Tooth coloured materials that make your fillings almost invisible.

Fillings rebuild and replace parts of teeth which have been lost because of decay or through accidental damage.

Natural looking fillings

Most people will need fillings at some point. If decay is left unchecked, it can spread into teeth, causing pain and infection. This can mean teeth have to be root filled or even taken out. A filling can end toothache or prevent toothache developing.

Nowadays, fillings are not only functional but can be natural looking as well. New materials mean that you can have durable but discrete, tooth coloured fillings instead of silver coloured amalgam fillings.

Image: these old amalgam fillings were in need of replacement.  They were redone using tooth coloured composite resin material.  This allows us to make the new fillings almost invisible.

Fillings FAQ

Can you see white fillings?

We use a range of modern tooth-coloured materials that can make your fillings almost invisible.

Where can white fillings be placed?

Modern tooth-coloured or white filling materials give us the ability to restore teeth invisibly anywhere in the mouth. Whether we use it to rebuild a broken down tooth or replace an existing silver-amalgam filling, you can be confident that it will be almost impossible to tell where fillings have been placed.

What other advantages are there?

These aesthetic materials used in white fillings are also hard wearing and help strengthen the tooth which allows more of the original tooth to be conserved.

Treating decay in the root of your tooth.

Sometimes tooth decay can affect the roots of your teeth.

Root canal treatment with one of our experienced dentists usually means that your tooth can be saved, avoiding further pain and infection.

What is root canal therapy?

Root canal treatment (also known as root filling) gives the chance to keep a tooth where the nerve has died and that would otherwise have been taken out. It also stops toothache, as well as preventing abscesses and infections spreading beyond a tooth.

The process involves cleaning, filling and sealing the root canal in a tooth where the nerves have died through decay or injury.

You may not feel any pain in the early stages of the tooth’s infection, although in some cases the tooth may darken in colour.

Root canal treatment FAQ

Why does root canal treatment avoid teeth being removed?

Teeth are held in the jaws by their roots. Your front teeth normally have one root, but teeth which are further back have more. At the core of each tooth is the root canal which contains a soft mass of tissue called the pulp.

In a healthy tooth, it is the pulp which contains the living cells, nerves and a blood supply, which extend into the roots through the root canals. Tooth decay or injury can destroy this living pulp. Normally, a tooth with a dead pulp would be taken out, as they are more prone to infection and this can lead to abscesses and toothache. There is also a possibility of infection spreading beyond the tooth itself. However, root canal treatment means you can usually save the tooth and avoid pain and infection.

What is root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment, also known as root filling, is the removal of this damaged or dead pulp and the filling of the resultant space. Root fillings are usually successful and can last many years, but re-treatment is possible if infection recurs. Teeth can have a number of roots and some roots are easier to fill than others, because of their shape. Occasionally, if inflammation persists at the tip of the root, surgery can be carried out to remove part of the root, clean the area and put in a filling.

Will my filled tooth be the same colour as my other teeth?

Root filled teeth can become darker than other teeth, but bleaching can be used to make them look lighter.

How do you perform root fillings?

When you come to us for root canal treatment we will take an x-ray to assess the tooth. We will give you a local anaesthetic and then make an opening through the top of your tooth, we then use narrow files to remove any dead pulp. To make your treatment more comfortable and to keep your root canal dry during treatment we may stretch a sheet of thin rubber (a rubber dam) around your tooth, on a frame outside your mouth.

Once the pulp has been removed we may put in a temporary filling and possibly give you antibiotics if infection has spread beyond your tooth. To allow your symptoms to settle we will arrange another appointment to complete your treatment. On your next visit we will fill the root canal(s). A normal filling is then used in the remaining cavity in the top of your tooth. If necessary, a crown, supported by a post placed inside the filled root canal, can be placed on top of your tooth.

Root canal treatment is carried out by either of our two dentists, Marc Gresley and Kate Sanderson.

Beautiful tooth coloured crowns and bridges to restore the natural appearance of your smile and prevent further damage.

Crowns and bridges

Crowns

Artificial crowns are used to improve the appearance of weak, misshapen or discoloured teeth, where they cannot be restored using white filling or veneers.

Crowns completely cover a weak tooth above the gum line and protect it. They are strong, looking and feeling exactly like a natural tooth, as we make their colour and shape to match your own teeth.

A crown can last for many years, particularly if you look after your mouth and teeth and the crown does not get accidentally damaged.

Bridges

A bridge fixes a replacement tooth (or teeth) to your natural trey on either side of a gap. Fixed bridges improve the way you look, bite, chew and speak. And as we match the colour to your own teeth, no-one will know that you have missing teeth.

Crowns and bridges FAQ

Crowns

What are crowns made from?

These custom, colour-matched restorations are usually finished in porcelain. This material is chosen for its lifelike quality and lustre. Depending on where the crown needs to be, we use a metal-based crown to improve its strength, with a porcelain layer over it. We also use other materials such as gold.

How do you fit a crown?

We will shape your tooth so that when the artificial crown is fitted, it will be the same size as a normal tooth.

What is the difference between a crown and a bridge?

A crown completely covers the prepared tooth and is permanently cemented to it. A bridge is a precision tooth replacement that is cemented to the adjacent teeth to keep it in place. A bridge is either cemented using thin, invisible tabs or has a crown fused to the replacement tooth at each end which is cemented over the prepared adjacent teeth.

Bridges

What are the main benefits of bridges?

Bridges mean there are no need for dentures! Sometimes, however, a short term temporary denture is advised if the tooth has been recently lost, to allow healing to take place and the tissues to assume a stable shape.

What are dental bridges made from?

Bridges are made of metal and porcelain or sometimes just porcelain. They can last for many years, if you keep them clean and if there is no accidental damage.

Are there times when a bridge is not suitable?

An alternative to a bridge is an implant or removable partial denture. We will explain the differences to you and recommend the most suitable option for you.

How are dental bridges made?

Our cerec machine allows us to make your bridge on site, saving you time and the inconvenience of multiple visits. Using computer aided design, we can manufacture your bridge for you and this can be fitted in a single visit. We will also show you the best way to keep your new bridge clean.

To find out more about our cerec machine, click here.

Restorations made in house

We also have a cerec machine at our practice, which allows ceramic restorations to be made here at clarence house saving you time and inconvenience.

Before cerec technology, all ceramic restorations (such as crowns, inlays and veneers) had been made off-site by a laboratory technician. This meant patients always needed to make several visits over a couple of weeks before a restoration was finally fitted.

The cerec system works by our dentists using a special camera to take an optical impression of your tooth. This is then used to design perfectly fitting restorations.

Strong, stable and natural looking alternatives to missing or damaged teeth.

Dental implants are an increasingly popular way of replacing missing teeth.

They’re the closest thing to having your own teeth back and are a good alternative to wearing dentures.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants have been around for over thirty years and are a popular way of replacing missing teeth. They’re the next best thing to your own teeth and can be a great alternative to dentures. For existing denture wearers, implants can also be used to help stabilise your dentures.

Implants will enhance your smile and allow you to eat and speak naturally. In fact, other people will not be able to tell that you have implants at all.

Implants are suitable for people with healthy gums and enough jaw bone to support the implant posts and replacement teeth.

Good oral hygiene and regular checkups are essential after having implants to maintain them as you would normal teeth.

I would just like to say thank you for all the care i had after my dental implant surgery. I’ve got to admit that the thought of having the surgery done scared me but you all made me feel so relaxed and i’m so glad that i went through with it. Now i can smile and go out for a meal with confidence. I wouldn’t hesitate to go through it all again if necessary. Thank you once again.” bc

Dental implants FAQ

What are dental implants?

A dental implant is a titanium metal rod which is placed into the jaw bone. It is used to support one or more false teeth. In practice, both the false teeth and their supporting rod are referred to as ‘implants’.

Are implants safe?

Implants are a well-established, tried and tested treatment.

How long will they last?

90 per cent of modern implants last for at least 15 years.

I have some of my own teeth. Can i still have implants?

Yes. You can have any number of teeth replaced with implants – from one single tooth to a complete set.

Can implants always be used to replace missing teeth?

It depends on the health of the bone in your jaw. Your dentist will assess the amount of bone remaining. If there is not enough, or if it isn’t healthy enough, it may not be possible to place implants without grafting bone into the area first.

Are implants uncomfortable?

Placing the implants requires a small operation. This can be carried out under local anaesthetic. You should not feel any discomfort at the time but you may feel some tenderness during the week following the surgery. This is usually due to having stitches in place and the normal healing process.

Can i have the new teeth straight away?

The implants need to bond (integrate) with the bone after they have been placed. This takes at least 3 months in the lower jaw and 6 months in the upper jaw. If you are having one, two or three teeth replaced, you will have a temporary restoration in the meantime. If you have dentures, then you can wear them throughout the healing period, once they have been adjusted after the surgery.

How long does treatment take?

It can take about 4 to 12 months from the initial assessment to the time when the artificial teeth or dentures are finally attached to the implants. A lot depends on how complicated your treatment is. Your dentist will be able to give you a timetable during the treatment planning process.

Are the teeth difficult to clean?

Cleaning around the teeth attached to the implants is no more difficult than cleaning natural teeth. However, there may be areas that are more complicated and you’ll be shown methods to help.

If i had gum disease when i had my own teeth, will i get it with the teeth attached to the implants?

Provided you care for them properly, have regular checkups, keep them clean and don’t smoke then you should not have any problems.

Can i take the teeth out if they are fixed to implants?

Most artificial teeth attached to implants can only be placed and removed by the dentist. However, if you have complete dentures supported by implants, then you’ll be able to take them out for cleaning.

Do the implants show?

Your dentist will make sure the implants won’t show during all normal movements of the mouth and lips. You will need to be able to see them so that you can clean them properly.

Do i have an implant for each missing tooth?

Ideally yes – however up to five or six implants can be used to replace all the teeth in one jaw.

Can implants fail?

This happens very rarely. If the implant becomes loose during the healing period or just after, then it is easily removed and healing takes place in the normal way. Once the jaw has healed, another implant can be placed there. Or, the dentist can make a bridge, using the implants that have ‘taken’.

Are implants good value?

In many situations, the cost of the treatment is only a little more than the cost of more conventional treatment with crowns and bridges. There are advantages to it too – an implant to replace a single tooth avoids the needs to cut down the teeth either side for crowns to support a bridge.

Removable dentures are custom made to replace missing teeth, giving a natural looking, confident smile.

Dentures

Removable dentures are used to replace missing teeth. They are custom made to match your mouth and are designed to look like your natural teeth, so that your appearance hardly changes. Dentures can be fitted immediately after your teeth have been taken out and no one will know that you have had a tooth removed.

‘Partial’ dentures replace a few missing teeth. “full’ or ‘complete’ dentures are used if all your natural teeth are missing. At Clarence House, we can also use mini implants to steady and secure dentures.

If you have lost some teeth, dentures can improve the way you look, bite, chew and speak. They protect the teeth that are left from wear and tear and stop them from moving or tilting, which would prevent your teeth from biting together properly.

Dentures FAQ

What does it feel like to wear dentures?

Dentures will never feel like your own teeth and it can take time to get used to them. If you have not had dentures before, we will explain the difficulties and benefits of wearing them and tell you how to look after your new dentures and your remaining teeth.

What are dentures made of?

Complete dentures are best made of acrylic. Partial dentures are sometimes made of acrylic, but can also consist of acrylic teeth on a cobalt chrome base.

How do you make my dentures?

When you visit us, we will use a putty-like material to make moulds of your mouth. These and possibly a second set of moulds are used to make models for the denture to be built on.

For the next visit, we make wax blocks which fit the models and these are put into your mouth to record the position of your jaws in relation to each other. We trim and seal the wax blocks to show how your teeth should bite together and show the shape your dentures need to be made in.

On the third visit, we make you trial dentures and consult with you on how they fit, feel and look before we make any final changes.

Finally the permanent dentures are made and are then ready to use.

Dentures and dental implants…

Dental implants can sometimes be used to secure dentures as well.

Did you know that the way your teeth bite together (dental occlusion) may contribute to jaw pain and headaches?

Our dentists have a special interest in occlusion and can offer tailored treatment based on a specific examination of your bite.

Jaw and bite problems

It is not commonly known that many head and neck pains can originate from both the jaw joint and the muscles that open and close the jaw.

In fact, it has been shown that over 50% of regularly occurring headaches are caused in this way. These problems can be magnified by various other factors, including:

• Stress
• Tooth grinding and/or clenching
• An uneven bite (another name for the way your teeth meet when your jaws bites together is dental occlusion).

Jaw and bite problems FAQ

How do i know if my head and neck pains are being caused by jaw and bite problems?

Have a look at the questions below. If you answer ‘yes’ to several of them, you may have a problem we can help with.

• Do you clench or grind your teeth during the day?
• Are you aware of clenching or grinding your teeth at night?
• Do your jaws feel tired when you wake up?
• Do you suffer from chronic headaches of any kind?
• Do you experience chronic neck or shoulder pain?
• Do you get pain around your jaw joints or your ear?
• Do your jaw joints ever click or pop when you open your mouth?
• Do you have problems opening your mouth wide?
• Do you tend to chew on one side of your mouth?
• Do you have problems biting?

How can i tell if i have a problem?

If your teeth don’t fit together properly, you can have problems with your teeth themselves, as well as your gums, your jaw joint (the temporo-mandibular joint or tmj) or the muscles that move your jaw. These may include:

• Clicking, grinding or pain in your jaw joints, ringing or buzzing in your ears and difficulty in opening and closing your mouth. Many people grind their teeth whilst asleep or when concentrating on a task, which can be further amplified by stress and anxiety.
• Severe headaches, neck or shoulder pain, which you may not have linked with possible jaw problems. If your jaw is in the wrong position, the muscles that work your jaw have to work a lot harder and can get tired. This can lead to muscle spasms, headaches and migraines especially first thing in the morning. You could also experience pain behind your eyes, sinus pain and pains in your neck and shoulders.
• If you are missing some teeth at the back of your mouth your bite may have become unbalanced which can cause uneven pressure on your other teeth. Teeth that are heavily worn or constantly breaking and fillings that fracture or crowns that work loose may all be signs of occlusal problems.

How are occlusal problems treated?

Our dentists have a special interest in occlusion and have spent years studying the subject. We carry out a specific occlusal examination to assess the signs and symptoms of an occlusal problem. Various muscles may be sore when tested and broken or worn areas of your teeth will show whether you are grinding them.

Once the problem has been identified, we are able to recommend treatment that is appropriate for you. If our dentist suspects that the problems may be due to an incorrect bite, s/he may help to diagnose the problem by supplying you with a plastic appliance that fits over your upper or lower teeth. This appliance (known as a splint) needs to be measured and fitted very accurately so that when worn, your teeth bite together at exactly the same time and in a position where your muscles are relaxed. These splints are usually worn at night (although they sometimes need to be worn during the daytime as well). If the splint relieves your symptoms then your bite may need to be adjusted permanently.

Treatments for occlusal problems:

The most frequently used treatments include:

• A full occlusal splint – a carefully constructed, hard plastic splint can be used to give long term relief by allowing the teeth to contact in an ideal bite position when the jaw closes.
• Equilibration – if a splint has relieved the symptoms it may be possible to produce a permanent ‘cure’ by carefully trimming minute areas of the teeth, to allow them to close together evenly and correctly without having to wear a splint.
• Orthodontics – large errors in tooth position can be corrected by straightening teeth. This should enable a better relationship between the teeth and a more comfortable bite.
• Reconstructive dentistry – sometimes the best way to correct the bite involves restoring the teeth with carefully constructed fillings, crowns or bridges designed to improve the way the teeth fit and close together.

Technology that works for you.

We use state-of-the-art Cerec technology at Clarence House to make crowns, veneers, inlays and bridges in-house, eliminating the need for impressions and a second visit

.. So you can have a smile makeover in a much shorter time than was previously possible.

Beautiful restorations while you wait
our cerec machine allows us to make ceramic restorations here at clarence house, saving you time and inconvenience.

Before this technology became available, perfectly fitting ceramic restorations (such as crowns and veneers) had to be made off-site by a technician in a dental laboratory. This meant that patients needed to make several visits over a couple of weeks before their restoration was finally fitted.

We’re proud to have been the first practice in Gloucester to offer this service for our patients. By using Cerec technology at our practice, we can offer smile makeovers in a much shorter time, we can make beautiful crowns, veneers, inlays and bridges using the machine.

How does it work?

First, a digital photo of your tooth is taken, using a special camera. This image is sent to your dentist’s cerec computer, where your tooth’s restoration is designed using three-dimensional imagery. The digital mapping technology of cerec means that a very accurate 3d model of your mouth is created, with no need for dental impressions.

Once the design of your restoration is complete, a blank ceramic block is placed into the cerec milling machine. Through computer aided manufacturing, the machine then mills your restoration from the ceramic block. Once the restoration has been made, your dentist can bond it in place for you.