Restorative

Offering a long-term solution for people with missing teeth, dental implants use metal ‘posts’ inserted in the jaw bone to hold a replacement tooth, crown or bridge in place.

Dental Crowns

Dental crowns are used for a number of reasons in restorative dentistry: to protect the tooth after a root filling, to rebuild the shape and size of a tooth after damage/decay, or to hold a bridge or denture in place.

A crown – or cap – fits over the existing tooth or implant and can be made from a variety of materials: porcelain, ceramic or gold.

Fitting your dental crown
Normally two visits will be required to prepare and fit a new crown. During the first visit, your tooth will be prepared by removing and shaping the outer surface. Impressions will then be taken to produce the crown and a temporarily cap fitted so that you can continue to eat and drink normally.

During the second visit the temporary crown will be removed and the new one fitted. Local anaesthetic will be used throughout so that you’ll not feel any pain.

Looking after your crown
Caring for your crown requires no special treatment; simply regular brushing, flossing and maintaining excellent oral hygiene. Further guidance will be given by your dentist after treatment is finished.

Dental Bridges

A more affordable alternative to dental implants for replacing missing or damaged teeth are dental bridges. These are ‘false’ teeth which are held in place using two crowns fitted to the adjoining teeth.

Fitting dental bridges
As with crowns, the fitting of dental bridges is a two-step process, undertaken over the course of 1-2 weeks. The first stage is to remove the damaged teeth if necessary and prepare the neighbouring teeth to fit the bridge securely.

Impressions will then be taken to produce the bridge and a temporarily bridge fitted so that you can continue to eat and drink normally.

On your second visit your new dental bridge will be fitted and your missing tooth gap will be filled giving you the confidence to smile once again.

Looking after your bridge
Caring for your bridge requires no special treatment; simply regular brushing, flossing and maintaining excellent oral hygiene. Further guidance will be given by your dentist after treatment is finished.

Typically, dental bridges last approximately 10-15 years, depending on how well they’ve been cared for and the health of the surrounding teeth and gums.