Services

Cosmetic Dentistry

Advancements in dental technology have meant dental treatments are more and more lifelike.

The following are some cosmetic treatments we offer. We will need to examine your mouth and ask some questions to get an accurate appraisal of what are suitable options.

Tooth-coloured Fillings

Almost all the fillings we place are tooth-coloured. On the rare occasion when we think there is a better material (say, for strength where it is required), we will discuss the option with you.

Bleaching (Internal)

A root canal treated tooth often discolours over time, turning a grey colour. One of the services we offer is internal bleaching (or bleaching from the inside of the tooth). It is conservative treatment and can work well in the right situation. We may also use this as an adjunct for colour correction, prior to veneering or crowning discoloured teeth.

Bleaching (external)

Maybe you just want your teeth to look that bit lighter and brighter. You don’t want your teeth to look liquid paper white (and neither do we) Tooth bleaching may be the answer. Tooth whitening doesn’t dissolve your enamel. It can be done in the office but for best results, it is combined with a take-home kit. Some sensitivity is common afterwards and alleviated by popular sensitive toothpastes. Bleaching is more effective in some instances than others. We’ve found bleaching does not seem to work on grey stains as well as yellow, orange and brown stains.

A word of caution...

Beware of shopping centre bleaching stations. Only dentists are permitted to use whitening agents of a certain strength. We have heard of instances where the gums have become ulcerated and painful due to incorrect usage and/or agents.

Porcelain veneers

What are they? Veneers are porcelain or ceramic shells which have been fashioned to cover the fronts of teeth (similar to a coloured contact lens to change the appearance of your eyes). A small amount of enamel (about a fingernail thickness) is removed to accommodate the veneer to prevent it from looking bulky.

What do they do?

Veneers can be used to hide imperfections in your teeth, and can mask tooth staining and discolourations.

In certain situations, they can be moulded to change the shape of your teeth and camouflage improper alignment of teeth.

What is the procedure?

If porcelain veneers are contemplated as part of your overall cosmetic treatment, we will sit down with you and discuss what you would like your teeth to look like. Photos are sometimes taken, and a mock-up done, so you can have a reasonable idea of what to expect your smile to look like, and whether or not it is technically achievable. We will discuss what changes you would like (if any) before the final veneers are crafted by a ceramist, and bonded in place.

How do I look after them?

Porcelain veneers are a strong and durable restoration when used in the right situation and when properly looked after. Whilst the porcelain veneer itself is resistant to staining, the junction between the tooth and veneer can still sometimes be prone to trapping stains. Regular maintenance visits need to be continued to ensure your veneers stay looking good.

Crowns

Teeth are made of pretty tough stuff.

Just as life often throws the odd curveball at you, the same sort of thing happens with teeth too.

Crowns are custom-made caps to fit over your existing tooth. They can be made of:

porcelain
combination of porcelain and metal (gold or other alloy)
or metal (gold or other alloy)

Crowns can:

protect a weak tooth that’s breaking
fix a tooth that’s already broken

Teeth have to put up with a lot. Sometimes it’s necessary to reinforce a tooth if it’s been dealt with:

extensive decay
extensive previous restorative treatment
trauma – extreme wear
cracking or fracturing
previous root canal treatment

Or sometimes you just want the tooth to look like the way it should. Crowns can help to restore a tooth to its normal shape and size.

Bridges

Bridges are used to replace missing teeth. The pontic (artificial tooth) is attached to teeth on each side of the gap (usually with crowns). The bridge is permanently bonded on, so you don’t need to remove it every night at drop it in a glass beside your bed.