Whitening Teeth 

In general, bleaching is a very safe, inexpensive, and effective cosmetic treatment that removes stains to reveal the underlying whiteness of teeth. 

Typically bleaching effects can last up to 5 years depending on the bleaching method used, whether or not you smoke, consume acid containing foods, or consume staining beverages like red wines and coffee. The use of whitening toothpastes can significantly prolong the results you get with bleaching.

Bleaching can be done in the dentist's office or at home. It's quicker to have it done in the dentist's office because the dentist can use full strength hydrogen peroxide and a special light or a laser to speed up the bleaching process. People should expect the process to take a couple of visits, each lasting up to an hour.

At home, patients use a more stable form of hydrogen peroxide called carbamide peroxide. It is placed in custom made trays made from impressions taken by a dentist and worn on the teeth either once or twice a day, depending on the manufacturer.

Veneers

Porcelain veneers are designed to cover the existing front surface of your teeth. They can be used for re-aligning, whitening, correcting the colour of a dark tooth or restoring a cracked or chipped tooth. They usually require very little preparation, are quick and easy to prepare and in dentistry terms, have to be the best bang for your bucks! There is barely a Hollywood star who has not had the all conquering veneer makeover (as seen on TV!)
The veneers have approximately the same strength as natural tooth enamel, they must be well bonded to the underlying tooth. The final aesthetic outcome can be difficult to asses until the veneer has been bonded permanently to the tooth.

Replacing Old Dental Work (Mercury Free)

Old, unattractive and silver-looking fillings could leave people feeling uncomfortable when they open their mouths or laugh out loud. Thankfully, this old dental work can be replaced with natural-looking materials, such as composite resins or porcelain. In particular, your dentist may be able to replace your fillings with inlays/onlays or, if the damage is extensive, with crowns. Either way, you won’t be able to tell the difference between your natural tooth structure and the new aesthetic dental work! Now, there’s a reason to smile!

Inlays/onlays
Inlays/onlays are small pieces of dental porcelain or composite resin created in a dental laboratory and shaped to fit perfectly in the space left by cavities and/or old dental work. In some cases, inlays/onlays may be made using gold. They are cemented in place with strong cement that is hardened using an intense light (a curing light). Because they are custom-built to match your existing tooth structure, they look exactly like the rest of the tooth.

If inlays/onlays are prescribed for you, the dentist will prepare your tooth by removing the old filling or the decay. During this step, a local anaesthetic may be used. An impression will then be taken and sent to the laboratory technician for use in making the inlay/onlay. Then, the dentist will create a temporary filling for you so that you can resume your normal activities.

When the inlay/onlay is returned from the laboratory, your dentist will remove the temporary and thoroughly clean the tooth. The inlay/onlay will then be cemented and cured into place.

Crowns
Also known as a cap, a crown is a porcelain, gold, metal, or combination metal/porcelain covering cemented into place over the entire shape of a tooth that has a large filling, extensive damage or decay, or that is too weak and may break. Crowns can also be used to hold a bridge into place, cover an implant, or protect/restore a tooth that has had a root canal.
The dentist will prepare your tooth by removing the decay or old filling, as well as a small amount of the enamel surface from around and on top of the tooth. Local anaesthesia will likely be used. Then, the dentist will take an impression of the tooth and the surrounding teeth for use in making a model that is sent to a technician at a dental laboratory, where the crown will be made. To enable you to chew and resume your normal activities, the dentist will place a temporary crown over the tooth.
As with inlays/onlays and veneers, when your permanent crown is ready, the dentist will remove the temporary and thoroughly clean the tooth. Depending on what type of crown was made for you, the dentist may use cement that must be cured, or one that hardens and sets without the use of a curing light

Missing Teeth

If you’re missing a tooth, you’re probably conscious of a lot more than just how it makes your smile look. You may notice that it’s difficult to chew and, in some instances, it may be awkward to speak certain words and sounds. While there may be many reasons why you are missing a tooth, there are two great reasons to see your dentist about replacing it: bridges and implants.

Today, with so many natural-looking, metal-free, or “permanent” choices available, dentists can replace a missing tooth so that nobody—not even you—will know that it’s not a natural tooth. 

Bridges 
A bridge—also called a fixed partial denture—does exactly what the name implies: it spans the space from a missing tooth using two crowns on the teeth on each side of the gap, with an artificial tooth in the middle. Like crowns, they are made in a dental laboratory using porcelain, or a combination of metal/porcelain. 
In addition to filling in the gap left by a missing tooth, bridges also help maintain the shape of your face, improve the appearance of your smile, and relieve stress when chewing. Unlike a removable bridge (or partial denture) that you can take out, a fixed bridge remains securely cemented in your mouth and can only be removed by a dentist. 


Implants 
Implants are high-strength fixtures that are surgically placed under the gum and into the underlying bone of the jaw to replace missing or extracted (pulled) teeth. When the implant has fully integrated into the bone, an artificial tooth—such as a crown—is placed on top of it. 
If your dentist prescribes an implant for you, it may require one or two operations during the course of three to six months, which are done under local anaesthetic. This surgery can take place in a dental office or in a hospital, depending on several factors. 
The oral surgeon will begin by making an incision in your gums to expose the bone in the jaw. Then, a hole will be made for the dental implant to fit into. Once the implant is in place, the gums are closed with stitches. 
It takes time for the bone to grow around and connect to the implant (called osseointegration). If the implant is placed in your lower jaw, this may take three months. If it is placed in the upper jaw, this could take about six months. What’s more, depending on the type of implant prescribed for you, another surgery may be required to connect the post portion, which would eventually hold the artificial tooth in place in your mouth. 
Once the implant is secure and fully integrated, a crown will be placed on top of the implant, and it will appear as if you never had a missing tooth. Implants may also be used to secure complete dentures.

Shade Visits to the Lab and Consultation

What is a Dental Laboratory?
This is where the production of your restoration(s) takes place, once your dentist has prepared your teeth and taken an impression the case is sent to us for construction. It is often possible to change the shape, colour or alignment of teeth, so if you have any particular requests please let me know and I can take them in to account.
Why has your dentist asked you to see me?
When manufacturing the restoration it is often necessary to use a variety of colours to achieve a match that is personal to you. Within the system we use there are around 50 colours that can be mixed or layered in any combination, it is therefore prudent for me to see exactly where to place and in what proportions to mix these colours. If you have already seen your dentist and the teeth have been prepared it is advisable to make an appointment with us as soon as possible to avoid any delay with the construction.
What does the procedure entail?
The procedure is non-invasive and therefore totally painless.
I will be looking at your teeth in relation to 26 preset 'common' colours. I can then mix any of these colours in any combination to achieve the desired result.
I will also take some digital photographs for reference when I am making our new teeth.
How long will it take?
Usually 15 minutes is enough time, although if the colour is particularly complex it may take a little longer.
I generally do not allocate a time to your visit, so please do not feel rushed, we can spend as long as you like discussing your case in as much detail as you wish.
Company Policy
In most cases you will be seen by me, but when I am unavailable i.e. during holidays, you will always be seen by a senior technician.
I hope by the end of your visit you feel you have been treated with professionalism and care, if you feel the anything could be improved then please let me know.

Ian Taylor
Director

Jaw / Joint Pain

You may be one of the more than 10 million people that suffer from a condition called TMJ Syndrome. Or, you may be one of those people who grind and clench their teeth at night (called Bruxism) and don’t even know it. Both of these conditions lead to moderate to severe facial pain, headaches, jaw pain and tenderness, fatigue in the muscles in your face, neck aches, and earaches. In either case, dentists now have a variety of treatment solutions available—many of which are conservative and do not require dental work or surgery—to help relieve your pain. 
Bite splints—which are custom-made from acrylic or rubber and are worn over the teeth while sleeping—are often used to treat patients with TMJ disorders and those who are bruxers. They have been shown to protect the teeth, improve jaw-muscle and TMJ function, and relieve related pain While they may provide some relief and protection, they may not actually “cure” the problem.

TMJ Syndrome 
TMJ is the abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint, otherwise known as the jaw joint. These are the small joints in front of each ear that connect your bottom jaw to your skull and are used when opening and closing your mouth, chewing, speaking, etc. Individuals diagnosed with TMJ Syndrome experience a variety of symptoms, including pain in the jaw areas and associated muscles, including the ear; limited ability to open their mouth; headaches; facial pain; and others. Currently, there are no scientifically proven tests available to diagnose TMJ.

Bruxism 
Bruxism refers to a gnashing or grinding of the teeth that most often occurs while you’re sleeping, so you’re probably not aware that you’re doing it. The condition is usually diagnosed during dental examinations based on the wear of your teeth that the dentist sees. Like TMJ Syndrome, there are no clinical tests that can be performed to determine if you’re a bruxer.

Overall Dental Health

Here, we’ll provide some basics about maintaining the health and beauty of your smile. And, we’ll provide some links to information about other topics related to dental care.

At the Dentist’s Surgery 
There’s a lot involved in a having a healthy smile, and knowing what’s a part of overall dental care will help put your mind at ease. During regular check-ups and recall visits, dentists and hygienists take care to ensure the ongoing health of your teeth. In particular, they will strive to prevent cavities, decay and disease by using:

In the Comfort of Your Own Home 
While it may seem that dentists can provide you with an almost instantaneous Defining Smile, the fact is, a beautiful smile and healthy teeth don’t just happen. They result from good oral care habits, such as brushing and flossing, watching what you eat and drank, and avoiding use of tobacco products.

Any toothpaste that contains fluoride and is used a soft bristle toothbrush at least twice a day for 2 minutes will help effectively prevent cavities. 
Brushing, combined with flossing, will also help prevent gum diseases such as gingivitis, which causes lesions or wounds that affect the gums, which damages the bone and connective tissue that support the teeth. Gingivitis is entirely reversible but, if left unchecked, can often progress to later stages and cause tooth loss and even serious health complications. Some of the early signs you may notice at home are: gums that bleed when brushing; tender or occasional swollen gums; bad breath. If you have noticed these signs, contact your dentist for an examination.

Implants

Today, the preferred method of tooth replacement is dental implant treatment. Dental implants replace missing tooth roots, and form a stable foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel and function in a similar way to your natural teeth. Dental implants also preserve the remaining bone by providing the stimulation previously provided by the natural tooth roots.

There are numerous advantages of dental implant treatment over other treatment options. It is not necessary to grind down the adjacent teeth for a bridge, or secure a partial denture to adjacent teeth with clasps which can cause tooth loosening. Implant-supported replacement teeth spare patients many of the disadvantages of traditional false teeth.

How does a dental implant work?

The first step in the treatment sequence is placing the implant in the jaw using a gentle surgical procedure. The bone forms a strong bond to the implant after just 6-12 weeks, providing a solid foundation for attaching a replacement tooth (crown). Unlike other dental implants, ITI dental implants are usually not covered by gum tissue, so a second surgical procedure is not required to attach the crowns. Both the gum tissue and the bone remodel around the implant at the same time. Following this brief period of time during which the bone is remodeling around the implant, fabrication of the replacement tooth can begin. This process involves a few appointments for attaching an abutment or post to the implant, taking impressions of your teeth, and checking for proper fit and colour of the crown.