Dentures

Dentures are removable false teeth that offer a natural-looking and affordable solution to gaps in your smile. A partial denture can replace just a few lost teeth and a complete denture can be used to restore a whole set of missing teeth.

The ‘teeth’ part of the denture are usually made from acrylic (or porcelain) and mounted on a plate made from a metal alloy, acrylic or nylon. Modern materials mean dentures now look much more realistic and offer a comfortable way to replace teeth.

Treatment steps

• Your soft tissues, gums and bone will be thoroughly assessed to ensure they are healthy.
• Accurate impressions of your mouth will be taken so a model can be produced and checked for fit and comfort.
• When the final set of dentures are ready, you will come in for your final fitting.
• During a follow up appointment, we will check your dentures are settling in well.

It can take a little while to get used to new dentures as eating and speaking may be a little tricky at first. You may also notice an increase in saliva but this should soon subside as your mouth gets used to the replacement teeth.

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges are an effective and natural-looking way to replace one or more missing teeth. They are usually made from a combination of porcelain and precious metals, and consist of two crowns, positioned either side of a false tooth, which slot over the teeth adjacent to a gap (the abutment teeth). As well as being fixed over natural teeth, they can also be supported by dental implants.

The most obvious benefit of bridges is the way they restore an incomplete smile but they can also improve eating, speaking, your ‘bite’ and the contours of your face, and they can help keep your existing teeth firmly in place.

Treatment steps

• The abutment teeth are prepared by removing a layer of enamel so the crowns can be comfortably accommodated.
• Impressions are taken of the teeth so the bridge can be tailor-made to fit.
• After the bridge has been produced in a laboratory, it is fixed in position with dental cement.

If bridges are well looked after, and that includes keeping the surrounding teeth healthy so they can provide a solid foundation, they should last for years.

Dental implants

Dental implants are an effective, long-lasting way to replace one or more missing teeth, and can offer an alternative to dentures. They can improve how you eat and speak, prevent shrinkage of the jawbone, and keep existing teeth firmly in place.

Implants are titanium posts that are surgically placed in the jawbone to act just like tooth roots. These posts eventually fuse with the bone, providing a firm foundation for a crown or bridge.

Treatment steps

• We carry out a full assessment of your general health, how your teeth fit together, your oral health and the density of your jaw bone. If we discover you have insufficient bone volume for implants, you may need a grafting procedure to allow for successfully placement of the implants.
• If you are a suitable candidate, the titanium posts are surgically placed in the bone.
• Over a few months, the implants will bond with the bone as titanium is very well-tolerated by the body.
• Once settled in and fully healed, we can fit replacement teeth to the now firmly positioned implants.

You need to maintain good oral hygiene following treatment to ensure your implants remain trouble-free. If well looked after, with a regular brushing and flossing routine, they can last for over 15 years.