If during your average day in London’s SE1, you’ve started to noticed that a tooth has become sensitive to temperature change, it hurts when you bite down on it, it’s become discoloured and/or the gums have become inflamed around it, chances are you may be suffering from a little tooth decay. Now, tooth decay can lead to some very serious issues in the mouth if left unchecked- worse case scenario is an abscess that in some cases can be life threatening, or complete tooth loss and a very unhealthy mouth, but if it is nipped in the bud when detected, the tooth can be saved. Decay affects the pulp in the tooth and spreads into the roots and this will require root canal treatment. Now there are many horror stories surrounding this procedure, from torturous life-long pain, to total decapitation! In reality, the treatment is no more worse than a simple filling- thanks many to modern dental techniques and can be done using a simple, local anaesthetic, though it’s not pretty reading: essentially, the decayed pulp has to be cleared out of the tooth and then the roots removed from inside the tooth, either by drilling or laser treatment. Once done, the tooth can be filled or have a crown fitted. It won’t save the tooth indefinitely, but will prolong its life for up to a further 15 years, if looked after and reduce the chances of further infection throughout the mouth.

When you lose a tooth, it can affect your mouth in many ways. For starters, it can lead to further tooth loss, but it can also expose your mouth to the risk of gum disease, tooth decay and bone loss; let alone the more immediate problems to speech, chewing and biting. Bridges are available all around London’s SE1, but there are certain factors that affect the fitting. A bridge can span a gap of up to three teeth, but to attach them, they are reliant on the remaining teeth being strong and healthy to support the crowns and the bridge. Once you have been measured up, the fitting of a bridge is fairly straight forward and can be done in a few sittings with your dentist and if you look after it, a bridge can last you up to 15 years, but they do require special attention when it comes to general oral hygiene and cleaning; your dentist will advise you on how to look after your new fitting. The bonuses of having a bridge however, other that the health implications, is also cosmetic. They can retain the shape of your face, they can restore the look of your smile and give you added comfort when eating. Most of all, if your of a vain nature, they can restore your aesthetic allure, for they look very natural in the mouth and this can restore your self confidence that may have been damaged when you lost the tooth, or teeth in the first place.

If you grind your teeth during your sleep you are doing what is known as bruxism. This nocturnal practice is as common as snoring but can pass unnoticed in many sufferers. It is worth dealing with though as it can have consequences on the oral health of the patient.

Stress can be a major factor in teeth grinding and dentists suggest that imperfect alignment of teeth can also play a part. It needs to be stopped, whatever the cause as it can lead to your teeth cracking or becoming chipped or worn down. If teeth grinding leads to these problems then you may have to have a tooth replaced or a crown fitted. It is best to avoid having these procedures because they can be inconvenient, time consuming and, in severe cases, invasive.

Keep visiting your dentist every six months and report any unexplained pain in your teeth which might be caused by grinding your teeth in your sleep. If your dentist feels that stress might be the cause of your teeth grinding then you may be referred to a mental health specialist.

If your dentist determines that the problem lies with the alignment of your teeth then he or she can easily fit you a mouth guard. These simple devices take the strain of the grinding during the night and stop your teeth from being damaged by the constant process of teeth rubbing against one another.

If you are worried about teeth grinding during your sleep contact your South East London dentist and ask for more advice and an examination. It’s worth doing so that you don’t permanently damage your teeth.

CEREC is a system that comes in 3 parts, firstly there is a digital photographic camera, secondly there is a computer program and thirdly there is a milling machine. It is all very compact and sits in the dental surgery. A London SE1 dentist says that this system is all self contained and although it is very technical, it isn`t rocket science as the expression goes. It allows a dental surgeon to custom make a false tooth, bridge, crown or veneer in the surgery while the patient is still in the chair. In the past photos would be sent to an orthodontist for them to make the false piece, this could take weeks if the practice was busy, it also meant the patient taking more time off work. With the CEREC system the false piece is made while the dentist is preparing the tooth or the mouth to accept the piece once made. It can take as little as 30 minutes to complete the whole operation, and it also means the cost is brought down as well as the anguish most of us suffer being in the dentist chair. The pictures are taken first and then scanned into the computer program; this will design the piece and produce a 3D image for the patient and dentist to view. Then using a colour coding the dentist will choose the blank block, this is generally made from porcelain, a clay that is very hard wearing. The blank is then clamped into position on the milling machine and the computer sends instructions for the machine to automatically mill the blank into the required piece.

As a practical solution to an unattractive and sometimes painful dental problem, a dental crown is hard to beat. A well designed and fitted dental crown is an elegant and aesthetically pleasing protective barrier against further dental damage or simply a restorative cosmetic device used to improve the smile. Either way, dental crowns serve an extremely important function in modern cosmetic dentistry.

A dental crown itself is a porcelain tooth cap that sits over the top of the damaged tooth, covering all parts of the tooth exposed above the gum line. It is cemented into position using composite resin bonding and acts as an enamel-like protective barrier against further damage or decay. Crowns are commonly used to replace parts of cracked or broken teeth; teeth that suffer from dental decay and unstable fillings; and teeth that have recently been treated with a root canal. In all these cases, the crown is the last stage of the restorative treatment.

Modern crowns are usually made from porcelain, with some metal still being used in non-visible crowns. It is now possible to manufacture the crown from a single piece of porcelain in a matter of minutes. This not only increases the strength of the crown itself as there are no fragile joints, but it also reduces treatment and production time helping to keep costs down.

Make an appointment with a South East London dentist if you think you have a tooth that could benefit from a dental crown. It could mean an end to the pain of dental trauma and the restoration of your smile in one straightforward procedure.

Just as a real bridge is used to fill the area between two pieces of land, a dental bridge is used to fill the gap between two teeth. These gaps in the dental arc are caused by teeth lost either due to decay or accident. It can be a very embarrassing situation for patients who have a missing tooth, particularly if it is a prominent or visible one. But beyond the cosmetic damage a missing tooth can cause, there are also some very serious physiological conditions that can occur from missing teeth.

If a tooth has been lost in the front of the dental arc then it can cause the other teeth to rotate or lean into the empty space. This can turn an otherwise straight and even smile into an unattractive and crooked one. This can also be the cause of malocclusion or bite interruption that can lead to painful jaw conditions called TMJ. Vacant teeth spaces can also act as difficult-to-clean bacteria traps. This can lead to bacterial infection that can cause further tooth damage. It is therefore very important to replace missing teeth as soon as possible.

Dental bridges are fitted by London SE1 dentists using a combination of an artificial tooth, composite resin bonding and dental crowns. A crown on each of the abutment teeth on either side of the gap act as support for the new tooth which sits on top of the gum. In cases where patient’s teeth are very healthy otherwise the dentist may choose to use metal strips to attach the artificial tooth rather than dental crowns.

Dental bridges usually last for between 10 and 15 years but in some cases, when properly cared for, they can last a lot longer. Ask a dentist about dental bridges if you are suffering from a missing tooth.