Dental implants are a permanent and fixed solution to missing teeth. A titanium screw is placed into the jaw bone to replace the tooth’s natural root. This integrates over a period of three to six months as the bone grows around the screw and holds it firmly in place. A crown is then placed onto the fixed screw to replace the original tooth.
Single and multiple implants
This treatment is suitable for the replacement of single teeth or complete tooth loss in the upper and lower jaw. The placement of implants involves a straightforward procedure usually carried out under local anesthetic. Many patients are suitable candidates for dental implants and the results provide the patient with the nearest alternative to their natural tooth or teeth that can look aesthetically superb and provide complete confidence when biting, chewing and laughing.
Crowns are used to restore teeth that have been damaged, badly broken or heavily filled, in order to restore their appearance or strength. They in turn reduce the risk of heavily decayed teeth breaking. To make a crown, the existing tooth is shaped and an impression is taken. The crown is then made by a dental technician, who is responsible for matching the shade and shape to your natural tooth. Crowns are made from a variety of different materials, such as porcelain or porcelain bonded to gold. Niall and Aoife recommend porcelain crowns for the most natural looking and pleasing result.
Veneers are an ideal way of treating discoloured or unsightly teeth, closing gaps between front teeth or repairing chips and cracks. They are thin slices of porcelain that are precisely made to fit over the visible surface of front teeth, in the same way that a false fingernail fits over a nail. To make a veneer, a very small amount of enamel is removed from your tooth. An impression is taken for the veneer to be made in the laboratory and then bonded to the tooth. They match the colour, appearance and translucence of your natural teeth.
A bright, white smile can make you look good and feel great. Our patients who have experienced the tooth whitening transformation tell us the procedure helps them smile with confidence. We offer a take home bleaching kit that can achieve good results over a longer period of time. An impression is taken of your teeth and two custom made trays are made to contain the bleaching gel. Patients take the trays and gel home and are advised to wear the trays for prolonged periods (usually through the night) for several sessions until the bleaching process is complete.
Tooth straightening is usually done during teenage years, when teeth move more easily. However, many adults also have treatment to straighten their teeth to improve their appearance. The braces are changed every few weeks until all your teeth are straightened and aligned. Invisalign braces can be removed for eating, brushing and flossing.
White fillings are a popular alternative to amalgam. New materials mean it is much easier to find a perfect colour match to a particular tooth. In most cases, it is impossible to see that the tooth even has a filling. White filling material can be used to cover unsightly marks on teeth, repair chipped or broken front teeth, enhance the shape of front teeth. Or act as a standard filling material in back teeth.
This is the process during which the nerve of the tooth is removed and the space occupied by the nerve is filled with a root filling. Typically this treatment is required for a badly decayed tooth, a tooth with an abscess, or a tooth that has fractured and the fracture involves the nerve of the tooth. The advantage of performing this procedure is that the tooth may be retained, thus avoiding the more complicated and costly treatment involved in replacing the tooth. In some instances, we will refer patients to a specialist for this treatment.
The chances of somebody suffering from gum disease are greatly reduced with regular visits to the hygienist. In some instances, however, patients will require more intense treatment to halt the process of tissue breakdown. These may range from cleaning under local anesthetic, through to small surgical procedures to remove infection, which allow patients to clean their teeth properly. Each individual case will be assessed and treated accordingly by the dentist in conjunction with the hygienist. Gum disease is the term used to describe the process of tissue breakdown that results in loose teeth, or at worst, lost teeth. Gum disease is a chronic infection and its presence can have a detrimental effect on the entire body. There are proven links between gum disease and other serious heart conditions, diabetes, and strokes for example.
A beautiful smile is based upon healthy teeth and gums and indeed it would be unwise to spend money on complex treatments if underlying gum disease is not first dealt with by your hygiene team. Surprisingly more teeth are lost due to gum disease than tooth decay. Regular visits to the hygienist will help to improve dental health and prevent Periodontal (gum) disease, bleeding gums and dental decay (caries). Diet advice, fluoride application, fissure sealants and oral hygiene instruction are all part of our preventative programme. Approximately half the population have a problem with mouth odour; a problem that can be reduced with regular visits to our dentists and hygienists. Our fully qualified hygienist at Blessington dental will clean and polish your teeth and advise you on how to care for your teeth and gums on a day to day basis.
Nervous or worried about dental treatment? Being nervous or scared about going to the dentist affects people in different ways. Some are anxious about specific aspects of dental treatment. Others dislike being in such close contact with someone that they don’t know very well. Some people have had unpleasant experiences as children, and are worried that these will be repeated. There are different levels of dental anxiety, ranging from slight nervousness to phobia, where someone knows that their intense fear is excessive and unreasonable. However anxious a person is, there are ways of dealing with the problem. Dentists are aware that some patients are anxious, and are trained to take your fears seriously and deal with them sensitively. Distraction techniques It is sometimes helpful to distract attention away from the treatment. You can do this in a number of ways: listen to music on an MP3 player concentrate on relaxing each part of your body in turn think about something you are looking forward to. practise deep, slow breathing.
Dentures are removable teeth, placed in the mouth to replace missing teeth. They are usually made of a hard plastic and sometimes will have a metal structure (cobalt chrome) structure to give them better grip. The main advantage of a denture is that it is easily fabricated and relatively inexpensive. The main disadvantage is that they can be difficult to tolerate and may move when eating or talking.
