Archive for the ‘Tips of the Day’ Category

When choosing your ideal dental practice many factors should be considered. Contemporary advance in dental technology and techniques offer the potential to change your perception of dentistry.

Your journey should begin in a calm and relaxing setting with facilities suited to your individual needs. The Practice Team should ensure your comfort at all times, and be available to allay any concerns and provide you with education pertaining to any treatments requested or required.

Your Dentist should have the most up to date skill set which is achieved by attendance of post graduate training courses in the UK and abroad.

In the surgery facilities such as intra- oral cameras and plasma screen televisions will allow you to discover and visualise the findings of your clinical exam.

“A picture tells a thousand stories”

The surgery should offer the latest technology…

3D digital scans are now fully available which allow for capturing the most detailed diagnostic information. Dental Lasers have had much exposure in the media recently. Their exciting development offers the potential for drill free, anaesthetic free fillings which are ideal for children and dental phobics.

Remember your treatment continues once you have left the surgery.

Your practice should make regular contact as treatment commences to ensure you’re continued satisfaction and proper maintenance.

“Now that’s something we can all smile about”

A bite splint is  used in the treatment of tempromandibular joint and occlusal (bite) problems. They aim to give you an “ideal bite” (occlusion) which in turn will reduce stress and strain on your jaw joint and and the muscles associated with the jaw, head and neck. A splint is initially worn as often as possible (ideally 24/7 for the first week) and requires periodic adjustment as the jaw joint and its associated muscles relax and the bite changes. Many patients report great improvements in clicks of the jaw, muscle pain, headaches, neck and shoulder problems.

Our hygienist here at our practice in Birmingham can ensure your gums remain healthy and your teeth remain clean and stain free. How often an individual requires hygeine treatment varies from patient to patient. Here at St Pauls Square we recall patient’s at 3, 6 and 12 month intervals for hygeine.

3 Months: We tend to recall people who are suffering or have suffered from periodontitis (destructive gum disease, see image on left), those who are very prone to staining, those who have undergone extensive restorative (crowns, veneers, big filliongs etc) treatment and those who are prone to rapid tartar build up between the teeth and under the gums.

6 Months:  People attending every 6 months tend to be those not so prone to more advanced gum disease and suffer less from staining and tartar between and at the necks of the teeth.

12 Months: 12 month recalls are appropriate for those who suffer no significant gum disease and experince very minimal  stain and tartar build up within the 12 month period.

“I’ve had a root canal treatment performed on one of my front teeth by my dentist 3 months ago but it doesn’t seem to have got any better and it still painful when i bite on it. My dentist has told me I would need an apicectomy(?) or would have to have the tooth removed. I don’t think I’m keen on either option! Is there anything else that can be done?”

Leigh S.    Birmingham

Hi Leigh, without seeing xrays of the tooth in question I can’t give you a full answer. Something I would say is that at St Pauls Dental Practice we will often perform a “re-root canal” treatment before embarking on any more extreme measures. A root canal treatment should involve the complete disinfection of the WHOLE of the root of  the tooth and placement of a dense rubber filling to make sure the root stays disinfected. Here’s an example treated here in Birmingham where a young lady had root canal treatment which didnt work. On the first xray you can see the thin long root filling doesn’t look like to fills the whole space of the root and there is evidence of persisting infection. I retreated this tooth and I’m sure the difference on the second xray is obvious! Hope this helps.

Damien.

BEFORE

AFTER

“I had crowns fitted 5 years ago and have noticed a black line by my gum. Obviously this is very embaraassing! Can anything be done?”

The most common reason for a black line around the margin of a crown is the metal which forms part of the crown’s substructure showing through. In the past these metal ceramic crowns have been used as they provide strength. Modern “All Ceramic metal-free” crowns can be just as strong and eliminate those black lines giving the ideal long-term aesthetic result!