One of the most common disorders in the world, dental caries is just another term for what you might call tooth decay or a cavity. It’s actually a bacterial infection caused by food debris left on the tooth’s surface. This food debris produces acid, which destructs the organic matter of the tooth and demineralises the tooth’s enamel.

Dental caries can be both extremely visible and extremely well-hidden. On the outside of a tooth, they usually begin as a chalky area and develop into a dark cavitation. However, when dental caries develop in less visible areas of the teeth, your dentist may need to use a radiograph or laser to judge how much damage they’re causing.

Other than the visible symptoms, if any of your teeth start to ache, this might be a sign of dental caries, and you should see your dentist immediately. When left untreated, dental caries can have some unpleasant side effects. Not only will your tooth hurt, but you might lose it, and it could get infected.

Your dentist will either prescribe you with a filling, a crown, or a root canal. Fillings involve blocking the cavity in your tooth with an alloy or resin, whereas crowns are used when damage is more extensive and a tooth needs extra support. A root canal is prescribed when the tooth’s nerve has died, and involves removing the dead material and filling the tooth’s roots with sealing material.

Dental caries, despite being common, are a serious problem for many people. It’s advisable to have them seen to straight away – catching them early can reduce the cost and length of the treatment you’ll need, as well as saving you a lot of pain and stress.

Visit your London dentist for a check-up today.

When teeth are cracked or chipped and cannot be fixed by composite bonding, then a veneer or crown may be necessary in order to strengthen the tooth. Veneers are also necessary when teeth have been filled or had root canal procedures to protect the exposed areas. Veneers are not just used to repair damage to teeth and can be used for more cosmetic purposes. For example, teeth that are unevenly spaced or worn down can have veneers attached to improve their appearance.

In the past some dentists and patients have been reluctant to use veneers because they appeared false, but with the improvements in dental technology over the past twenty years there are now veneers that are incredibly lifelike, that act as adequate substitutes for real teeth.

Lumineers, manufactured by Cerinate, are the very latest in veneer technology. Incredibly thin (about the same width as a contact lens) they require a far less significant portion of the existing tooth to be removed before they can be attached. This has often been another reason why dentists have avoided using veneers as they used to require a significant portion of the enamel to be removed in order to attach a veneer, without it appearing too big. In fact, Lumineer veneers are so thin that the process is reversible. They can also fit over existing crowns and dental work, greatly reducing the work and time needed for some procedures, not to mention painful removals.

Lumineers are at the cutting edge of dental technology, and represent a promising future for realistic and efficient dental repairs. London dentists are using Lumineers to repair damage and create stunning cosmetic results to patients. If you think you may need a veneer or are unhappy with a previous crown, ask a London dentist about Lumineers and you could have the natural looking smile returned to your face.

Even though it may be rare to get cavities in your front teeth, you may still want white filings. For example, if you wind up with cavities in other visible teeth, you will not want unsightly silver or gold fillings to ruin your smile. When you visit a City of London dentist you can choose from a wide range of filling materials. Aside from ones that will provide a basic white colour, you can also make use of fillings that will match the exact shade of white found on each tooth.

If you decide to get white fillings, you may also want to think about having veneers, or other types of cosmetic dentistry done at the same time. In particular, this would be an ideal time to have the shape of your teeth adjusted to fit your mouth size and face shape. You may also want to have your teeth whitened so that you will be sure to get the correct shade of white for your fillings.

Depending on your situation, you may decide that you want the most durable fillings that you can get. In these cases, you may want to ask your dentist about using amalgam fillings, and then covering them over with some other material. Aside from traditional veneers, there are also removable ones that may suit your needs. You may also want to consider having a full crown installed.

Regardless of whether you choose resin fillings or some type of composite, you can have peace of mind knowing that they will not create an unsightly contrast to the rest of your teeth. In addition, many of the newer materials are almost as strong as amalgam. While you may still need to have silver coloured filings for your molars, at least any teeth that show can look as perfect as possible.

Teeth restoration need not be time-consuming. With CEREC technology, your London dentist could custom-design and fit a new veneer, crown, inlay or onlay in just a single visit. Gone are the days when you have to wait for two weeks to complete a teeth restoration procedure.
A dental restoration product, CEREC allows your dentist to create a ceramic dental restoration material. This material contracts and expands in response to changes in temperature.
CEREC, which stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, utilizes computer assisted technologies such as CAD/CAM and three-dimensional photography.
Following is a step by step procedure on how the CEREC technology works:
• The tooth preparation will be done by your dentist, similar to the preparation done before fitting a veneer or crown.
• Your dentist will use a digital image to create an impression of your tooth.
• The digital image of your tooth will then be converted into a three-dimensional computerized model. This computerized model will be used as basis for the design of your tooth restoration.
• Once the new tooth design has met the satisfaction of your dentist, the data will be sent to a milling machine. This milling machine will manufacture your tooth from a special ceramic block.
• The ceramic block comes in various shades and colours. The colour of your restored tooth will be matched to your surrounding teeth.
• Your London dentist would then glaze or polish your new crown or veneer. Lastly, the newly-made restoration will be placed and cemented on your tooth.