General & Family Dentistry

General dentistry focuses on the prevention of disease. By placing a strong emphasis on oral health and hygiene, we can help patients avoid the progression of oral diseases. At a routine dental visit we offer a thorough examination of your mouth, teeth, gums, and other structures. As well as routine check ups we offer more focused dental treatments, listed below.

Crowns

The placement of a dental crown is performed when a tooth is extensively broken and needs to be rebuilt to restore the tooth to provide excellent appearance and function.

A crown is an artificial restoration that fits over the remaining part of a prepared tooth, making it strong and giving it the shape of a natural tooth. A crown is sometimes known as a 'cap'.

Crowns are an ideal way to repair teeth that have been broken, or been weakened by decay or a large filling. A crown can be used for a number of other reasons, for example:-

• To improve the appearance of a tooth which has a discoloured filling

• To protect what is left of a tooth after having a root filling

• It may help to hold a bridge or denture firmly in place

Crowns can be made of a variety of different materials and new materials are continually being introduced.

Some of the most popular options are listed below:-

The Dentist will prepare the tooth to the ideal shape for the crown. This will involve removing a layer of the outer surface, leaving a strong inner core. The amount of the tooth removed will be the same as the thickness of the crown.

Once the tooth is shaped, the dental team will take an impression (mould) of the prepared tooth, one of the opposite jaw and possibly another to show the way you bite together.

The impressions will then be given to a dental technician, along with information about the shade to use and any other information the technician needs.

In root-filled teeth, it may be necessary to insert a post into the tooth root before placing a crown. A post gives support and helps the crown to stay in place. The surface of the tooth may be removed down to the level of the gum.

A post can be made of prefabricated stainless steel that the dentist can fit directly into the root canal or a dental technician can construct a custom-made post to accurately fit the shape of the prepared root canal. The post is placed into the root canal and cemented in position, ready for the crown to be attached.

Bridges

A gap left by a missing tooth can mean more strain is put on the teeth at either side. It can also mean your ‘bite' is affected, because the teeth next to the space can lean into the gap and change the way the upper and lower teeth bite together. This can then lead to food getting packed into the gap, which causes tooth decay and gum disease.

A bridge may be placed when a tooth has been removed or missing. This can allow single or multiple teeth to be replaced. A bridge is made by putting crowns on the teeth either side of the gap, and then joining these crowns together by placing a false tooth in the space. This is made at a laboratory and then the pieces are cemented into place with special adhesives. The bridge cannot be removed. A bridge can be made from the same materials used to make crowns as mentioned above.

Another type of bridge is an adhesive bridge. This has ‘wings’ that are bonded to the back of the supporting teeth, with very little drilling needed.

Gum Disease Treatment

Gum disease is 'inflammation of the gums,' where the gums become swollen and sore as a result of inadequate removal of dental plaque which collects at the gum line. This happens when toothbrushing and interdental cleaning (cleaning between the teeth) is poor. Early gum disease is called gingivitis and if not treated can progress to periodontal disease. If periodontal disease is not treated it can over time destroy the supporting bone to the teeth causing the gums to shrink and teeth to become wobbly and fall out. Gum disease is one of the most wide-spread diseases in the world and adults commonly experience this condition at least once in their life.

Signs and symptoms commonly experienced with gum disease include:

• Bleeding gums after brushing and interdental cleaning

• Bad breath

• Painful, red gums 

• Receding gums (shrinkage of the gum)

• Wobbly teeth 

• Gum abscess (infection of the gum)

• Tooth loss

There are numerous risk factors which can increase the risk of developing periodontal disease. These include:

• Smoking 

• Diabetes

• Weakened immune system, for example if you have HIV or chemotherapy.

• Poor diet

• Certain medications

• Obesity

Gingivitis can be treated by improving oral hygiene to adequately remove dental plaque. This includes brushing twice daily for at least two minutes and interdental cleaning using floss or inter-dental brushes (bottle brushes). It is important to attend your dentist regularly for check-ups so that they may identify if you have gum disease and teach you the best methods to improve your oral hygiene. The dentist may recommend you have further treatment for gum disease such as a scale and polish. A scale and polish aims to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth.

Treatment of periodontal disease also aims to remove plaque from teeth to prevent the disease from getting worse. Unfortunately, with periodontal disease, treatment cannot replace lost bone and gum recession but aims to prevent subsequent loss. Treatment is similar to that of gingivitis but may include root planing. This is a deeper clean than a scale and polish and aims to remove bacteria and tartar from the root surface of teeth. 

It is important to attend your Dentist regularly so that they may be able to assess what treatment you may require.

Children’s Dentistry

Children’s Dentistry

Children should attend the dentist regularly as soon as their teeth start appearing. This can help your child get used to the sights, smells, and noises of a dental surgery. This is important to prepare your child for future visits and to reduce any anxieties that they may have.

At Raby Road Dental Centre, we are a family centred dental practice and our experienced dental team will make your child feel comfortable and relaxed. As a practice, we offer preventative dentistry, a modern way to keep teeth and gums healthy to reduce the need for dental treatment in the future. We can teach your children the best methods to keep their teeth clean to reduce the risk of developing tooth decay and gum disease.

Tooth Decay Treatment

Tooth decay can occur when acid produced by plaque softens enamel and dentine forming a cavity (hole). Plaque is a thin, sticky film of bacteria which forms on the surface of teeth. When foods and drinks rich in carbohydrate or sugar are consumed, the bacteria in plaque turn the carbohydrate into sugars and form acids. The acid dissolves the surface of the teeth and can eventually cause a cavity. Cavities can be limited to the enamel (outer surface), but if not treated early may advance into the dentine (material layer under enamel) and may sometimes involve the pulp (contains the nerve and blood vessels).
Tooth decay may not cause pain but sometimes the following signs and symptoms may be experienced:

• Toothache. Pain may be dull or throbbing, sudden or gradual. Pain may be made worse by temperature changes and / or biting down. Pain may be mild, moderate or severe. It may be continuous or occasional.

• Sensitivity. Pain may be experienced after eating or drinking something hot or cold.

• Bad taste in the mouth

• Bad breath

• Black or dark spot on the tooth's surface

Treatment options for tooth decay depend on the depth of the cavity:

• For early stage decay, the dentist may monitor the cavity and show you how to reduce the risk of the cavity getting larger through better brushing techniques and diet advice. A varnish may be applied to the teeth and toothpaste containing fluoride may be prescribed

• For larger holes a filling or crown may be required

• If the hole has extended to the pulp, root canal treatment or an extraction will be required

Dentures

If you have a few or all of your teeth missing, one solution is to have a denture. A denture looks natural as it is made from hard-wearing material that mimics the look of teeth and gums. These can be constructed with a combination of metal and acrylic depending on your requirements. Your denture will be made to fit snugly on your gums and you will be able to remove it for cleaning.

When you wear a denture for the first time it may get some getting used to when speaking or eating and chewing. It is important that you take extra care in your hygiene regime so that you can avoid bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. The hygienist will be able to show you how to best take care of your denture and gums and will tell you about specialised brushes you can use to do this.

Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment (otherwise known as Endodontics) is needed when the pulp inside your tooth is damaged by an injury to your mouth or becomes infected through tooth decay. The treatment overall should feel no different to having an ordinary filling placed. Your general dentist can provide root canal treatment.

Difficult treatments can be completed by our dentist with a special interest, Dr Aaron Robinson.

Extraction

Most people at some time have a tooth removed for a number of reasons such as, overcrowded mouths, orthodontic (teeth straightening) treatment, or if a tooth is too badly decayed or damaged to be repaired. Gum disease can also cause teeth to become loose and need removing. Some people need to have their wisdom teeth removed and this is usually because wisdom teeth can grow in the wrong direction and cause pain or problems. Should a tooth extraction be required we will endeavour to make this as comfortable as possible.

For extremely nervous patients extraction can be conducted under sedation.

Get in touch for more information on our general & family dentistry services