Restorative Dentistry

How we help our Bromley patients when things go wrong.

Over the past few weeks, we have written a number of blogs about preventative dental care on the Smile Dental Practice blog.

Whilst we do feel that this is the best way to ensure good ongoing oral health care, sometimes things don’t always go to plan and dental treatment might be needed to preserve or restore a tooth. Our Bromley dental clinicians are both friendly and experienced and will always try to preserve as much of the natural tooth as is possible and where possible.

The following are some of the treatments that we might use to preserve or restore a tooth when it has suffered from damage or decay.

Fillings – One that is probably familiar to most people who have visited a dentist in the past few years. Fillings are used when a tooth has been affected by decay. Where this occurs, the decayed material is removed through the use of a dental drill and the filling then placed in the cavity to harden. Amalgam fillings are the most commonly used but white tooth fillings are now becoming an increasingly popular option for aesthetic reasons.

Crowns – Where a tooth has become so badly decayed or damaged that the cavity or breakage would be so large as to not hold a filling, a dental crown can be used instead. These are produced at a dental laboratory and are usually made from porcelain or ceramic. These are produced following scans and are made to match the shade of the natural tooth. Once produced, these are simply attached to the prepared affected tooth using strong dental cement.

Bridge – Where a tooth is so badly damaged or decayed that it is not worth attempting to save it, it will need to be extracted. This does leave the problem of the patient having a gap in the teeth though. Whilst dentures can be used to replace a missing tooth, many patients find this to be both inconvenient and sometimes uncomfortable too. A dental bridge then offers a more secure option. In effect, a dental bridge is a false tooth that is held in place by being attached to the adjacent teeth which have previously been prepared. A dental implant can also be used and we will be pleased to discuss this option with you.

Root canal – Often seen as the ‘bad boy’ of dental procedures, it is actually an effective way of preserving a tooth where the soft inner part has become infected. Following a local anaesthetic being administered, the top of the tooth is removed and the infected inner part then removed and cleaned before being filled with a special filling. A dental crown is usually used then to both complete the tooth, strengthen and give it a natural appearance. With modern x-ray equipment in place to detect any abscesses, this procedure should be no more uncomfortable than any other.

These are just a few of the procedures that we use for rectifying tooth damage. Of course, we also offer our Bromley patients the choice of many cosmetic dental procedures too, for those who want to improve their smile.

We are very happy to discuss your dental aims with you and can be contacted at the Smile Dental Practice in Bromley by calling us on 020 8462 2473.