An effective long-term solution to straightening your teeth and correcting your bite is orthodontics. Orthodontics is a subspecialty area in dentistry that focuses on aligning and straightening teeth using wires and brackets, applying gentle pressure to the teeth to move them into a particular position. The discipline has advanced over decades and today treatment is a lot faster and more comfortable than it was in the past. Here is an overview of orthodontics:

1. Patients who have problems with their bite and the way their top and bottom teeth line up against each other are good candidates for orthodontic treatment.
2. Impressions, photos and x-rays are taken at the start of treatment to determine the course of action.
3. Brackets are bonded to individual teeth and wires clip onto them that gently guide the teeth into position over time.
4. Good oral hygiene habits are essential during treatment and regular visits are required for check-ups and adjustments.

Life Benefits

• Straighter teeth are healthier teeth, as there are no gaps for plaque to build up in over time.
• Having an attractive smile will have a positive effect on your confidence.
• Orthodontics is a long-term investment in your oral health.
• Thanks to fixed permanent retention you can be assured that your teeth won’t move after treatment is completed.

Life Benefits

• Straighter teeth are healthier teeth.
• Having an attractive smile will have a positive effect on your confidence.
• Invisible braces are a long-term investment in your oral health.

If you require a filling in your tooth, a cosmetic option would be to choose a white filling material that matches the shade of your surrounding natural teeth. You can also have any existing metallic fillings replaced with tooth-coloured or ‘white’ fillings. This will allow you to smile without a metallic glint in sight, giving your teeth a more natural appearance overall. Here is how white fillings work:

1. This is a safe procedure that entails the removal of any decay from your tooth and taking out the metal or amalgam fillings if you are having them replaced.
2. The new filling is made from a very hard tooth-coloured substance and will withstand the forces in your mouth when you bite and chew over a long period of time.
3. The restoration is completed in one visit and your fillings will not be visible when you smile.

Life Benefits

• Natural-looking restoration.
• Improved cosmetic appearance of filled teeth while still being able to bite and chew as usual.
• Hard-wearing restorative solution.

Are your teeth stained, chipped, or not aligned on top of each other? Veneers are a good treatment option to consider because they look like natural teeth and don’t require a major procedure. Veneers can also be used to close small gaps when braces are not suitable. If one tooth is slightly out of position, a veneer can sometimes be fitted to bring it into line with the others. Here is how they work:

1. A veneer is a very thin, tooth-coloured piece of porcelain (like a false finger nail, but more durable) that is bonded on top of your own tooth.
2. Based on your needs, the shape and size of the veneers can be adjusted to make your teeth overall look longer and or closer together.
3. You can have just one veneer fitted or a whole set, known as a smile makeover.

Life Benefits

• Simple and quick solution to improve the cosmetic appearance of teeth.
• Long-lasting smile enhancement.
• Natural-looking restoration.

If you are self-conscious about the shade of your teeth or if you have staining on some of your teeth, professional teeth whitening treatment is a safe and recommended option for you to consider. Here is how teeth whitening works:

1. You will be assessed for the type of staining your teeth have.
2. A custom tray is made to fit snugly over your teeth.
3. The teeth whitening process is activated by a bleaching agent, which is inserted into the custom tray that transfers it onto your teeth.

Our home teeth whitening kits will lighten the teeth more gradually. In this case, the trays with bleaching agent can be worn overnight. With all whitening treatment, individual results will vary and are dependant on your initial tooth colour and the nature of your tooth staining.

Life Benefits

• Effective solution for certain types of tooth discolouration and staining.
• Safe treatment when delivered by a dental professional.
• Cosmetically enhances the appearance of teeth.

Decayed or chipped teeth can often be repaired with fillings either on the NHS (silver) or white composite fillings that look natural, however if the damage is too substantial, particularly on the back teeth, then an inlay or onlay would be recommended. Inlays or onlays can be made from a number of strong materials such as metals or ceramics.

An inlay is a small filling that fits into the biting surface of a tooth. An onlay covers a larger area of the tooth and is better suited to bigger cavities. Gold was traditionally used for these types of restorations. However, in recent times hard-wearing tooth-coloured porcelain has become a more popular choice of material. This is a more aesthetic way to restore the teeth and creates a more natural-looking smile. Here is how they work:

1. After an impression is made of your tooth, the inlay or onlay will be made in a dental laboratory by a technician.
2. While these are being made, you will wear a temporary filling. When your inlay or onlay is ready we will bond it into place using a special adhesive, after removing the temporary filling. Your restored tooth will not only look like a real tooth but also function like one, allowing you to bite, chew and eat without any discomfort.

Life Benefits

• Preserves remaining tooth structure.
• Long-term aesthetic and functional solution.
• Natural-looking restoration.

A crown is a type of dental restoration used to fix teeth that have been broken, weakened by decay or contain a very large filling. Here is how it works:

1. An impression is taken of the tooth that needs restoring after it is prepared. A temporary crown will cover your tooth in the meanwhile.
2. A crown is made in the dental laboratory to fit the tooth precisely and match the neighbouring teeth.
3. The crown is then fitted securely on top.

A crown could be a good solution for you if you have some discoloured fillings and would like to improve their appearance. Crowns can be used to replace these to give you a more appealing smile. Additionally, if you have had root canal treatment you will need a crown to protect or cap the restored tooth, allowing you to eat and bite down on it as if it was a real tooth. Crowns are also used to anchor a bridge or denture firmly in place in the mouth.

Life Benefits

• Strengthens remaining tooth structure.
• Natural-looking restoration.
• Functions like a real tooth, so you can bite and chew as usual.

If you require a more extensive restoration than a crown or have more than one tooth that needs to be repaired, a good solution is a bridge. Here is how they work:

1. Bridges are usually made of a precious metal base, which gives them a solid structure and makes them hard-wearing. If you need a bridge in your smile line, porcelain is usually added to the base to make it look more like real teeth.
2. A bridge helps to strengthen the prepared teeth and makes chewing and eating easier because they are fixed and can’t come out.
3. Some bridges can also be fixed to your jaw with dental implants, if you have several teeth next to each other that are missing.

Once you have a bridge fitted, you will have to take extra care during your daily hygiene regime to ensure it stays plaque free and does not cause bad breath.

Life Benefits

• A sturdy way to restore several teeth in a row.
• Beautiful, natural-looking restoration.
• Restores the ability to chew and eat as before.

Life Benefits

• When you lose your natural teeth, your jaw bone and surrounding tissues start to resorb or disappear over time. When implants are placed in the jaw, it stimulates the remaining bone to grow and mesh around the metal, along with tiny blood vessels, preventing bone loss.
• Retained bone structure prevents the face from acquiring a ‘sunken’ look.
• Implants help restore function so you can eat, chew and bite as usual.
• Implants are a natural-looking way to replace missing teeth.

If your dentures are becoming uncomfortable and tiring, we have a fast, efficient and comfortable solution that will give you a second chance at the feeling of a mouth full of stable, permanent teeth.

All-on-4 is a revolutionary and highly advanced new method that allows a full mouth of new teeth to rest with complete, proven stability on only four implants. Here’s what it involves:

1. State-of-the-art technologies such as CT Scanners are used to plot the location of just four implants in your jaw (two in the upper, two in the lower)
2. These implants form a sturdy base for a full arch of dentures to be secured on top of.
3. The dentures will then be permanent. They look and function just like natural teeth.
4. You walk out on the same day with a beautiful, natural, functional smile!

At NHS Dentist, we understand the impact a smile can have. We would never send you out without a complete smile. That’s why, usually, we will fit you with a temporary bridge (which looks identical to your natural teeth and functions just as well) before we add your permanent denture six months later.

We also offer sedation options for nervous patients. Dentistry doesn’t have to be frightening! With modern sedatives, many patients will hardly know they’ve been in surgery.

Life Benefits

• Your perfect smile will enhance your confidence.
• No need to hold back your laughter.
• No need to restrict your choice of foods.

If you have a few or all of your teeth missing, one solution is to have a denture. Here is how it works:

1. A denture is made from hard-wearing material that mimics the look of teeth and gums to give your mouth a natural appearance.
2. After impressions are taken, a denture is designed in a dental laboratory. This process can take up to four weeks and require several visits to your dentist.
3. Dentures are made to fit snugly on your gums and you will be able to remove them for cleaning.

When you wear a denture for the first time it may take some getting used to when speaking or eating and chewing.  It is important that you take extra care when conducting your hygiene regime so that you can avoid bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. The hygienist will be able to show you how to best take care of your denture and gums and will tell you about specialised brushes you can use to do this.

Life Benefits

• A solution to replacing several missing teeth.
• Designed to give you a natural-looking smile.

• Enjoy a natural-looking smile and improved confidence in public.
• Experience less irritation of your gums caused by dentures and you don’t need to take your teeth out at night.
• You can eat, chew and bite without your dentures falling out or having to stick to a soft food diet for the rest of your life.

Have you worn dentures in your upper jaw for years? Did you know that there’s an alternative, more comfortable option?
If you’ve worn dentures for an extended period of time in your upper jaw, the bone will have receded, rendering it difficult to undergo implant treatment and giving your face a sunken appearance. A sinus lift makes use of the contours of your face to provide a second chance at the functionality and reliability of dental implants.

1. Prior to the procedure, a number of tests will be run to ensure the suitability of the sinuses, which may include panoramic radio scans and CT scans.
2. Similarly to a bone graft procedure, there are several options for the new bone material: from the patient, from other tissue sources (human or animal), or synthetic. Dr Manhem will advise which will be best for you.
3. The sinus lift procedure will be performed by the dentist while you are under general anaesthetic.
4. After a period of time, the site will be healed and ready for implants.

A sinus lift is a safe and clinically proven procedure and when completed with expertise and care it will provide the best, most stable base for life changing implant surgery. As with any surgical procedure, at our practice we ensure that you understand all aftercare instructions and we will check back with you regularly to ensure that the healing is going smoothly.

Life Benefits

• A more youthful appearance will give you more confidence.
• A second chance at the comfort and security of dental implants.
• A long-term investment in your health and wellbeing.

Those who have worn dentures for years are likely to have suffered bone loss. This does not mean you are unable to receive dental implants; you can still have successful implant surgery through a clinically proven procedure called bone grafting.

Bone loss is bad news, not only for your teeth, but also for the facial structure. If a tooth is lost and not quickly replaced with a dental implant, over time the bone behind it will recede and give the face a sunken appearance. Bone grafts revitalise and rejuvenate the face while providing the best possible foundation for implant treatment.

1. Bone for a graft is usually taken from your chin or hip in a routine operation procedure, usually in a hospital. Your own tissue is most likely to be successful, but other human or animal sources can be used. In some cases, synthetic material may be the best option.
2. Dr Carl Manhem will insert this bone expertly into your jaw. The reallocated bone will mesh seamlessly into the surrounding tissue over a period of time.
3. Once healed, the implant site will be as strong as natural bone and you’ll be ready for implants.

We know that just like any surgical procedure, a bone graft can be daunting. We are more than happy to talk you through your procedure step by step and work out the best arrangement for you. We’ll always make sure you’re fully aware of every option and comfortable with your informed decisions before moving forward.

Life Benefits

• A more youthful appearance will give you a confidence boost.
• A second chance at the comfort and security of dental implants.
• A long-term investment in your health and wellbeing.