Dental Advice Sheets

I am interested in improving my smile.

A bright, gleaming smile is one of the most important features of a confident person. It makes them look younger and more attractive.

At Parks Dental Surgery, we can carry out a number of cosmetic dentistry procedures to improve the quality of your smile. As well as tooth bleaching, we can change silver fillings to white and replace old crowns and bridges with more cosmetically pleasing ones. We offer veneers and can close small spaces with aesthetic composites.

I am extremely nervous, what can be done about it?

Conscious sedation (Twilight Sleep) is a service offered to patients who may feel nervous about undergoing dental treatment. The drug used is midazolam, which is now used for a lot of minor procedures in hospital. Patients are still awake, can speak and move but will be very relaxed and be able to recall little of what they have experienced as the drug has powerful amnesic properties. Patients are continuously monitored with a pulse oximeter and our practice has two specially trained dental nurses who both have their diplomas in Conscious Sedation.

I have a gap in my teeth and would like it fixed.

Bridges are used to replace gaps in the mouth and can improve the aesthetic appearance of the mouth as well as improving how you bite and chew. Generally, teeth either side of the gap are prepared for crowns and the “false” tooth is suspended between these. This is permanently fixed in the mouth and feels like having natural teeth.
Dentures can be used to fill spaces too, however they need to be removed at night.

I have toothache, what can I do?

Toothache is principally of two main types. Firstly, there is a continuous throbbing pain and the tooth is tender to touch. This indicates an abscess. Painkillers (Ibuprofen has been proven to be one of the most effective painkillers for toothache) and antibiotics will help short term. Keep heat away from it as this increases the infection. Secondly, a tooth can be extremely painful to hot and cold. Painkillers are the only option in the short term.
Both main types of pain require a visit to the dentist and generally a root filling or extraction will be offered.

What is a root filling?

When a tooth decays and the decay then reaches the nerve of a tooth, the nerve then dies and causes an infection at the bottom of the root. This is an abscess.
In order to clear up this infection, the dead nerve needs to be removed from the tooth and the area cleaned and sterilised. The area where the dead nerve was, is then filled with what is termed a “root filling” A back tooth can be more complicated to root fill as they can have many roots, whereas a front tooth generally only involves one. As root filled teeth are now “dead teeth” they will become more brittle and commonly will require a crown.

What is a crown?

A crown is a full covering for a tooth when there is not enough natural tooth to hold a filling in place or when the tooth has been weakened, for example after a root filling.
It can be made of porcelain, metal or porcelain with metal inside to make it stronger. Crowns can also be used cosmetically. A crown can look and feel exactly like a natural tooth and colour and shape can be mimicked to match your own teeth. Dental technicians make them and there are various different types. For example, for a front tooth there is now a “Procera” crown available. This has a lot of translucency and gives an exceptionally natural result.