At your dental examination (check-up) appointment, after asking after your concerns, your dentist will carry out a thorough examination which will include your jaws, teeth, gums, surrounding areas and carry out a cancer screening.
The results of this examination will then be discussed thoroughly with you and if needed, treatment advice given. A written Treatment Plan is then created. We will ask you to review this and be available to answer any questions you may have.
Dental X-rays (Radiographs) can take multiple formats to visualise different teeth of interest. These may include Periapical x-rays, which show a single tooth from root to crown and Bite-wing X-rays, which are used to observe potential decay in molar teeth.
Here at Atrium Dental, our specialised X-rays include Orthopantomogram (OPG) which is a wide-view, panoramic x-ray of the upper and lower jaws in a single image (which is not possible with periapical or Bite-wing x-rays).
A digital OPG x-ray is especially helpful in planning of orthodontic treatment, as it provides a full overview of the teeth, and highlights non-erupted and/or impacted teeth. A further advantage of an OPG x-ray is that can help assess a patient’s wisdom teeth and reveal whether a patient has potential Temporomandibular (TMJ) joint problems.
Many people have a tooth removed at some time in their lives. Some people have overcrowded mouths and have some teeth removed as part of their orthodontic (teeth straightening) treatment. Sometimes teeth become too badly decayed or damaged to be repaired and need to be extracted.
Gum disease can cause teeth to become so loose that they must be taken out. Some people need to have their wisdom teeth removed, usually because they are growing in the wrong direction and are causing problems.
Should a tooth extraction be needed, we will endeavour to make this as comfortable as possible for you. We are highly skilled at these procedures and have many years’ experience so you can rest assured you are in very safe hands.
A crown is a type of dental restoration used to fix teeth that have broken too far to be refilled. The crown fits over the remaining part of a prepared tooth, making it strong and giving it the shape and look of a natural tooth.
A crown can be a good solution if you have discoloured fillings. Crowns can be used to replace these to give you a more aesthetic smile. Also, if you have had root canal treatment you will often need a crown to protect the restored tooth.
Root Canal treatments (also known as Endodontics) are carried out when the inside of the tooth (the nerve) becomes infected or inflamed.
Infection and inflammation of the nerve can be very painful and can lead to swelling. Root Canal treatment eliminates the cause of the pain by completely removing the diseased or damaged nerve tissue from the tooth. The root canal is meticulously cleaned, shaped and decontaminated, before securely filling it back up with a durable, inert material to stop it getting re-infected. This means you can be pain free whilst keeping your original tooth. There have been great innovations in the last few years to improve the comfort, speed, and efficiency of this treatment.
At Atrium Dental our dentists are experienced, highly skilled and keep up to date with the most current concepts in Root Canal Treatment to ensure that we deliver the best possible care for our patients.
There are many solutions should you need to replace a few or all of your teeth; one solution is to have a denture. Dentures are made from hard-wearing material that mimics the look of your teeth and gums to give your mouth a natural appearance. Your denture will fit snugly on your gums and you will be able to remove it for cleaning.
Wearing Dentures
You may find it takes time to get used to wearing your denture to begin with, especially when speaking or eating and chewing. It is important to take extra care in your hygiene regime so that you can avoid bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. Our hygienist will be able to show you how to best take care of your denture and gums and will tell you about specialised brushes you can use to do this.
Types of dentures
The types of dentures vary enormously depending upon your individual clinical situation. Dentures are classified as either full or partial. We have many years’ experience and excellent technicians providing all types.
A Full Denture
Full dentures replace all your teeth and with the denture removed you would have no teeth in that particular arch (either top or bottom). Full dentures can either sit on the gum, and be held in by suction, or be supported by Dental Implants, which makes them more secure. Click here to find out more about implant secured dentures.
A Partial Denture
Partial dentures replace only a few teeth. With partial dentures there is not enough material to create a suction to hold them in. Partial dentures can either be acrylic (plastic) or for a more precise fit and discreet feel, then a chrome denture is often the best option.
