Archives for April, 2012

Tooth whitening at dentist near Godalming, Surrey

April 30th, 2012

A patient came to Time Dental looking to freshen his smile.  We discussed what it was that bothered him about his smile.  He said he was unhappy with the colour of them and thought that they looked discouloured.  He wanted a brighter smile and wanted to also surprise his girlfriend whom he was going to see in 3 weeks time.

We discussed his options.  The simplest way to freshen up your smile is to use professional tooth whitening.  It is still one of the most popular cosmetic dentistry services as it is safe and effective if carried out properly.  He was unaware of the types of professional tooth whitening systems.  One option for professional teeth whitening is to use custom fit trays that are loaded with the whitening gel, and then placed in the mouth for 40 minutes.  The process is then repeated once daily for 10-14 days.  This is a gentle way of freshening up your smile and will have a huge impact on your confidence.

Another option is the in-office tooth whitening system.  Some in-office systems use a light source to activate the whitening gel, this is sometimes called laser teeth whitening although no laser is actually used.  Other in-office teeth whitening systems are chemically activated so there is no need for the light.  In-office teeth whitening can boost the shade of your teeth up by a few shades straight away.  We recommend that if you opt for the in-office system, combine it with the professional at home kit to help stabilise the whitening process.  Both types of tooth whitening produce the same results except the in-office is faster.

Many patients at Time Dental have enjoyed the benefits of professional tooth whitening.  Time Dental have provided this services to patients from Godalming as well as the surrounding areas such as Farnborough, Fleet, Aldershot, Winchester, Alton and Guildford.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in cosmetic dentistry, tooth whitening | No Comments »

Hollywood smile at cosmetic dentists near Alton

April 26th, 2012

A patient came to see us at Time Dental in Farnham looking for a smilemakeover.  She was really bothered by the look of her front teeth and she often found herself covering her mouth when smiling.  When we talked about what it was that bothered her about her smile, she said they were very brown and discoloured, she had 4 composite veneers placed on her teeth years ago due to problems after having braces fitted as a child.  She also didnt like the square stumpy shape of the front teeth.

We discussed her options to improve her smile.  The first thing that could be done to improve the colour of the teeth would be to tooth whiten.  Tooth whitening is a very popular and simple way to freshen your smile.  Whitening your teeth is straight forward and safe to do as long as you use a professional tooth whitening kit supplied by your dentist.  There are a number of over the counter tooth whitening products that are very acidic and can actually damage your teeth and gums.

After using a professional tooth whitening kit the next step would be to improve the shape of the teeth.  In this case we could provide a gum lift that allows us to lengthen the teeth.  A gum lift is a procedure where the gums a recontoured to an improved shape and position.  Once the gum treatment is complete, we woudl provide porcelain veneers to repalce the worn composite veneers.

Porcelain veneers are extremely strong once bonded onto the teeth.  The veneers give a very natural tooth look and will last many years if cared for properly.  Porcelain veneers are thin laminates of porcelain that are handcrafted by a master ceramist in the laboratory.  The veneers are then sent back to the dentist for them to be bonded on and complete your smile makeover.

Time Dental have had many pateints choosing the porcelain veneers option to improve their smile.  They provide this service for patients not only from the Alton area in Hampshire but also Farnborough, Haslemere and Fleet as well as Guildford, Godalming, in Surrey.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in cosmetic dentistry, Time Dental, tooth whitening | No Comments »

Loose Porcelain crown at dentist near Fleet

April 20th, 2012

A very nervous patient came to Time Dental having eaten an apple which caused her front porcelain crown to become loose.  She had a bad experience at a dentist 3 years ago where she had a tooth extracted and she was still in discomfort during the procedure.  That’s enough to put anyone off going to see the dentist, so it was understandable that she was apprehensive this time round.

After assessing the porcelain crown, the x ray showed that the crown also had a post in it.  A number of years ago a horse had hit her in the face which resulted in the tooth breaking.  The tooth had to be root canal treated and as there was not enough tooth left, a post was fitted with a porcelain crown that covered the post.  Post crowns are very vulnerable to hard foods as the sharp hard pressure can result in the tooth snapping by the tip of the post.  This is what happened in this case.  Part of the tooth was still attached to the crown.

When a tooth breaks with an oblique fracture under the gum line the outlook is not good.  The tooth often needs to be extracted.  The good news is that it can be replaced by either a dental implant or a fixed bridge.

A dental implant is a titanium root that is inserted into the jaw. Our specialist implant dentist at Time Dental, Farnham can even in certain cases place an implant the same time an extraction is carried out.  A temporary bridge or denture is placed while the site heals.  In certain cases the temporary crown can be placed immediately onto the implant.  So you would leave smiling and no one would know that you have an implant in place.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Broken tooth, emergency dental care at dentist near Alton

April 19th, 2012

A patient came to Time Dental having broken a tooth and was now experiencing sensitivity to cold drinks and cups of tea.  He had not been to see a dentist in over a year and was travelling alot due to work and was now looking for long term continuing care.  He informed me that he had broken teeth in the past and had just put it down to old age.

On assessing the tooth half the outer wall of the tooth had broken off.  There was still a very large mercury filling in place and a small part of the inside of the tooth still present.  It was quite obvious why he was experiencing the sensitivity as his dentine layer was exposed  to the elements.

Boken teeth in mercury amalgam fillings as dental emergencies are quite common.  They reason is not due to old age; its due to the mercury filling expanding and contracting over time, and combined with the downward pressure on eating food causes internal fracture lines of the tooth.  In time either the tooth will break or the filling will break.  Mercury amalgam fillings actuallly weaken your tooth.

In instances such as this the only option for the tooth is to crown it to protect the rest of the tooth.  A crown acts like a bomb shelter that protects the sides as well as the biting surface of the tooth.  They are often recommended when there isn’t mcuh tooth left and the tooth is quite weak.  In order to prevent further breaks the crown encapsulates the whole tooth.

Crowns are bespoke handcrafted restorations made by skilled master ceramists and lab technicians.  They can be made of gold; metal ceramic or all ceramic.  The tooth coloured crowns are the most popular due to them looking very natural.  The metal ceramic crowns are the traditional tooth coloured crowns which have metal underneath the tooth coloured ceramic.  All-ceramic crowns are the best for strength and aesthetics.  The sub structure can be made of zirconia which is extremely strong and durable.

Time Dental provides this service for patients from the Alton area in Hampshire as well as the surrounding towns and villages in Surrey and West Sussex.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in crowns, emergency dentist | No Comments »

Dental Implants at Dentist near Farnborough

April 16th, 2012

A patient came to see us looking for options to fill the gaps in the back of his mouth.  He had not been to see a dentist in 5 years as he had a bad experience at his last visit.  He found that chewing food was difficult as he had lost a number of his back teeth due to tooth decay and there was another large cavity in another back tooth.

On discussion with the pateint, he was looking for a fixed option to repalce the gaps in his teeth.  He was not keen on dentures and had heard about dental implants.  The first thing that we had to found out was why he was getting decay and what was causing his teeth to break.

We discovered that he had not been to see a hygienist in over 5 years and he had advanced gum disease in multiple areas of his mouth.  He also had a diet of hard food that resulted in his teeth breaking.  The first step was to stabilise his dental health.  Placing dental implants in a mouth with active dental disease is a receipy for disaster.

After intensive gum (periodontal) therapy to stabilise his dental health we would then look at his options for placing dental implants.

Dental implants are titanium roots that replace the roots of teeth that have been lost due to dental disease such as gum disease or tooth decay.  Implants have success rates of 95% and are excellent for replacing single or multiple teeth.  The dental implant is placed into the bone by a specialist implant surgeon.  A crown is then attached to the implant using special abutments.  The amount of bone present is crucial for the success of dental implants.  This is assessed by the implant surgeon.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in cosmetic dentistry, dental implants | No Comments »

Straight teeth with clear braces near Fleet Dentist

April 14th, 2012

A patient came to see us at Time Dental looking to straighten her upper front teeth.  Her crowded teeth had been bothering her for many years and she was looking for a fast solution.  She had been searching in a number of areas including Fleet and Farnborough and finally found us as her cosmetic dental practice.

We discussed her various options.  Fixed orthodontic braces was an option to straighten her upper and lower teeth but would take approximately 1-2 years of treatment.  She did not like the length of time required for fixed orthodontic treatment and the fact that the braces would be visible.

Another option would be Invisalign clear aligner system.  This uses clear aligners that are changed every 2 weeks which incrementally move the teeth into the desired position and are virtually invisible.  This treatment would still take 12-18 months which the patient felt would not be feasible for her, even though the brace would be invisible

The third option we discussed was the Inman aligner. A revolutionary removable brace that can move teeth in a matter of weeks.  The aligner has clear sections to it so it is relatively discreet.  It’s currently the fastest way to achieve straight teeth and is only used for the upper or lower incisors.  As the teeth that bothered the patient were only her upper front four teeth, she liked the idea of straightening her teeth very quickly.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in cosmetic dentistry, invisible braces, orthodontics, straight teeth | No Comments »

Tooth whitening and composite bonding at dentist near Guildford

April 12th, 2012

A patient came to see us unhappy about the general colouration of his teeth and especially the white flecks on his two front upper teeth.  They had been present since he could remember and it always bothered him especially when he looked back at photos of himself.

We discussed all his options which ranged from tooth whitening, composite bonding, special etching polish and porcelain veneers.

He initally wanted to take the least invasive path, so we started with professional tooth whitening.  There are two types of tooth whitening.  In-office and the professional tooth whitening kit.  He opted for the professional tooth whitening.

This involved taking impressions of his teeth and making custom fit whitening trays.  The custom fit trays are then loaded with the tooth whitening gel and placed in the mouth for 40 minutes.  This process is repeated over 10-14 days.

Once we had whitened his teeth to as light as they could go we reassesd the white flecks.  In some cases tooth whitening is enough to blend the white flecks, but in his case although there was a huge improvement in colour the white flecks were still there. So we went onto the next step which involved special etching polish.

This involved polishig the white flecks with a special etch which in many cases will remove the discoloured / stained fleck.  However in this instance the white flecks were still present.

Our next step involved composite bonding.  We carefully selected the shade of composite to his surronding tooth and masked the white flecks.  This achieved the result that he wanted and he left for home smiling from ear to ear!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in composite bonding, cosmetic dentistry, tooth whitening | No Comments »

Tooth grinding at dentist in Surrey, Farnham

April 10th, 2012

Tooth grinding is a major problem, not only in Farnham, Surrey.  A patient came to see us at Time Dental for a comprehenisve dental examination and consultation.  On discussing his lifestyle he seemed to have a lot of stress in his life.  He had been made redundant form work and he also suffered from back problems and headaches.

On asssessing his mouth, his teeth had mutiple stress lines running through the majority of his teeth.  He also had large cavities to the side of his teeth by the gum line.  The reason why this type of cavity/hole develops is due to a heavy bite and tooth grinding.  The enamel is much thinner on the tooth by the gum line than anywhere else.  When the tooth is under alot of stress due to grinding/ bruxing, the tooth enamel shatters in this area.  This leaves a classic v-shaped notch by the gum line.  This can lead to sensitivity as well as tooth decay as the enamel protective layer is lost.

The first step is to protect and fill the holes up by the gum line.  This is achieved by composite bonding.  Once the tooth is anaesthetised, a white composite filling is placed in the cavity.  Once this is cured the white filling is polished.  The end result is an invisible filling by the gum line by composite bonding which looks and feels like a natural tooth.

In order to prevent reoccurance of cavities by the gum line (abfraction cavities) the cause of the cavities, which is the tooth grinding, must be addressed.  The most effective way to reduce tooth grinding is to provide a biteguard/ splint.  This is worn at night and helps to reduce the tension and muscle stress that tooth grinding can cause.  Using this biteguard can also reduce tension headaches and reduce the risk of teeth and fillings fracturing.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in composite bonding, tooth grinding | No Comments »

Tooth whitening at dentist near Godalming

April 4th, 2012

Spring has come, finally!  This year winter has seems to have gone on for longer than normal.  Wedding season will be starting soon, and people generally want to look and feel better.  Time Dental are now offering their 2 for 1 tooth whitening offer back by popular demand for servicing patients in Godalming, Surrey.

Tooth whitening is an easy, safe and effective way for improving your smile.  There are two main types of tooth whitening.  In-office and professional tooth whitening.  The end result is generally the same the speed of in-office is the main advantage.

In-office tooth whitening involves placing a gel on the teeth for approximately one hour which whitens the teeth by a few shades straight away.  Some types of In-office tooth whitening use a light source to activate the gel, and other types use chemical activation.  There is no advantage of one over the other.  We recommend that you also use the professional at home kit for 2-3 sessions after in-office tooth whitening to help stabilise the tooth colour.

The professional at-home tooth whitening involves using custom fit whitening trays which are loaded with a lower concentration gel. At Time Dental your cosmetic dentist will take impressions of your teeth and using our in-house facilities fabricate your custom trays. The trays are worn for 40 minutes per day.  It normally takes 10-14 days of professional tooth whitening to achieve a great result.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in cosmetic dentistry, Time Dental, tooth whitening | No Comments »

Dental implants at dentist near Alton

April 2nd, 2012

A client came to see us at Time Dental looking to smile with confidence.  She had previously been seeing a dentist in London but the dentist had retired and she was now looking for a new dentist to help her with her confidence.  She had dental bridges placed sometime ago which she was very happy about but recently they had begun to move.  She was aware that her mouth was in a poor condition and that she would need a lot of help to achieve dental fitness.

On assessing her mouth she had three large spanning bridges in her top teeth; her back lower teeth were missing; and her remaining lower front teeth were very mobile.  The teeth that were supporting the upper bridges had significant bone loss and were very mobile.  All her teeth had a very poor prognosis  and she wanted a long term solution to her dental health.

Her x rays showed that her teeth had lost a lot of boney support and the only option for them was to extract them.  In order to restore her mouth we discussed new options.

The gold standard and most predictable fixed option would be to place dental implants in the top and bottom jaws and provide fixed bridges.  This would achieve a great aesthetic result. Dental implants are titanium roots that are placed into the jaw.  They have a success rate of 95% and are excellent fixed option.

Another option would be to provide implant retained dentures.  This is where implants are placed into the top and bottom jaws and dentures are attached to the implants to help provide retention.  Cosmetic dentures nowadays look extremely life like and are very hard to tell apart from real teeth.

The third option is to provide upper and lower dentures.  These are supported  by the gums and are a satisfactory removable option.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, Time Dental | No Comments »

 

Book a Consultation

Click to book now

 

Patient Reviews

Time Dental Practice 87 West Street | Farnham | Surrey | GU9 7EN | 01252 723 008
Quick Navigation
Home | About Us | Cosmetic Dentistry | Emergency Dentistry | Contact Us | Request an Appointment
Journey Planner - travelling to our practice from:
Aldershot | Alton | Farnborough | Fleet