The Ultimate Guide To Dental Treatments And How They Can Help You

Visiting the dentist is an important step in maintaining good quality physical health and can also improve mental health too in some cases. Our dentists are tasked with helping to identify any potential dental health problems which they can treat, as well as advising us on how we can better take care of our mouths at home. This self-care advice tends to relate to the way we clean our teeth and gums as well as what types of foods we can avoid reducing the chance of decay. When we do experience issues with our dental health, however, there are many treatments that our dentists can use to remedy these problems.

Teeth Whitening
One of the most common treatments that people have is rarely done for health reasons. However, stained and discoloured teeth are often a source of embarrassment and self-esteem issues that can be sorted via whitening treatments. The way in which teeth whitening works isn’t overly complicated, but it can be time-consuming. This is why a majority of this treatment is done at home and can also be done with over-the-counter products. However, your dentist can provide you with a much more thorough whitening treatment. This professional whitening process involves a number of visits to the dentist so that they can create a suitable, fitted mouthguard for you which you then wear at home for a set amount of time, with a gel applied to the teeth. You’ll then visit your dentist occasionally so they can check the progress.

There is also a laser whitening treatment that involves bleach being applied to the teeth and a strong laser is fired at this solution, causing it to start the whitening process. This takes much less time than the at-home treatment but can also cause some damage to the teeth in some cases, leading to increased sensitivity.

Invisalign
Another problem that impacts mental health much more than physical health is crooked, unaligned teeth. Just like stained teeth, the appearance of teeth that have grown out of alignment can cause us to feel self-conscious and so fixing this problem can be very beneficial. A popular treatment for this issue is Invisalign. This treatment involves the creation of a fitted mouthguard that is thin and sturdy enough to wear throughout the day without it being obvious or causing problems with speech. This slowly forces teeth into the desired position over a long period of time.

Braces
Of course, sometimes teeth that aren’t aligned properly can also cause pain and discomfort and, in this case, you may be eligible for NHS treatment to rectify the problem. However, this often means that braces will be required as they do the job of realigning your teeth but are much more visible than treatments like Invisalign. As well as this, some teeth may be so badly misaligned that a dentist may consider extracting those teeth to reduce the time you’ll have to wear those braces, as well as improve the effectiveness of alignment of the other teeth in your mouth.

Root Canals
This common procedure is required when the pulp within the root of the tooth becomes infected and painful following a break or decay in the tooth. Your dentist will create an opening in the tooth, extract the blood vessels and nerves from the tooth which has become infected, and then fill the cleared space with a permanent substance known as gutta-percha. The opening that the dentist created in the tooth will then be closed with a dental filling and then a fresh crown will be affixed over the tooth, both protecting it and giving a natural, more complete appearance. This is generally chosen over simply extracting the tooth, as the success rate is generally higher and there are more health risks that can come after having a tooth removed, including the misalignment of teeth over time, and further inflammation and infection.

Fillings
Even for simple filling treatments, it’s important to find a quality, experienced dentist to conduct these treatments. In 2018, it was reported that nearly 85% of adults in London had at least one filling in their teeth. If you’re living in the West London area, finding a local, well-respected dentist like this dentist in Fulham would be a good idea. The professionals at Fulham Road Dental are qualified to provide a wide range of different treatments, both for medical and cosmetic purposes.

Having a bad filling from an otherwise unskilled dentist can lead to some serious issues such as increased tooth decay, infections, and the problem could even spread to neighbouring teeth, meaning that there would be a need for more fillings and potentially more serious treatments. Instead, choosing a dentist that employs care and consideration alongside their wealth of experience and knowledge can reduce the risk of having a bad treatment and future dental health problems.

Veneers
If you’re unhappy with the appearance of your teeth and are searching for a quality fix for this problem, then veneers may be the option for you. This is where your dentist will create a porcelain shell to affix over your teeth after filing them down. Your real teeth will act as a sort of anchor for the veneers, and that shell will then serve as your new teeth. There are many dental problems that can warrant veneers, from severe staining and deformation to broken and worn teeth.

Composite Bonding
When a tooth has broken slightly or has eroded after excessive grinding, a special resin material can be fused to the tooth, building it back up following that damage. This composite resin can be sculpted into a more realistic shape for the tooth to appear more natural. As well as this, composite bonding treatment can be done to multiple teeth that have experienced erosion and have become worn down over time. The resin can be applied to the teeth as a coating and shaped, instantly changing the appearance of your smile, making your teeth appear more uniform in shape.

While this material is resilient, it doesn’t last forever. But, if you take care of your teeth following this treatment, it can last for three to seven years. To ensure that it lasts, you should avoid eating excessively hard foods such as crunching on boiled sweets, as well as cutting out bad habits like biting your nails and grinding your teeth.

Dental Implants
After losing a tooth, whether it’s via extraction or following an injury, there are a few different options for filling the gap and one of these is the dental implant. The procedure for dental implants is a slightly complex one, but it’s one that is very effective for replacing a lost tooth. A titanium fixture is implanted into the jawbone through the gum, and a false tooth, with a screw affixed where the root would be, is screwed into the socket, taking the place of the lost tooth. This process can take a fairly long time and can be expensive. However, these implants are very sturdy and very reliable, considering that you’re a good candidate for the procedure.

Bridges
Another method of replacing a missing tooth, or multiple missing teeth, is a bridge. This is where false a false tooth or false teeth are suspended between two crowns that are affixed to the adjacent teeth on either side of the gap. The cost of this treatment varies and tends to cost more based on how many teeth are needed in the bridge, as well as the types of materials that are used. This treatment is a great way of restoring your smile and your ability to eat and speak properly, without the need for an implant.