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Dental Treatments Leicester
In this new day and age of Dentistry, it is now no longer just a case of filling and extracting teeth, as it was for many years.
Nowadays, many people turn to cosmetic dentistry, or ‘aesthetic dentistry’, as a way of improving their appearance, much as they would use cosmetic surgery or even a new hairstyle.
Dental treatments can be used to straighten, lighten, reshape and repair teeth. Cosmetic treatments include veneers, crowns, bridges, tooth-coloured fillings, implants and tooth whitening.
What is Preventive Dentistry?
Preventive dentistry is the modern way of reducing the amount of dental treatment necessary to maintain a healthy mouth.
It helps you to keep your teeth. The two major causes of tooth loss are decay and gum disease. The better we prevent or deal with these two problems, the more chance people have of keeping their teeth for life.
The joint efforts of the dentist, the hygienist and the patient, can help to prevent the need for treatment, and so avoid the traditional pattern of fillings and extractions.
A course of treatment may be recommended to get your mouth into good condition, and a maintenance plan will be worked out to help you keep it that way.
Can everybody benefit from Preventive Dentistry?
Yes. Preventive dentistry will benefit anyone with some of their own teeth. People who don’t have any teeth can also benefit because conditions such as mouth cancer and denture stomatitis can be spotted during regular visits to the dentist and then treated. It is excellent for children and young people, but it is never too late to start.
What is involved?
Your dentist will first assess your teeth and gums, and discuss with you any treatment that you need. The main aim is to help you get your mouth really healthy, to try and prevent any dental problems returning. In a healthy mouth it is unlikely that decay or gum disease will continue to be a problem.
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The hygienist or dentist will thoroughly ‘scale and polish’ your teeth.
- The dentist or hygienist will show you the best methods of brushing and flossing to remove the bacterial ‘plaque’ which forms constantly on your teeth and gums. When you eat or drink something sugary, the plaque turns the sugar into acid, which will cause tooth decay. Plaque will also cause gum inflammation if it is not regularly and thoroughly removed. The hard tartar (calculus) which builds up on the teeth also starts off as plaque.
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You will be told which oral care products are the best ones for you to use.
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The hygienist will probably discuss diet and any habits such as smoking and drinking with you.
- Your dentist will also make sure that all your fillings are in good repair and there are no rough edges to make cleaning difficult.
Will my Dentist recommend Treatment?
A ‘preventive dentist’ will often recommend treatment to reinforce a tooth to make sure that it does not break. For example, if the dentist sees that a tooth is cracked, or is weak and in danger of breaking, they may advise a new filling or perhaps a crown or ‘onlay’ to protect it. This is always better than waiting till the breakage happens, and then working out how best to deal with it, perhaps as an emergency.