Dental bridges are a type of false teeth that are available as a dental treatment for those at Priors Dental Practice who have one or more missing teeth, for whatever reasons. Dental crowns are carefully balanced on top of neighbouring teeth, which are trimmed down to accommodate the bridge, hence the name 'bridge'.

Dental bridges were created to not only improve the appearance of your smile but also to reduce tooth decay from developing and improve your bite. They will also reduce the risk of gum disease which may otherwise result because of tooth decay, as food can build up in the area where the tooth is missing.

Dental bridges are made from various materials such as porcelain and precious metals such as gold, depending on what you require. You can choose which you one you believe would be most suitable to improve the look of your smile.

There are various types of bridges available such as:

• Cantilever Bridges - traditionally used for front teeth
• Maryland Brides - usually plastic in material and used when the neighbouring teeth are healthy and without fillings
• Fixed Bridges - this type of bridge cannot be removed and is the most commonly used dental bridge.

Dental bridges are a good substitute for false teeth and often last a long time, usually around 10-15 years. Dental bridges go unnoticed and can vastly improve your smile and prevent speech problems caused by missing teeth. As long as you keep your dental bridge clean and healthy you should have no problems and you will be able to enjoy a fabulous looking smile.

Cosmetic dentistry is booming, alongside other types of cosmetic treatment, as people devote more time and money to looking good than ever before. The ever-increasing popularity of television image makeover shows has put cosmetic dentistry on the map and an increasing number of patients are visiting their dentist in a bid to get the perfect Hollywood smile. Here at the Priors Dental Practice, we are delighted to offer clients a range of specialist cosmetic services including veneers, dental implants and crowns.

Tooth Whitening

Tooth whitening is one of the most popular cosmetic treatments around and creates an instant youthful appearance. Many patients find that their teeth become discoloured over the years and this can make them look older and make their smile look less attractive. Tooth whitening instantly rolls back the years and gives you a healthy-looking, gleaming set of teeth.

Veneers

Veneers are a very popular treatment which can completely transform even the most unhealthy looking of smiles. Veneers are very thin shells of material that are placed over the top of the existing teeth, and you can choose which material you want and decide which shade you want to go for. Most patients choose porcelain veneers, as these are more natural looking and more durable than composite veneers. Veneers create a beautiful, radiant-looking smile that will boost your confidence and make you feel great.

Crowns & Dental Implants

Crowns and dental implants are a great solution for those that have lost teeth or have teeth that are extensively damaged, either as a result of severe decay or injury. Dental implants replace the root portion of the tooth, while crowns replace the visible portion of the tooth. The tooth will look completely natural and will be designed to fit in with rest of your teeth to give you a lovely, natural looking smile.

If you want to know more about cosmetic dental treatments, don't hesitate to get in contact. Our friendly staff will be pleased to arrange a consultation to discuss possible treatments with you.

Crowns are one of many restorative treatments available here at Priors Dental Practice that can be used to repair damaged or decayed teeth. A crown is also commonly known as a cap because it sits on top of the existing tooth.

Many people have crowns and they can make a real difference to the way your smile looks. Crowns can be used to repair cracked teeth, restore decayed teeth and replace a missing tooth (the crown is attached to a dental implant in this case). Most people choose to have crowns that are made from porcelain as they are very natural looking. However you can also choose to have metal crowns or crowns that are made of both metal and porcelain.

The procedure

If you are advised to have a crown fitted by one of our experienced dentists then we will endeavour to explain the treatment to ensure you understand the process:

• The first step of the procedure is to prepare the tooth for the new crow. This involves removing the damaged portion of the tooth and then re-shaping the tooth using an instrument called a burr, which is a dental drill that is used to shape teeth.
• Once the tooth has been prepared, your individual dentist will create a mould of your teeth using a putty-like substance, which will then be sent away to the dental laboratory.
• At the dental lab, the new crown will be manufactured to fit the tooth exactly and then sent back to the dentist.
• It usually takes around 2 weeks for the new crown to be made-up and returned to our practice. During this time you may be fitted with a temporary crown.
• Once your new crown has been fitted, you must look after it in the same way you look after the rest of your teeth. This involves regular brushing, flossing and rinsing and visiting the dentist on a regular basis. If they are well looked-after, crowns can last up to fifteen years.

Routine dental examinations are extremely important and are for the most part very brief and completely painless. We at Priors Dental Practice recognise that many people have a deep-set fear of the dentist and make every effort to make our patients feel as comfortable as possible during their appointment.

Routine check-ups

We recommend that patients attend routine check-ups at least once or twice a year. Those with a clean bill of dental health may be advised to see us for a check-up once a year, while those with possible signs of problems or existing dental health issues may be advised to visit our practice more regularly.

During the appointment, one of experienced dental team will examine both the exterior and interior of your mouth thoroughly. You can also expect to be asked a few questions about any treatments you may have had in the past if you are a new patient, your daily oral hygiene routine and any other medical problems you have. If you have good oral health, you will usually be advised to come back in 12 months time and if you have a problem that needs sorting, an appointment will be made so that you can have the appropriate treatment.

During the examination you may notice your dentist calling letters and number out loud and a dental nurse recording what the dentist says. These numbers and letters relate to your teeth and the nurse will write down any observations, notes and issues on your dental record. All this information is collated and stored so that the dentist is aware of your condition and situation next time you visit them. This recording system also allows the dentist to monitor any conditions that may be developing. Details of treatments and X-rays will also be noted in your dental record.

Here at the Priors Dental Practice, we recognise the importance of good oral health during childhood and try extremely hard to encourage children to enjoy a positive experience when they come to us for dental appointments. We know how scary it can be for children to go to the dentist and we will make every effort to make sure your child feels comfortable and happy during their appointment. Children that have a positive relationship with their dentist are much less likely to suffer from dental anxiety in adulthood, which means they are more likely to enjoy good oral health and feel comfortable going for routine check-ups.

A healthy routine is crucial

In order for children to enjoy good oral health, it is important for them to adopt a good oral hygiene routine, which should become part of their daily routine, alongside washing, having meals and getting ready for school or college. Daily brushing, flossing and rinsing can make a real difference to oral health so it is important to try and encourage your children to get involved in oral health as early as possible. Attending regular check-ups is also very important; more and more children are suffering from conditions including gum disease and tooth decay, which could be identified and treated if they went for regular routine check-ups.

Many children suffer from orthodontic problems. We are keen to offer treatment to adolescents as it is often much more difficult to treat problems in adulthood, as the teeth have stopped developing. We are more than happy to assess your child's dental health, make recommendations with regard to orthodontic treatment and provide orthodontic appliances.

Denture treatment was created because of issues such as gum disease and severe tooth decay that were often the result of missing teeth, offering an affordable and effective solution.

There are many different types of dentures; the ones most commonly used are:

• Partial Dentures - these are used to replace only a few missing teeth and prevent loss of any other neighbouring teeth
• Complete Dentures - these are used when you have suffered severe trauma to the teeth or have periodontal disease for example; the dentures will replace all of the missing teeth in your mouth.

Dentures are made from materials such as acrylic resins. Other various forms of cosmetic dentures are now only recently available; all you have to do is let our attentive team know what you require.

Dentures are a great solution for missing teeth, but some people may find that they struggle with their new appliance. Reasons for this include:

• Their gums are in a poor condition and will not allow the dentures to hold them in place. A simple trip to our dental practice will help to fix your gums.
• Certain foods may cause the natural suction of the gums to slacken causing the denture to become loose, so care is needed when eating.
• The denture has not been cleaned properly fixatives have not been used.

An easy problem solver to the above is available in the form of implants, able to hold dentures in place for a more permanent lasting effect. The time that dentures will last depends on how well they are treated; as long as they are cleaned properly and worn with care then no problems should arise and they will last a significant amount of time.

Dental implants are an effective tooth replacement treatment for those who have suffered any trauma, periodontal disease or severe decay, and have had their teeth extracted, knocked out or come loose and fallen out. Dental implants are a popular choice at Priors Dental Practice and are made from titanium and are drilled into your mouth to enable sturdy support for your new tooth/teeth.

There is one major factor that needs to be considered when coming for dental implants treatment, which is:

Bone Structure - the bone in your gums must be strong and thick enough to support the implant, if not the implant can fall out causing infections.

A surgical procedure known as a bone graft can easily replace the lost bone in your mouth by taking bone from somewhere that it is not needed and then adding this to the area in the jawbone where the implant is to be attached. Once you have the healthy bone that is needed an implant can then be put in place. A single tooth implant may be more effective than bridges or dentures because they produce more pleasing aesthetics and are longer lasting.

The number of dental implants you require will depend on the number teeth you are missing, and thus costs will vary from patient to patient. Our experienced dental team is more than happy to discuss such matters with you, and will do their utmost to address your worries concerning treatment. As with any new dental appliance, implants need to be taken care of. Good oral hygiene and regular check-ups to make sure your implants are in good condition are great steps in allowing your dental implants to thrive and last.

Fillings are one of the most common dental treatments and most people will need at least one filling at some point in their lives.

Fillings are made of composite materials, metals or ceramic materials; the material you choose will affect the way your filling looks. Fillings used to be made of metal amalgams, which are very visible in the mouth. Amalgam fillings are still available but are much less common, with more people now opting for natural looking tooth coloured fillings.

A discreet option

Patients are increasingly concerned about the way their smiles look so our selection of tooth coloured fillings here at Priors Dental Practice have become increasingly popular. Ceramic and white composite fillings can both be used to restore small or medium-sized cavities but may not be suitable for larger cavities. If you have a cavity, you need to have it treated before the decay spreads. If the cavity becomes too large, you may need to have root canal treatment or even a tooth extraction.

The procedure is very quick and simple and should not cause any pain. Most patients choose to have local anaesthetic to prevent any pain. During the procedure the dentist will remove any decayed tissue from the cavity and then clean it thoroughly. They will then insert the filling material, which will begin to harden shortly after. In some cases, your dentist will use a blue light to help the filling material set.

If you want know more about having a natural colour filling, feel free to get in contact and discuss your particular case.

Endodontics is a specialist area in dentistry we offer here at Priors Dental Practice, which involves care of the root portions of the teeth. Endodontics deals with pain, conditions and injuries surrounding the roots.

The most common procedure carried our resident endodontist is root canal therapy; this operation involves the removal of damaged pulp tissue, which can help save a severely damaged or decayed tooth. Root canal treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic and is a very common and safe procedure. General dental practitioners can carry out root canal treatments but they may refer patients with complex cases to specialist endodontists.

A true specialist

To become a specialist in endodontics you need to complete at least two years of postgraduate study after completion of the undergraduate dentistry degree, followed by specialist endodontic study and training, so you can be rest assured that you are in the right hands here at Priors Dental Practice.

If you have any questions or you want to see one of our dentists about possible endodontic problems then give us a call or fill out the enquiry form and we will arrange a consultation.

Oral hygiene is something we take very seriously here at Priors Dental practice, as it can contribute to a range of dental health problems including tooth decay and gum disease.

A good daily oral hygiene routine forms the basis of healthy teeth and gums and should include brushing the teeth with toothpaste twice a day for at least two minutes each time, morning and evening. In addition to regular brushing, it is also important to floss the teeth regularly and use mouthwash to rinse the mouth out.

Clean and polish

Visiting our resident hygienist on a regular basis is also really important as this will allow for early signs of decay or gum conditions to be identified, which may otherwise have go unnoticed until the signs became more obvious. Many patients also find it beneficial to have a thorough clean and polish once in a while as it makes the teeth feel really clean and smooth. Our helpful team is on hand to answer any questions you might have concerning your oral hygiene, such as the brand of tooth cleaning products that may best suit your oral health.

Patient education

Signs of a healthy mouth include healthy-looking, pink gums, clean, smooth feeling teeth and fresh breath, while symptoms of poor oral hygiene include unpleasant smelling breath, bleeding from the gums, plaque build-up and discolouration of the teeth. This is just some of the wisdom concerning oral health we at Priors Dental Practice will help you to understand to make sure your teeth feel and look great.

At The Priors Dental Practice our highly trained Specialist Orthodontist , John Scholey, can offer a wide range of different appliances to give you a perfect smile. These can vary from invisible removable aligners and lingual braces (glued behind tbe teeth) to cosmetic, tooth coloured fixed ceramic braces and more conventional metal braces.

Treatment time can vary from as little as a few months to a couple of years depending on the type of problem treated. After a detailed consultation John will be able to discuss which treatment options will be most suitable to achieve your goal in your desired time frame. As a Consultant Orthodontist John has a wide experience in the treatment of both children and adult patients and undertakes many complex interdisciplinary treatments with his colleagues in tbe hospital and with our principle dentist Mark Emms.

John is an honorary clinical lecturer in Orthodontics at Birmingham and Manchester Universities and trains Specialist Orthodontists. He has lectured across Europe, the Middle East and most recently the United states where he teaches clinical orthodontic techniques.

As well as winning medals from the Royal Colleges of Edinburgh and London for his professional qualifications, John has won the orthodontic smile award for 2009 and 2010.

Here at Priors Dental practice we offer a periodontal service in order to make sure you not only have a smile that looks great but that is healthy too. It is important to keep your gums healthy because conditions such as gingivitis and periodontal disease can be very serious and can lead to severe decay, pain in the gums and the formation of abscesses.

Good oral health

In order to enjoy good oral health and protect your teeth and gums, it is important to brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes at a time, floss and rinse using mouthwash regularly and visit your dentist at least once a year. Poor oral hygiene is the most common cause of periodontal disease and it can be easily avoided by simply spending a few minutes each day cleaning your teeth.

If you do suffer from problems with your gums, including bleeding gums, gum recession or soreness in the gums, our experienced dental hygienist can offer a range of treatments, as well as practical advice and tips on how to help improve the state of your gums. Here at the Priors Dental Practice, we're pleased to offer our clients the latest in periodontal treatments including Florida probe Diagnostics, Bespoke periodontal programmes and Periowave Photodynamic Therapy.

If you have any questions about oral hygiene or gum problems, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Root canal treatment is a common procedure that is carried out to save a tooth that has been severely damaged by decay or as a result of an injury or accident, and is one we at Priors Dental Practice have years of experience carrying out.

The procedure

The actual procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic to ensure you don't feel any pain. During the operation, the dentist will drill into the tooth and remove the damaged pulp portion of the tooth from the root canal, along with damaged nerve tissue and bacteria. The pulp contains all the living tissue in the tooth. Once the pulp has been removed the root canal is cleaned thoroughly and filled with a cement-like substance, after which the root canal is sealed and a crown or filling is placed over the top.

The procedure is relatively straight-forward and should not cause any pain or discomfort. Once the local anaesthetic starts to wear off you may experience mild pain but this can be treated effectively using painkillers. To begin with, it is best to avoid eating hard and chewy foods but after a day or so you will be able to eat normally.

Taking care of your teeth

It is really important that you look after the tooth in the same way as you look after the rest of your teeth. This involves regular brushing, flossing and rinsing and visiting the dentist on a regular basis. In some cases, root canal treatment may not be possible. This is usually because the tooth is severely damaged, either due to extensive tooth decay, advanced gum disease or because of an accident or injury. If this is the case, the tooth may have to be extracted.

Tooth whitening does exactly what it says on the tin, and whitens your teeth. Patients at Priors Dental Practice are able to take advantage of this popular treatment, created to lighten any teeth staining caused by eating/drinking habits, caffeine and red wine being the main culprits. It is also effective on those that have nicotine stains from smoking.

A great treatment in the rights hands

Tooth whitening is a form of cosmetic dentistry and when done in the right hands can make a real difference to the brightness of a person's smile, increasing confidence and leaving patients with a fresh looking smile. When it comes to the teeth whitening treatment it all depends on your individual case. Some patients may only require a small amount of bleach to enhance their teeth while others may require lengthy treatments to fix their badly stained teeth. Results will depend on the extremity of discolouration.

Tooth whitening has been found to be a highly effective treatment for tooth discolouration and is one we are happy to offer patients at our practice. The results speak for themselves and can last for a relatively long time, more so if you choose to take advantage of the home teeth whitening kits we offer that can boost the colour of your teeth. When it comes to the cost of teeth whitening it depends on your individual case and the level of discolouration of your teeth.

Make sure to book a consultation today so our helpful and friendly staff can help give you a smile that makes heads turn when walking down the street.

Dental veneers are a form of cosmetic dentistry that are used when your teeth are:

• Badly stained
• Damaged (chipped/enamel wear)
• Crooked

They are also effective on those teeth that contain gaps. Dental veneers are like a shell that covers your tooth to make your smile look brighter and natural looking. They are often made from materials such as porcelain or composite bonding, depending on which you would prefer and which you felt would look more aesthetically pleasing.

The procedure is very simple and results are fantastic; a small portion of your tooth is filed away so the veneer can be cemented onto your tooth to allow a natural fit (the teeth will not be made to stick out).

When it comes to making a choice between porcelain veneers and the composite ones, please consider these factors:

• Porcelain veneers are more expensive but last longer (up to 10 years) than the composite ones. The porcelain veneers look more pleasing to the eye, they look far more natural and the material can be easily polished and taken care of.
• Composite veneers are a cheaper veneer but can only last up to two years because of the material used. These are usually used as a 'quick fix' to enhance the smile.

If you think veneers are the cosmetic choice for you then feel free to complete our enquiry form, or give our team a call and we will be happy to give you the smile you yearn for.