Restore Your Smile
Are you missing teeth? Do you cover your mouth when you smile? Do you tend to keep your lips pursed together when you laugh? Does your face look somewhat squashed (lip and nose distance are shorter than they were when you had teeth)? If you answered yes to any of these questions then modern dentistry can improve your smile and self confidence. There is truth to the saying, "Smile and the world smiles too." So there's nothing like a smile to create a good first impression. A warm and confident smile will put both you and the other person at ease. So smiling is a winner when it comes to great first impression.
If you're looking to enhance your image, there are a wide number of modern and sophisticated dental treatments available to suit both your needs and your budget. These range from quick and basic treatments, such as tooth whitening, to tailored courses of treatment, where the patient requires dental implants, crowns, or bridges. Each of these treatments is guaranteed to improve the appearance of your teeth, leaving you with at least one great reason to smile!
Crowns, Inlays & Onlays
When over 1/2 of a tooth's biting surface is damaged we recommend an inlay or onlay to restore your tooth. Inlays and onlays can be made of porcelain, gold, or composite resin. These pieces are bonded to the damaged area of the tooth. An inlay, which is similar to a filling, is used inside the cusp tips of the tooth; an onlay is a more substantial reconstruction, similar to the inlay but extends out over one or more of the cusps of the tooth. Dental crowns - also known as caps - are artificial coverings used to reconstruct damaged teeth, restoring them to their original size, shape, and color. These treatments all require two visits. At your first appointment we will prepare the affected tooth by removing a significant part of it, leaving only its hard inner core in the form of a stump. A dental technician will then construct your permanent crown according to an impression of the affected tooth. During this time, you will be provided with a temporary crown. On your second visit, your permanent crown will be 'cemented' onto your original tooth. Crowns can be manufactured using a variety of different materials. The most popular of these materials is porcelain, as its colour is virtually indistinguishable from the natural color of your own teeth. It is also possible to manufacture gold crowns, but ceramic restoration is considered much more beneficial due to its asthetic qualities.
Bridges
Dental bridges are very similar to dental crowns in terms of preparation, and in the materials and methods used to construct them. The primary difference is that, where dental crowns are used to reconstruct damaged teeth, dental bridges are used to replace missing teeth. The teeth either side of the gap are prepared in much the same way as for a crown. The bridge is then fixed onto these two teeth, a hollow crown between them bridging the gap left by the missing tooth.
Implants
Dental implants are considered the most durable, functional, and natural solution for replacing missing teeth. Whereas a bridge will affect adjacent teeth, dental implants involve introducing a titanium post into the jaw, providing a stable root over which a crown can be placed. The results are permanent, leaving you with a natural-looking smile, and the confidence to eat the foods you love without worrying about sustaining damage to your reconstructed teeth. In addition, implants can help preserve facial structure, thus preventing the bone deterioration that can occur when teeth are missing.
Partials & Dentures
For patients who have either lost some or all their teeth, or will be having them extracted, a complete denture, or partial denture is a viable treatment option. A complete denture is a removable prosthesis designed to replace all of the teeth on an arch with artificial teeth, while a removable partial denture is designed to 'anchor' to the remaining teeth.
