Specialist Dentistry

Many people have crowded or crooked teeth. Orthodontic treatment will straighten the teeth or move them into a better position. This can improve their appearance and the way the teeth bite together, while also making them easier to clean.

Some people have upper front teeth that stick out and look unsightly. These 'prominent' teeth are more likely to be damaged, but orthodontic treatment can move them back into line. Or the way the upper and lower jaws meet can cause teeth to look unsightly and lead to an incorrect bite. Orthodontic treatment may be able to correct both problems.

When the teeth don't meet correctly, this can put strain on the muscles of the jaw, causing jaw and joint problems and sometimes headaches. Orthodontic treatment can help you to bite more evenly and reduce the strain.

The best time is generally during childhood, but adults can have orthodontic treatment too - and more and more are doing so. Age is less important than having the right number of teeth. In children, it may be necessary to wait for enough teeth to come through before starting treatment.

Your dentist may carry out orthodontic treatment. Or they may send you to a specialist who has extra qualifications. The specialist may be in a practice or in a hospital department, and is called an orthodontist. Following initial assessment various cosmetic braces options like invisalign and 6 months smile,inmanaligner

http://www.invisalign.co.uk/en/Results/Pages/PatientStories.aspx

We also offer some recent advances like accelerated orthodontics using light energy. http://www.orthopulse.com/doctors

If a tooth is decayed or has had repeated dental treatment or fractures, bacteria can enter the root canal and cause the pulp to become infected or inflamed. Not only will an infected nerve cause pain, it may lead to the formation of a painful abscess and ultimately cause the tooth to die and be lost. Root canal treatment aims to prevent or eliminate disease within the tooth and surrounding bone by cleaning and disinfecting the root canals using files and antibacterial irrigation.

The procedure is carried out in one or two sessions lasting between one and two hours under local anaesthetic and is painless, although patients may suffer some sensitivity afterwards, which will settle down in 12 to 24 hours and can be relieved by painkillers.

The need for further treatment such as periapical surgery, where the tissue around the tip of the root is cleaned or removed, can only be identified when the tooth is opened up – for instance a tooth may have a hairline crack but unless the tooth is opened it is not possible to know the extent of the crack or whether root canal treatment alone is feasible or not.

After root canal treatment has been carried out, the tooth is weakened and more susceptible to fracture and the endodontist will therefore refer the patient to a dentist at Riverway to restore the tooth immediately. Placement of a crown is recommended on back teeth as it covers the whole tooth, preventing it from splitting.

RE ROOT CANAL TREATMENTS

Re-root canal treatment is a solution to save a tooth when root canal treatment has failed, and as with any medical procedure RCT does occasionally fail; studies have shown a success rate of approximately 90 per cent. During re-root canal treatment, the existing root filling is removed and the root canals disinfected, then examined with the aid of an operating microscope to detect the presence of cracks or anatomical aberrations. Occasionally if a tooth is found to have cracks extending into the root canals the only option is extraction of the tooth.

Oral surgeons also play a role in supporting orthodontics and are instrumental in bone augmentation before the insertion of dental implants, when bone matter is appended to the jawbone, stimulating bone regeneration to permanently anchor the implants.

Other procedures carried out in oral surgery include the extraction of broken roots which are still embedded in the jawbone and the removal of cysts or other growths from the jaws. Soft tissue surgery such as biopsies and the removal of lumps or growths on the lips or cheeks and wisdom tooth extractions are also the responsibility of oral surgeons.

Periodontitis is a serious gum infection that is the biggest cause of tooth loss in over-40s. It is an advanced stage of gum disease where sufficient amounts of the bacteria biofilm known as plaque and calculus, its hardened deposit, accumulates at the junction where the teeth come through the gums, infecting the tissue and bone that support the teeth.

As the tissue starts to break down, pockets form in the gum around the teeth, which allow more plaque to form. This is known as chronic periodontitis and has been linked to increased inflammation in the body, which may lead to increased risk of stroke and heart disease. The first stage in the treatment of periodontitis is a non-surgical cleaning of the pockets below the gum line known as scaling or debridement. In deeper areas, a treatment called root planing or deep scaling is used which cleans deep pockets and removes plaque and tartar from the tooth roots. This procedure may require local anaesthetic and several visits to the practice. In addition to initial periodontic treatment it may also be necessary to adjust the bite, or occlusion, to prevent excessive force on teeth that have reduced bone support.

Studies have shown that non-surgical scaling and root planning is usually successful if the periodontal pockets are shallower than 4-5mm. It is necessary for the dentist or hygienist to perform a re-evaluation four to six weeks after the initial scaling and root planing to determine if the patient’s oral hygiene has improved and inflammation has regressed.

Pocket depths greater than 5-6mm which remain after initial therapy, with bleeding upon probing, indicate continued active disease and will likely lead to further bone loss. This is especially true in molar tooth sites where areas between the roots have been exposed. If non-surgical therapy is unsuccessful, periodontal surgery may be needed to stop progressive bone loss and regenerate lost bone where possible.