Dental health is an integral component of overall wellness. Regular visits to our dentist can detect early warning signs like tooth decay or gum disease and help stop them before they progress.
Dentists need strong problem-solving abilities and superior manual dexterity when performing complex procedures on patients, in addition to being able to communicate treatment options to them.
Dental Hygiene
Maintaining proper dental hygiene is vital for optimal oral health, including daily brushing and flossing, regular check-ups at your dentist office and professional cleanings.
Prevention can also help keep oral diseases at bay, such as tooth decay and gum disease. Both conditions are caused by bacteria build-up on teeth and gums if left without proper attention.
Dental hygienists specialise in keeping these issues at bay by effectively communicating the benefits of good oral hygiene to patients and providing advice for developing good oral health habits at home.
X-Rays
X-rays provide dentists with an invaluable tool for diagnosing issues that are invisible to the naked eye, such as gum disease, bone irregularities, impacted teeth and cysts or tumours.
Children also benefit from seeing dentists regularly as this allows dentists to detect issues within children’s mouths, such as decay and wisdom teeth development, helping parents protect their oral health and avoid potential dental complications.
Patients will be given a comprehensive set of X-rays on their initial appointment to establish a baseline. Subsequent visits may require updated x-rays every 6-24 months depending on factors like age, the risk for dental diseases and mouth condition.
Cleanings
Dental cleanings are essential in maintaining good dental health, as they remove bacteria and plaque that brushing and flossing alone cannot reach.
Gum disease and other severe oral health conditions can also be avoided through regular visits to your dentist.
At your cleaning appointment, the dentist or hygienist will carefully scrub teeth and gums to eliminate plaque and tartar build-up before polishing and sealing them with fluoride treatments for added protection.
Crowns
Dental crowns are an efficient way to repair damaged teeth. For example, they can help treat severely decayed or infected teeth, restore damaged roots after root canal therapy or cover cracked or fractured tooth surfaces.
Crowns can be constructed using various materials depending on clinical needs and patient preferences, from gold and porcelain-bonded to metal or all ceramic.
At your first appointment, your dentist will anesthetise (numb) and reshape the affected tooth to accommodate the crown. An impression will then be taken to ensure it fits comfortably without altering your bite.
Your crown will then be sent off to a dental laboratory for production. In the meantime, your dentist may give you a temporary crown as protection until its permanent counterpart arrives.
Bridges
Dental bridges can help restore features look and functionality. Furthermore, they help keep your jaw in its proper place so you can speak and eat freely.
Losing a tooth can have devastating repercussions for your health and appearance, including shifting nearby teeth into the empty space created by missing one, eventually leading to jawbone degeneration, gum disease and tooth decay.
Your dentist Birkenhead can determine whether a dental bridge suits you by taking impressions of your mouth or using digital scanning to craft one to fit snugly against the gum line.
Root Canals
Root canal therapy involves extracting infected pulp from your tooth to avoid further infection and halt other complications like bone loss or malocclusion. This procedure can save the need for extraction, which could otherwise necessitate extraction followed by bone deterioration or malocclusion issues.
During this process, your dentist uses specialised dental tools to clean out infected pulp and canals of your tooth using unique solutions called gutta percha – bio-compatible rubber-like material which replaces infected material with an antimicrobial and rubbery layer containing bioactive ingredients that promote tooth health.
Root canal therapy typically has an extremely high success rate, often keeping treated teeth healthy and functional for years after treatment if good oral hygiene practices and regular dental visits are maintained.
Implants
Dental implants offer the most long-term solution for replacing missing teeth, featuring titanium posts that integrate directly with the jawbone to protect against bone loss.
Implants can also support fixed or removable dentures, giving them the appearance and feel of natural teeth while requiring less maintenance than other dental treatments.