone rendering tooth loss more likely at a younger age and even in the presence of relatively good oral hygiene..

· Smoking: Smoking has a well-established link to gum disease. Smoking results in a higher degree of damage to the gums and greater chance that treatment will not be successful unless the smoking is stopped permanently

· Medical history: Diabetes and other medical conditions that reduce ones immunity result in a greater risk of gum disease. The more poorly controlled the diabetes is, the more likely that the gum disease will take hold and the more severe it likely to be.

· Medication: Certain medications that are taken cause enlargement of the gums making cleaning of these areas more difficult and increasing the risk of gum disease. Your dentist will advise if this is the case and may need to liase with your GP to discuss safe alternatives that do not cause gum enlargement.

· Poor oral hygiene: In theory if one has no plaque they cannot get gum disease. Whilst it is impossible to ensure a 100% plaque free mouth – it is every individuals responsibility to ensure that plaque levels are kept to an absolute minimum by ensuring exceptional levels of personal oral hygiene measures coupled with regular hygienist visits to get professional assistance where required.

· Certain deficiencies: In certain cases individuals may present with severe generalised gum disease but who are otherwise healthy, do not smoke, have no known family history and have exceptional oral hygiene. In these cases we would usually advise a blood test to be taken to rule out any potential undiagnosed conditions (such as diabetes) or deficiencies which may be contributing to this unexplained severity in gum disease.

· Other factors: Damaged teeth, broken fillings and ill-fitting crowns can create a rough surface making cleaning difficult and increasing the risk of damage to the gums. In such cases fixing these issues will help resolve the gum issues

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Once your dentist agrees that you are suitable for Invisalign, you will begin with a consultation during which you will be able to see a 3D time-lapse image of your teeth before, during and after treatment. We will take digital dental impressions and commence fabrication of your bespoke Invisalign aligners. Then you will wear the retainers for the prescribed amount of time, returning to change them every so often until your treatment is complete.

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Periodontitis is characterised by swollen and inflamed gums similar to gingivitis however the main feature of this condition is that the bone supporting the teeth is lost. Additionally it also has typical features of loose teeth, receded gums, a ‘long in the tooth appearance’, bad breath, drifting of teeth and an increase in the gaps between the teeth. It can also result in regular gum infections and eventual loss of the teeth.

There is a small risk that when a tooth is prepared for a crown that the nerve inside the tooth may get irrigated as a result of this preparation. There is an even smaller risk that this may result in the nerve ultimately dying in the future where the tooth may then require root canal treatment. The risk is even lower for an onlay as the preparation is much less than for a crown.

Most teeth that are to be crowned or onlayed already have along history of trauma and disease and so are already at risk of the nerve dying, so it is impossible to say whether if such happens it is due to the crown or whether it would have happened anyway.

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Composite veneers are made of an aesthetic resin material that is bonded onto your teeth. There can be hand sculpted by the dentist or can be made within a laboratory via the help of a dental technician. Composite is a very lifelike and aesthetic material that is easy to repair and fix should it ever break, chip or wear in the future. Since it is mainly hand sculpted using the artistic skills of the dentist unlike porcelain it can be modified chairside until you are happy with the result giving your cosmetic dentist greater artistic licence to bespoke it exactly how you wish whilst you watch. Composite is also significantly cheaper than porcelain. The drawbacks of composite are that it wears quicker than porcelain likely to need more maintenance and polishing throughout life than porcelain and may need to be repaired, fixed, re-surfaced, re-polished at yearly intervals. Composite can pick up staining more readily than porcelain and may need to be polished every 6-12 months depending on your diet.

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