Fillings

a) Amalgam (Silver) Fillings
Usually placed on back teeth. They are very hard-wearing and generally last a long time. Amalgam is made up of mercury, silver, tin, copper and other metals. More info on Dental Amalgams...

b) Composite (White) Fillings
can be placed on front and back teeth. They are becoming more popular on back teeth due to their better appearance and are mercury-free. They are generally more expensive than 'silver' fillings as they take much longer to insert. Composite fillings are made up of plastic-like materials.

Crowns

A crown is a tooth-like covering placed over a carefully prepared existing tooth which is usually damaged, heavily filled or has had Root Canal treatment. Crowns are made of porcelain , a stain resistant material which closely replicates the appearance and function of natural teeth.

Veneers

A thin porcelain facing placed on the surface of a damaged, discoloured or poorly positioned front tooth. Veneers can improve the colour, shape and position of your teeth.

Bridge

A series of crowns joined together.It is a custom made device anchored to adjacent teeth to replace one or more missing teeth. When a lost tooth is replaced with a Bridge the teeth on either side of the missing tooth must be prepared as crowns.
These will serve as anchors to hold the missing tooth in place.

Root Canal Treatment

Inside your tooth, running like a thread through the root is the pulp ( also known as the "nerve"). If the pulp is diseased or injured the pulp tissue dies. If you do not remove the pulp the tooth gets infected and can lead to a dental abscess. After the dentist removes the pulp, the root canal is cleaned and
sealed off to protect it. After Root Canal treatment a tooth discolours and becomes brittle so a crown is placed over it.

Dentures

Dentures are worn to replace lost or missing teeth so that people can enjoy a healthy diet and smile with confidence. A full denture is where all the teeth are missing and a partial denture is where only some of the teeth are missing. Dentures are made of either acrylic (plastic) -the most common type, or metal (chrome-cobalt).

Tooth Whitening

Process of brightening or whitening stained, discoloured or dull teeth with our at-home whitening system. This is a very safe and effective way of whitening teeth.

Hygienist

Dental hygienists focus on preventing and treating oral disease, both to protect teeth and gums and also to protect patients total health. There is now a proven link between gum disease and heart disease. Hygienists clean teeth,give instruction in oral hygiene,dietary advice and advice on preventative measures.

Oral Surgery

This has to be carried out where teeth cannot be extracted in the normal way. For example: badly broken down teeth, retained roots, impacted wisdom
teeth.