London cosmetic dentistry

Archive for the ‘Dental Crowns and Bridges’ Category

City of London Dentist Explains How Getting a Dental Crown is Easier Than You Think

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

If you have severe damage to your teeth such as a crack, a chip, or a broken tooth that cannot be repaired with a simple filling, you will want to consider a dental crown placement. Don’t panic, it is a much easier process than you imagine! Your dentist in the City of London will make the procedure of a dental crown placement easy for you and help you restore your oral health. Getting a dental crown placement usually requires just two visits. During the first visit, x-rays of your affected tooth will be taken and your dentist will assess what sort of permanent crown will best suit you. Typically, porcelain, a combination of porcelain and metal, and gold are the materials used for dental crowns. It may take up to three weeks for your customised permanent crown to be made, so meanwhile, your dentist will fix you up with a temporary crown during your first visit. With a temporary crown, you will have to avoid certain types of foods that require thorough chewing, but soon you will have your permanent crown that will restore your oral health and let you chew and smile with confidence again. Your permanent dental crown can last up to fifteen years with good oral hygiene and regular visits to your dentist, an easy solution for severe problems.

London dentists offer dental bridges and patients leave the surgery with a full set of teeth

Friday, September 9th, 2011

There are a number of different ways that patients who have lost a tooth can get it replaced. They each have their own pros and cons and if you find yourself in that situation then it is worth spending a little time thinking about the different options so you can decide which is best for you. The best person to discuss these options with is your dentist in London who will have access to all the facts that you will need to make up your mind.

Dental bridges are a convenient way to replace a lost tooth securely in the mouth with a durable replacement. Essentially there are three types of dental bridge that all work on the same principle of securing a replacement tooth to surrounding remaining teeth using strong dental bonding techniques.

The type dental bridge that a dentist will choose for each case will depend on the position of the lost tooth. If a patient has lost a tooth at the front of the mouth then the concern of the dentist will be to preserve the aesthetics of the smile as this dental bridge is potentially on full display. He or she will tend to choose what is called a Maryland or resin bonded bridge which is type of bridge specially carried out so that the bridge is concealed.

Because bridges rely on the surrounding teeth to support the strain of the false tooth then a special type has to be used if there is only one tooth available to support the bridge. This is called a cantilever bridge and involves the London dentist securing the false tooth on one side only. In most cases a regular or fixed dental bridge will be used.

Perfect Porcelain Crowns in the City of London

Sunday, August 28th, 2011

Keeping up appearances is everything in the city of London, and the one thing that anyone is going to remember about you is how you open your mouth. Keeping your teeth looking spectacular is the most important thing here. Sure things can go wrong, but it’s vitally important to get them repaired too. Tooth decay is a constant peril, and even though we try to fight it on all levels, it can get through, which means that in some cases, a crown will be needed after root canal treatment. A crown is important as it maintain the mouth’s occlusion or bite so having one is a necessity. Some of the most natural looking types are made from porcelain. All porcelain crowns can be fragile, albeit beautiful, so they should never be used anywhere in the mouth where the tooth is going to come under a lot of pressure from biting or chewing. But here, help is at hand, as some crowns are made from porcelain covered metal and can withstand stronger forces going through them. The porcelain can also be colour coded to match the rest of your teeth too. There are alternatives to porcelain, such as gold, but if you want the mouth to retain a natural beauty and sheen, porcelain is the way forward.

The Joys of a Dental Bridge in London

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

So what is a dental bridge? Well, essentially, it’s a permanent false tooth, designed to fill the space left by the loss of your own tooth and there three basic types on offer, though over time, they have evolved and become a lot more refined as new materials and techniques have been incorporated into the fitting process. A cantilever bridge is used where there are low stresses going through the mouth, generally at the front of the mouth and is anchored to one or more teeth only to one side of the new tooth. A resin bonded bridge is attached to the adjacent teeth either side of the hole with resin and wire. The more popular choice however is a fixed bridge the new tooth is molded between two crowns that is then cemented to the teeth either side of the gap. Getting a bridge is a lot simpler than having an implant, although in some cases you can combine the two for extra rigidity. Fitting normally takes a couple of visits, but your London dentist will usually fit it temporarily at first to give it a test run to iron out any problems. The only downside to having a bridge fitted is that they require extra attention to detail when it comes to cleaning to ensure bacteria is removed from under the bridge. But your dentist will advise you on how to do this and be able to supply you with small, inter-dental brushes.

The Advantages of a Dental Crown in the City of London

Sunday, May 29th, 2011

If you’ve neglected your teeth and decay has started to wield its whip, never fear because your city of London dentist is here! Oh yes, these people have all the answers for saving your teeth, nay, even replacing them. Tooth decay can get its teeth into your, well, teeth very quickly and you only may notice it when some serious damage has set in and the tooth starts to ache. If this has been identified, then it needs to be treated immediately if you have any chance to save the tooth and to ensure the health of the rest of the teeth around it. Once the dentist has removed the decay, the tooth must be rebuilt so that it can not only function naturally again, but aesthetically, look appealing in the mouth. Dental crowns solve this problem. Manufactured outside the mouth after impressions have been made of the treated tooth, they are cemented into place to give the tooth back its structure. The most common crowns are made from porcelain, or if something stronger is required, porcelain-over-metal. But if you are still trying to keep up with modern pop trends, but in all seriousness, want something really strong, gold is favoured. Even if you have suffered tooth loss, crowns can be attached to a dental implant to retain the health and strength of your mouth and its biting functions. The more flamboyant cosmetic dentist will make your crown from anything if you have the money, but before you get historically dramatic and choose oak, remember, crowns are primarily for your oral health and not only for your beauty.

Getting a Dental Crown Placement in the City- It’s Easier than you think

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

There is a pretty good chance that almost all of us in the city of London, at some point in our lives, will succumb to some to some form of tooth decay, chipping or cracks, meaning that a crown placement will be required to restore the damage done. But such are the progress and refinements of dental procedures these days, having a crown fitted has never been easier, and will not only restore the look to the teeth, but also maintain the health of your mouth. The treatment requires x-rays and clearing out any decay in the tooth- it may even require a root canal, but once this has been done, the dentist can then take impressions of your tooth so that the crown can be made and then fitted. This would normally take a couple of visits, although if you are in a hurry, you can have CEREC treatment that can complete the restoration in one visit. It’s at this point you get to choose the material the crown is made from. Resin, porcelain and porcelain-over-metal are the more popular choices and look very natural, although, if a crown is required at the back of the mouth where the tooth undergoes a lot of pressure from chewing and biting, a more durable material such as gold alloy may be required.

City of London dentists give stunning results with porcelain crowns

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

Nobody should have to feel embarrassed about their smile. Such feelings can lead to awkwardness in social situations as you worry if somebody will dislike the appearance of your teeth. If you suffer from teeth which are damaged in some way it is vitally important that you deal with the problem swiftly and effectively so you can get on with living your life confidently.

Crowns can strengthen a broken tooth, allowing it to function just like a natural, healthy tooth. You might find that one of your teeth has broken down to the point where it is impossible for it to be rebuilt. In these situations, crowns are ideal as they cover the broken down tooth, protecting it from further cavity formation.

Crowns are also a good option if you wish to have stained or cracked teeth covered up. Tooth whitening might be more appropriate as it is less invasive but a crown can give permanent cover to stained teeth and allow you to smile again with confidence.

Metal is no longer the preferred material for crowns as it could lead to the formation of dark lines against the gum. The resulting aesthetic effect offered little improvement on having a damaged tooth in the first place. The porcelain crowns which are used now match the surrounding teeth, giving a look that is natural and discreet.

Depending on the state of the tooth in question, your dentist might have to remove a little of it under local anaesthetic. An impression is then taken using dental putty and sent to a lab where the crown is made. Usually you will only need to wait for two week while wearing a temporary crown and then your durable porcelain crown will be ready to be installed. Contact your City of London dentist today if you think that porcelain crowns might be the answer to your problems

Choosing a porcelain crown in London

Monday, November 22nd, 2010

Over time, our teeth can take quick a battering causing cracks, wear and decay and if unchecked, can lead to more serious problems. It can also affect the aesthetics of the overall look of the mouth and the smile. According to most dentists in London, this is the time that action is needed and crowns may be the answer. Crowns cover an existing tooth that has been damaged by an injury or decay, or can be fitted over an implant to replace a missing tooth. The procedure is fairly straight forward, with the tooth having to be prepared first. The teeth will be cleaned and then moulds taken so that the new crown can be manufactured to size and cemented over the existing tooth. What type of crown you choose depends on your individual vanity requirements. Porcelain crowns are the more cosmetically popular because they posses the most natural translucent appearance. But the problem of an all-porcelain crown lies in its strength; therefore, they are the more obvious choice for teeth at the front of the mouth. Where the majority of biting and chewing is done at the back of the mouth, a dentist may advise on a stronger crown, such as the porcelain-fused-over metal type. In both cases, porcelain crowns are very cosmetically rewarding and if treated with care, very durable, lasting up to 15 years. Costs are reasonable too, and comparable with other cosmetic treatments, starting from £150 per tooth.

The choice of a dental bridge in central London

Sunday, November 21st, 2010

Losing a tooth can be traumatic and can lead to many complications. Cosmetically it can hinder your look as well as your speech. According to most dentists in central London, a missing tooth does not necessarily have to be replaced. For vanity reasons, replacement depends on where in the mouth the tooth has been lost. But the remaining teeth have a tendency to move that can lead to infection, disease and decay, so most dentist will advise on a replacement. One method is to have a dental bridge fitted. They come in various guises- the most popular being a resin bridge that is bonded to adjacent teeth by wires and resins. With a fixed bridge, the new tooth is bonded to two crowns either side and then cemented onto the two prepared teeth either side of the gap. A rather more complex method is the cantilever bridge that can only be attached to a tooth on one side. The treatment can be carried out in a couple of visits, the first for preparatory work to adjacent teeth and for moulds and impressions, and the second for fitting. The dentist will only fix the bridge permanently once you have worn it for a couple of weeks and that you are both happy with the bite and the fit. Bridges do require a certain attention to cleaning, but there is no reason why they should not last a good 15 years with good oral hygiene.

Top quality porcelain crowns from London dentist

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Teeth can be damaged in a number of ways, which is not only painful but causes long-term dental problems. Chipped, cracked and discoloured teeth also spoil the appearance of the smile, which can cause confidence and self-esteem issues. Teeth can be repaired using porcelain crowns, which are cemented over the top of the existing teeth both protecting and restoring the appearance of the teeth.

Porcelain crowns are held in place by dental bonding, which also adds a protective element to the restoration. Porcelain crowns have been traditionally made in the lab taking a couple of weeks to build up the layers of the enamel but new technology called Cerec is allowing dentists to make porcelain crowns in the surgery while the patient waits.

This new technology utilises other technologies such as digital x-rays and three-dimensional imaging. This allows the dentist to design the restoration on the computer before instructing a computer-guided mill to sculpt the crown.

Porcelain crowns look and feel just like real teeth. They will last for about fifteen to twenty years if they are properly cared for with good brushing and flossing. London dentists offer porcelain crowns to patients who are keen to have the best quality of treatment and the best results.

Modern porcelain crowns are also designed to look more like natural enamel and utilise no metal which could slightly spoil the appearance of the new crown, despite being very tough. Ask your dentist about the benefits of dental crowns at your next appointment.