Dental veneers are much the same as a furniture veneer, except the material isn’t a natural one, says a Colchester dentist. Much the same as a false nail is a veneer for the fingers; a dental veneer is used and fitted in much the same vein. There are two main types of veneer, one thicker and more permanent that the other. Firstly we have a thin veneer which is used to cover up simple and uncomplicated defects on our teeth, the most common reason for a veneer of this type is cosmetic and to make a discoloured tooth whiter and better shaped. Other reasons are to cover up a chip, gap or a crack, but a crack is a tricky one as the crack needs to be glued first to strengthen the cover up. Digital photos are taken of the tooth and the other teeth; this is so the technician can make the veneer to match the natural shape of the rogue tooth, and the shade of the other teeth. When the patient is ready to have a fitting the tooth is roughed up to make a better bonding surface, then it is simply glued into place. This type of veneer lasts around 3-6 years, and is easily replaced at any time. A porcelain veneer is much thicker and is used for much the same problems, except it is also used to cover up a badly misaligned tooth or a bigger gap. The porcelain version needs to be fitted exactly, and so more of the surface of the tooth is ground down to the same thickness as the veneer, this is then cemented onto the thinner tooth. They last 10-15 years and can be replaced, but the amount of times that can happen are limited due to the amount of enamel removed. Call 01245 268 494 for a free consultation at Advance Dental Clinic in Chelmsford.

A dental phobia is not a healthy thing as our teeth need to be kept in check by constant visits to the dentist. A Colchester dentist says that it is a big problem for a patient and will cause them untold problems, problems that can’t be fixed because they still won’t visit a dentist. The fears are of course completely unfounded with modern methods of pain control and the training that dentists get. Today a visit to the dentist is almost a pleasant experience, even the needle in the gums is painless due to the use of a gel on the gums, this deadens the area and makes the whole thing completely pain free. Some dentists use hypnosis, and in extreme cases of a dental phobia a general anaesthetic is given to put the patient right out. The fear may well be a deep founded one that is inherited, as are maybe our other most common of phobias; snakes, rats, spiders, birds, the darkness and all the things out most ancient of ancestors feared in everyday life. People with a fear of flying can now spend the day in a simulator and eventually beat it, but how do you get over a phobia of dentists? Maybe hypnosis will help in most cases, but whatever method we use it is essential that anyone suffering from this phobia gets some help; and sooner rather than later. This is one fear that will certainly come with consequences, unlike flying which means you’ll either have to go by sea or not go at all. However, not flying won’t usually bring any consequences, whereas a dental phobia can bring the sufferer a lot of problems with their teeth. It is therefore recommended by our dentist that in place of visits to the dentist a good, well planned and executed oral care program will go some way to balancing it. Call 01245 268 494 for a free consultation at Advance Dental Clinic in Chelmsford.

A dental crown is a cover up procedure, it is a simple solution to a big problem says a Chelmsford dentist. The teeth can become damaged on an individual basis, but instead of extracting the tooth and replacing it with a false one, a dental crown will replace the damaged piece of the tooth. Let’s say the top of your tooth is damaged by acid decay and the fillings are no longer doing the job. Your dentist will first take some X-rays and then some digital photos, from these and the dentist will make up a crown that will fit over the top of the tooth. This crown (as in a crown a royal may wear) has an inner chamber built into it, so it will fit just a hat on the head. The dentist will numb the tooth and start work on the preparation, this involves grinding down the top of the tooth where the damage is prevalent. The shape the tooth will now take will be slightly smaller than the area of the inner chamber of the crown. The crown is fitted over the newly reshaped tooth, and cemented onto the mount to complete the procedure, the result is a new tooth that looks and feels like the original. Where a tooth has been extracted a bridge crown can replace the original without the use of a false tooth on a plate, a denture. In this case the gap and the teeth either side are photographed and a crown is made up of 3 teeth, the middle tooth replaces the extracted one and the teeth either side are used to anchor it in place. The teeth either side are ground down to take the anchor teeth, it is the same method as for a damaged tooth, these two teeth then form the `land side` of the bridge to keep it in place. Call 01245 268 494 for a free consultation at Advance Dental Clinic in Chelmsford.

Dental bonding is a procedure that allows a dentist to repair a chipped, cracked or discoloured tooth or teeth, says a Harlow dentist. This has completely revolutionised the dental repair procedures that a dentist can offer to patients. Usually a veneer would be used to cover over a damaged tooth, but this procedure often needs just the one visit and is now possible on many kinds of damaged teeth. Think of it being like a plastered wall at home, if that wall has a damp patch or a chipped area then you’d simply get a plasterer to prepare it, and plaster over that piece. Then they’ll sand the edges to blend in with the rest of the wall. Now think of your tooth as that wall, with a chip on the bottom, the dentist will first prepare the tooth by coating it with a conditioning agent, this allows for a better and more permanent bonding of the resin that will be used to do the repair (think of new plaster here on the wall). When that is dry the dentist will then apply the resin to the damaged area, and shape it as best they can to make it fit in with the shape of the tooth. They will use an ultra violet light or even a laser light to harden the resin, which will be the same shade as the original tooth. This takes just minutes to completely dry the resin to a hardness that matches the enamel on the tooth. Then comes the modelling bit, the dentist will use a series of small shaping, grinding and polishing tools to complete the operation, and all without an anaesthetic. The end result is an economical way of repairing a damaged tooth, and it can all happen in just one sitting, and lasting for the duration of the natural tooth. Call 01245 268 494 for a free consultation at Advance Dental Clinic in Chelmsford.

A dental implant is a false tooth that replaces an extracted one, this is not to be confused with a denture says a dentist from Basildon. An implant is exactly that and the procedure is a simple and usually painless one for patients who can’t wear a denture. The research was first started in the 1950s and involved fusing a false tooth into the jaw line to replace a tooth as naturally as possible. In 1965 the first operation took place and it was a success, the procedure is now available at almost every dentist surgery. At the first sitting the patient will have the rogue tooth removed and the jaw line cleaned up, X-rays and digital photos are taken of the gap and the teeth on that row. From this a new false tooth is made up, it is usually a metal tooth that is covered in a porcelain clay and baked in an oven. The dentist will then shape and polish it to the same shade of white as the other teeth, the patient will then have a plate fitted into the gap and screwed into place on the jaw line. This will mean a hole being drilled into the jaw to accept the stem on the plate which holds the screwed hole the tooth will be anchored to. This is done without cutting the gum as the dentist will just numb the area and drill straight through the gum, no stitches are needed. The new implant is then simply screwed into place and left to fuse with the bone just as the original was. The fusing limits the use of the tooth while it is bonding with the jaw bone, but the whole procedure takes just 3-6 months and then the tooth can be used just a real one. It can be replaced at any time. Call 01245 268 494 for a free consultation at Advance Dental Clinic in Chelmsford.

A smile can be completely ruined by a missing tooth, no matter how nice the other teeth are, the missing tooth will immediately draw the attention of the eye. This can be a source of great anxiety for people with missing teeth who often seek to replace it with an artificial one from an Epping dentist. There are several options for replacing missing teeth ranging from permanent dental implants to more temporary and removable partial dentures. One other option for restoring the appearance of a smile is a dental bridge.

Missing teeth also need replacing for a number of dental health reasons. Once you have lost one tooth it increases your chances of losing more, especially if the tooth was lost to decay or gum disease in the first place. Vacant spaces in a dental arc are notorious breeding grounds for bacteria as the hollows in the soft gum tissue are very difficult to clean effectively. This increases the chances of further infection spreading around the mouth. Missing teeth also encourage movement of the teeth, which can rotate and lean into available space causing changes in bite and profile. This can cause irreversible damage to the facial tissue and be the cause of nasty jaw and muscular complaints.

Dental bridges solve all of these health problems as well as providing a cosmetic restoration to the smile. The bridge itself consists of an artificial tooth attached by dental crowns or resin bonded strips on either side of the missing tooth. This creates the impression of a full set of teeth without having to replace the whole tooth, root and all. Depending on the condition of the remaining teeth and how well the bridge is cared for it can last for up to twenty years before it will need replacing, and can carry out most of the functions of a real tooth. Call 01245 268 494 for a free consultation at Advance Dental Clinic in Chelmsford.

Cosmetic bonding has been used for many years in cosmetic dentistry to transform smiles. The process involves using small amounts of acrylic resin and moulding it into the desired shape. Cosmetic bonding is the most versatile tool in cosmetic dentistry that can be used to fill dental cavities, repair broken or damaged teeth and even as an alternative to porcelain veneers.

Bonding is a popular choice for filling material as it can be made to closely match the colour of the existing tooth enamel. It is often preferred to silver-amalgam fillings, even though it is not as strong, because of the aesthetic advantages and also because of the controversy surrounding the safety of using mercury in amalgam fillings. Many patients are even choosing to replace their old-fashioned amalgam fillings to improve the appearance of their teeth. For large cavities it may not be possible to use cosmetic bonding because it can become brittle in large areas, but by using a ceramic inlay cemented with dental bonding the same results can be achieved.

Composite bonding can also be used to seal cracks that have been caused by physical trauma to the teeth. It can also be moulded to repair small chips. The procedure involves mixing the resin to the right consistency and colour before applying it in layers to the desired shape. When satisfied, the dentist will then set the bonding hard with the heat of a dental laser before polishing the cosmetic bonding to make it appear more like enamel. Chelmsford dentists also use bonding to cover discoloured or stained teeth, producing results similar to having a set of porcelain veneers but at a fraction of the cost. Call 01245 268 494 for a free consultation at Advance Dental Clinic in Chelmsford.

The future of cosmetic dentistry has finally arrived in the shape of new technology from Cerec. Also commonly known as ‘chair-side restoration’, Cerec has revolutionised the way dentists are able to manufacture and fit ceramic restorations such as dental crowns, porcelain veneers and inlays for fillings.

In the past, if a patient needed a dental crown to repair a tooth damaged by decay or accidental damage then a dentist would need to take several dental moulds as well as a series of x-rays. The x-rays would take several hours or days to develop and the dental moulds were not always completely accurate. They would then need to construct a crown or inlay for the patient’s tooth in a laboratory using the x-rays and the moulds. This involved making a layered metal and porcelain restoration that could often take days or weeks and even then still require minor adjustments.

Cerec technology allows the dentist to take several digital x-rays, which can produce three-dimensional images almost instantaneously on a computer screen. This allows the dentist to create a perfectly fitting crown or veneer on the computer. Then comes the really incredible bit, when the dentist sends this information to a computer-guided mill, which can sculpt a new crown or veneer from a single piece of porcelain in a mater of minutes. All of this can be achieved in little more than an hour per tooth for a crown and significantly less for veneers. Combined with the use of resin bonding, it is possible for a patient to have a crown designed, manufactured and installed in a single appointment at a Braintree dentist. Compared to the old methods of crown dentistry, Cerec represents a huge leap forward and expect to see this technology in all dentist surgeries in the near future. Call 01245 268 494 for a free consultation at Advance Dental Clinic in Chelmsford.

When teeth are damaged either by decay or accident, the pain is caused by the exposure of the sensitive dental nerve located at the centre of the tooth. In a normal functioning tooth the nerve is protected by a layer of pulp and dentine and then finally covered with a layer of hard protective enamel. When a tooth suffers form decay this enamel is broken down exposing the softer central parts of the tooth and dental nerve to infection and extremes of hot and cold. This can lead to painful toothache and even tooth loss.

Holes in the enamel therefore need to be filled with a protective substance to replace the enamel. These are commonly known as fillings but in certain circumstances, a filling is not enough to protect the tooth from further damage and more extensive protection is needed. In this case dentists uses what is called a crown to offer a greater degree of protection to the tooth. A crown covers the whole of the tooth exposed above the gum and can be made form metal, porcelain or a combination of the two, although most patients today prefer porcelain because of the aesthetic qualities it offers.

Crowns are also used for teeth that have been cracked and damaged by injury to the face. Cracked or broken teeth can be very painful and if they cannot be repaired with dental bonding then they too will require a crown from a Billericay dentist to prevent further pain.

The crown is manufactured to closely resemble the shape pf the existing tooth before being cemented over the top to act as a protective barrier. It may be necessary to remove some existing enamel to allow the crown to fit comfortably over the top. A dental crown can last longer than fifteen years if properly cared for. Call 01245 268 494 for a free consultation at Advance Dental Clinic in Chelmsford.

There are two main types of veneers that can be placed over the top of damaged or discoloured teeth to restore the cosmetic appearance of a smile. Composite veneers are made of a resin and are made in laboratory or even constructed in the mouth during an appointment. The other type of veneer is made entirely from porcelain and is cemented over the top of teeth using dental bonding.

Although composite veneers are cheaper, they do not look nearly as realistic as a porcelain veneer which are specially designed to resemble tooth enamel. Composite veneers are more suitable for individual teeth that are damaged or for repairing small cracks or chips. When it comes to replacing a whole dental arc that has been damaged by staining or discolouration there really is only one option. Also, as technology advances, new tools are being developed to speed up the manufacturing process of porcelain veneers and with technology such as digital x-rays and Cerec, it is now possible to sculpt veneers from a single piece of porcelain in a matter of minutes.

Other modern porcelain veneers are incredibly thin, some the same width as a contact lens, which can be fitted over the teeth with no enamel removal and can be completely removed themselves should the need arise. They are in fact so thin that they can fit over existing veneers and other dental repair work.

As well as completely restoring the appearance of damaged teeth, porcelain veneers from a Colchester dentist also play an important protective role. Acting as a second layer of enamel they protect the teeth from decay adding another important barrier to tooth decay. Call 01245 268 494 for a free consultation at Advance Dental Clinic in Chelmsford.