London Road Dental Practice believes that preventing dental health problems, rather than treating them as they arise, is what preventative care is all about. Good oral hygiene is fundamental to having healthy teeth and gums and routine visits to the dental hygienist are equally as important as having regular check-ups with your dentist.

Self-prevention can be as simple as following a routine of brushing and cleaning between teeth to remove plaque, good eating habits and regular dental check-ups.

A visit with our hygienist will include a thorough assessment of the health of your teeth and gums and the gentle removal of any stubborn plaque and tartar build-up around the teeth and below the gum line that simple brushing alone cannot always remove. Plaque and tartar can cause significant problems associated with tooth decay and gum disease.

A few small lifestyle changes can make a big difference in the long run, as can regular visits to our dental hygienist. Everyone has different dental health situations; for example, some people have troubles with gum problems and others with tooth decay. This is where our hygienist can advise you of the best dental care routine for your own teeth. Some dental care tips might include avoiding sugary or acidic foods, avoid snacking between meals or chewing sugar-free gum (which stimulates saliva) after meals to help neutralise acids that can damage tooth enamel.

Dental hygiene treatment is delivered by a dental hygienist who will help to remove any plaque from your teeth that may have built up in certain areas. Your teeth will be professionally cleaned with special equipment and pastes, this process is also known as scaling and polishing. An important aspect of the hygienist's role is to show you how to look after your teeth so they remain free from plaque. You will be advised on the best brushing technique and given tips on flossing and using interdental brushes.

Dental hygiene at the dental practice also forms part of treating gum disease and bad breath. If you have a bridge, denture, orthodontic treatment or a dental implant you will have specific hygiene needs that the hygienist will be able to assist you with.

It is recommended that you come in for regular hygiene appointments to ensure your mouth stays clean and healthy.

Floss or Interdental brushes (such as Tepes) can be used to clean in between teeth. Used daily, it removes plaque and food debris where your usual brush cannot reach. A wide range of Oral Hygiene Products are available for sale at London Road Dental Practice.

Dental decay occurs when the enamel and dentine of a tooth become softened by acid attack, producing a cavity or hole. If the decay is not too extensive, our dentist will remove all the decay and can restore the tooth with a white tooth coloured filling. An alternate option may be an inlay, onlay or crown. Our dentists can safely replace silver amalgam fillings with white tooth coloured fillings.

The main advantage of composite fillings is there natural appearance. White fillings in the past have been considered less long lasting than silver amalgam fillings, but there are now new materials available with properties comparable to silver amalgam and proving to be very successful. The life expectancy of your composite filling can depend on the depth of cavity and its position in the mouth; your dentist will be best positioned to advise you.

Root canal treatment (also called Endodontics) is needed when the nerve (“pulp”) inside your tooth becomes infected through tooth decay or has been damaged by an injury.

This infection may spread through the root canal system, which could eventually lead to an abscess, causing a great deal of discomfort or swelling. If root canal treatment is not carried out, the tooth may need to be taken out.

Root canal treatment is a skilled and time-consuming procedure, which is carried out under Local Anaesthetic.

Our dentists can perform root canal treatment to stop the infection from spreading and will preserve as much of your tooth as possible. We use advanced equipment and specific techniques, and will try to ensure the procedure is as comfortable and pain free as possible.

The aim of the treatment is to clean and remove infection from the root canal and seal and fill the canals and roots to prevent any further infection.

A crown (also know as a ‘Cap’) is an artificial restoration that fits over the remaining part of a prepared tooth, making it strong and giving it the shape of a natural tooth.

Crowns are an ideal restoration for teeth that have been broken, or have been weakened by decay, fracture or a very large filling. They can be made of metal, porcelain or gold or a combination.

A veneer is a thin layer of tooth coloured material placed directly over usually the front surface of teeth that maybe discoloured, damaged or misaligned.

The type of crown or veneer placed depends on several factors such as tooth position, quality and quantity of remaining tooth structure and biting forces. Your dentist will carefully consider all these factors and most importantly what is best for the long term functional and health of the tooth.

If you have teeth missing, one solution maybe a bridge. Alternative options may include implants or dentures. Bridges can provide a great solution for missing teeth, but there are limitations to how many teeth can be replaced. There are two main types of bridges:

1. Conventional cemented bridges Conventional cemented bridges are like a series of crowns joined together to span from existing teeth over gaps. The advantage of this cemented approach is that you can improve the appearance of the teeth that support the bridge, whilst at the same time, filling the gaps. However this involves heavier preparation of the supporting teeth than is required for a resin retained bridge. We tend to use a conventional cemented bridge when the supporting teeth could benefit from being crowned.
2. Resin bonded bridges Gaps are filled with teeth much like crowns but the supporting teeth have little or no preparation and metal wings are bonded with resins onto the backs of supporting teeth. We use resin retained bridgework where the support teeth are largely still intact. This is very conservative and allows most of the tooth structure of the supporting teeth to be retained and therefore maintains the integral strength of the teeth.

Once you have a bridge fitted, you will have to take extra care of your daily hygiene regime to ensure it stays plaque free and healthy.

If you have teeth missing, another solution maybe a denture. A denture is made from hard-wearing material that mimics the look of teeth and gums to give you mouth a natural appearance. Dentures differ from implants and bridges as they are removable and not fixed.

Your denture will be made to fit snugly on your gums and you will be able to remove it for cleaning.

When you wear a denture for the first time it may take some getting used to when speaking or eating and chewing. It is important that you take extra care in your hygiene regime so that you can avoid bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. Your dentist and hygienist will be able to show you how to best take care of your denture and gums.

Tooth whitening (or ‘bleaching’) is a highly popular and effective method of lightening and improving the natural colour of your teeth, whilst simultaneously removing everyday stains caused by diet and lifestyle, especially through habits such as drinking tea, coffee or red wine or smoking.

Having brighter, whiter teeth can make all the difference to your smile, helping you to look younger and boosting your overall confidence.

There are a number of products available nowadays all claiming to whiten teeth such as whitening toothpastes and mouthwashes. Most of these may help to remove plaque and superficial surface stains, but if used alone they cannot provide effective whitening results. The best and only way to get effective whitening of your teeth is to have professional whitening treatment under the supervision of your dentist or qualified hygienist.

To find out if tooth whitening is suitable for you contact us today to arrange a FREE Tooth Whitening Consultation on 01795 472 020

At London Road Dental Practice we understand that it is not a pleasant procedure to have a tooth extracted, and we will do our utmost to make the procedure as pain free and quick as possible. After the tooth has been removed, we will check to ensure there is no further bleeding from the area.

Before the procedure is carried out, we will discuss possible options for replacement, which may include a dental implant, bridge or denture.

Following an extraction, you must look after the area to aid healing and to reduce the risk of infection. Here are some pointers:

• For the first 24 hours, try to avoid eating hot food, don't smoke, don't drink any alcohol and try not to disturb any blood clot which might have formed.
• Don't rinse your mouth for 24 hours after extraction. After 24 hours, rinse gently with warm salty water - half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water is enough.
• Brush your teeth as normal to keep your mouth as clean as possible.
• You may feel some small pieces of bone work their way out of the socket - don't worry, this is perfectly normal.
• There may be some swelling and a bit of discomfort in the first 2-3 days. If you need to, take some ordinary painkillers – Ibuprofen (if no contraindication) or Paracetomol should be fine.

If you feel pain a few days after the tooth has been removed, it might be where the blood clot has broken down leaving an empty hole in the gum. This is called a 'dry socket' and will need to be looked at by your dentist – if this is the case please contact us.

Sometimes there may not be room in your mouth for your wisdom teeth and, as they start to come through, they push against the teeth already there or may start to come through at an angle. When this happens, you may feel some pain or discomfort, so the best thing to do is to visit your dentist. We will likely take an x-ray of your mouth to see how, or if your wisdom teeth are coming through. From this, we will advise on whether or not to take them out, and how easy or difficult it might be. Extractions may also be done under sedation – however this may require a referral onwards to Hospital.

At London Road Dental Practice we believe in Preventative dental care and encourage our patients to bring their children to the practice from an early age. Regular check-ups from a young age will ensure children won't suffer from untreated dental decay with possible devastating effects to their growing dentition. There are a number of Preventative treatments that our team can provide for children.

Fluoride applications are a safe and effective way to safeguard your growing child's teeth from developing decay. The fluoride is painted onto the surface of the child's teeth and this helps to mineralise the teeth.

Fissure sealants are tooth coloured and applied to biting surfaces of children's teeth to prevent decay.

Studies have shown that the younger the age that you bring your child to the dental practice, even if just for a check-up, the more likely they are to have a positive experience. Our team will take special care of your child to make them feel safe and cared for.

Treating a child from an early age also allows the dentist to spot early signs of problems such as cross bites or overbites developing. Prevention is always better than cure so call the practice today to make an appointment

Invisalign clear aligners are custom made for you. The aligners are virtually invisible and fit snugly over your teeth.

Each aligner shifts your teeth slightly, moving them horizontally and vertically and even rotating them when needed. Your aligners are engineered to use the right amount of force in the right place at the right time.

When you change to the next set of aligners (typically every week) your teeth gradually move into position, following a custom treatment plan mapped out by us.

At London Road Dental Practice, we offer a wide range of non-surgical facial rejuvenation treatments which help to improve your skin and revitalise how you look and feel about yourself.

Our anti-wrinkle injections (Botox®) can be used to reduce and soften lines or wrinkles on your forehead or around the eyes. By relaxing targeted muscles in the face, these injections help to smooth out your facial appearance giving you a more youthful appearance.

• Slow the aging process before it begins If you are in your mid to late 20s or 30s, anti-wrinkle injections can be effective as a preventative anti-aging treatment against lines and wrinkles.
• Get rid of your tired or angry look If you have a low or drooping brow it can make you appear tired, angry and older than you are. We administer a series of anti-wrinkle injections into the group of muscles which pull the eyebrows down to elevate the brow back to its natural youthful position.
• Correct your gummy smile By injecting anti-wrinkle injections into the muscle which elevates the upper lip, the position of your upper lip should lower in just 14 days. This enables you to smile with confidence showing less gum.
• Reduce excessive underarm sweating (Hyperhidrosis) An embarrassing problem for many, excessive underarm sweating or Hyperhidrosis can be treated using anti-wrinkle injections.

We simply use a very fine needle to gently inject botulinum toxin into the areas where it is needed. It usually takes 7-14 days to see the full effects of each treatment, with results lasting up to 3-4 months.

Tailored treatment plans

It is worth noting that all skin is unique and we therefore create tailored treatment plans for our patients. Treatment is also not suitable for everyone, including women who are pregnant and breastfeeding.

At London Road Dental Practice, we offer a wide range of treatments using dermal fillers to treat lips, mouth creases and nose to mouth lines.

Our facial fillers can help give you a more lifted, defined and rejuvenated appearance. Facial fillers, otherwise known as dermal fillers, are a naturally occurring Hyaluronic acid (HA) gel which helps to restore your HA loss. At London Road Dental Practice, we use facial fillers such as Restylane®. These are injected just underneath the skin to treat fine lines, scars, dents, folds and wrinkles or deeper to help refine facial contours such as more defined cheekbones.

Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is a natural substance produced by the body that keeps our skin looking young and healthy. The older we get, however, the less HA our body produces, causing the skin to wrinkle and dry out.

HA is found in virtually every cell in your body. Almost 50% of your body’s HA is in your skin tissue. A naturally hydrating substance, the sponge-like quality of HA helps your skin remain young and healthy as it provides moisture to the skin, absorbing up to 1000 times its weight in water. As well as ageing, other factors such as sunlight reduce the amount of HA, causing wrinkles and folds to appear on your face due to a lack of skin volume and structure.

Non-surgical facial fillers can help address your HA loss restoring volume and a youthful appearance. The results can be seen straight away. Aside from potential swelling, within a few days you will have a natural new look which lasts typically between 6-18 months.

If your lips are thin, or have lost their fullness and definition then our lip enhancement or lip augmentation treatment could be perfect for you. Lip fillers help to enhance the shape of your lips, giving them more volume. Our tailor-made approach to treatment means that you can have the natural and beautiful looking lips you desire.

Tailored treatment plans

It is worth noting that all skin is unique and we therefore create tailored treatment plans for our patients. Treatment is also not suitable for everyone, including women who are pregnant and breastfeeding.