Dental Blog - Crofts Dental Practice

Your teeth can go on for longer

Dentistry in the 21^st century is all about helping you to hang onto your teeth for life. For most of us that means our adult teeth are going to see at least 50 years of service.

We use our teeth every day and over time they do start to wear out. Plus there are certain things that can happen to them that could finish them off altogether, but we can extend their life with crowns. Here at Crofts Dental Practice in Essex, dental crowns are a versatile treatment that is used in several different ways.

What is a crown?

A crown is a porcelain cover for your tooth. It fits down over the entire tooth, covering it completely right down to the gum. Crowns are custom-made to blend in with your other teeth, and no one but you will know they are not your natural teeth.

Abscesses

If you get an infection inside your tooth, it will probably show up first as incredible pain and an abscess under the gum. The way we treat an infected tooth is to clean out the infected pulp, which is the softest part of the inner tooth, right down into the root. We then fill the root and cover it with a crown so that you can continue to use it to eat with.

Crowns to cover up ugly fillings

If your tooth is mostly filling, the filling material can show through the enamel and make your tooth an unattractive colour. When a tooth gets to this stage, it may not be very strong either. We can cover the tooth over so that it looks good again and also to extend its chewing life.

Crowns for buttresses

If you have lost a tooth or two, we may recommend that you replace them with a bridge. This is one or more teeth suspended on a metal framework and anchored at either end by a healthy tooth covered in a crown. The healthy teeth have to be ground down to receive the crowns.

Dental porcelain does not respond to whitening so if you also want your teeth whitened, get that done first and then get the crown to match your whiter teeth.

The importance of children’s dentistry

Thinking that you don’t need to worry about your children’s teeth until their adult ones come through? Then think again. Read these government statistics on decay in children’s teeth to find out why:

25% of children aged 5 have tooth decay, often in three or four teeth;
Almost 8,000 children aged six and under have had to have teeth extracted in hospital;
In 2012-13, tooth decay was the most common reason for children going into hospital;
In 2014-15, 63,000 children aged up to 19 went into hospital for tooth extractions.

Children's Dentistry in Essex While the decay issue is worse in the North, in 2015, 20% of five-year-olds in the South East had tooth decay.

Not even going into how much money this costs the NHS, let’s look at what tooth decay means for your children.

Teeth problems for life

Decay doesn’t sit still, it moves through the tooth and it can jump from tooth to tooth too. It can jump sideways to neighbouring teeth, but it can also get into the adult teeth that are sitting behind decaying milk teeth, waiting to come through. Not taking children’s dentistry seriously can give children dental problems for life.

Teach them how to brush

Children get more decay than adults because there is a lot more sugar in their diets: snacks, juices (acid and sugar is a sure-fire decay-causing combination) and sweets. They also have not yet mastered the skills and habits to make them diligent brushers. Brushing the back teeth well is hard to master, as is standing still at a sink for two minutes twice a day. Boring! Even for adults.

The hygienist at Crofts Dental Practice in Essex can make tooth brushing education fun.

Treatments to keep teeth safe

We can help protect your children’s teeth against decay with fluoride treatments to mineralise the teeth. We can also paint fissure sealants onto the chewing surfaces of the back teeth to provide a barrier against the acids that cause decay.

What you can do

Start bringing your children in to see us as young as possible and teach them that visiting the dentist is a positive experience, to help them create lifelong good habits for their teeth.

Beyond the mortification

Although dentures are so much more realistic looking than they used to be, denture wearers are often very self-conscious about them. They limit what you can eat in many cases, with foods getting under the plate, which has to then be washed, and they don’t have anything like the chewing power of natural teeth.

Dentures in Essex All that can be coped with, as can having to soak them overnight in a pot. But, when they start to misbehave, sliding around in the mouth, lifting up when you yawn, coming right out if you suddenly sneeze, then it’s no longer simply a bit embarrassing, it can be absolutely mortifying. Dental adhesives are meant to hold loose dentures in place, but it can be messy fiddling around with glue, and it doesn’t always last long. The trouble is that without something in the jawbone to stimulate cell renewal, the bones shrink away and so do the gums. This is why you can end up having to have your denture relined so often.

But what can you do? Well, you can get loose dentures stabilised with dental implants. At Crofts Dental Practice in Essex, loose dentures can be such a drain on our patients, and we all love the transformation in their enjoyment of life when they decided to get their dentures stabilised with dental implants.

We insert 2–4 dental implants into your jawbone and attach special fittings to them that your dentures go onto.

We can even customise your current dentures to have the right fittings to be attached to the implants, so there is no need to invest in new ones, unless you want to.

You still use your dentures in the same way, taking them out to clean them and to rest your gums at night, but during the day, you will be amazed at how much better they perform. Once again, you will be able to eat foods that may have been off the menu for years, and you will be able to chat and laugh without one part of you always on alert for the wobble. What a relief!

What are you waiting for when it comes to teeth straightening?

At Crofts Dental Practice, part of our job is to make treatments like orthodontics in Essex accessible to as many people as possible. Sometimes this means removing the mental barriers that people have placed between themselves and the procedure that they want.

Many misconceptions surround teeth straightening treatments. This is because methods of realignment have developed a lot in the past few decades but people’s ideas around the possibilities have not yet completely caught up. A visit to Crofts Dental Practice can help you to see how well your teeth straightening can integrate into your life. Some of the common issues that we deal with are addressed below but, for specific guidance, you can contact us at the practice.

A minor adjustment

For some people, the barrier to a realignment is that they think their issue is too small even though it’s still significant enough to bother them. They don’t want to be subject to fixed treatment for their issue. If this is you, you might be able to benefit from treatment with the Inman Aligner. This is a low-profile, removeable method that just gives the teeth a small nudge in the right direction to get them all lined up properly.

Impressions matter

For some people, the impression they make is key to their professional or personal life. They don’t want to disrupt their look with braces, but they also know that straighter teeth would improve their appearance in the long-term. For these people, Invisalign might be an option that they can take advantage of. As the aligners used in this method are completely clear and fit close to the teeth, they are practically invisible.

Short on time

The idea that all teeth straightening treatments must take a long time to complete is no longer a valid one. Methods like Six Month Smiles can offer you the results you want in roughly 24 weeks. Sometimes it takes a bit longer or it can take a little less time, but this is the average among patients who choose this method. If you are eligible for this kind of treatment, you could use it to get your smile ready for a special occasion or holiday.

Restoring your teeth with Crofts Dental Practice

Having a perfect smile can seem like a lofty goal if you know you have problems with your teeth. However, with all the options your can choose from at Crofts Dental Practice, you are likely to find the one that can restore your teeth and leave you with a sparkly smile. This can be a great boost for your confidence and give you a new lease of life as far as your teeth are concerned.

Veneers in Essex At Crofts Dental Practice, we know that one of the goals of restorative procedures is a repair that blends in seamlessly with the other teeth. Whether you choose composite bonding, a crown or veneers for your restoration work, we match the material to the shade of your other teeth. If you are having a full set of veneers, you can choose to have a brighter shade than you natural one to give you a movie-star smile.

When we have examined your teeth, we can recommend the restoration method that closely meets your needs. Each type has its strengths and weakness when it comes to different issues. We ensure you know all of these when we make our recommendation so that you can make the best decision for yourself with our support.

Composite bonding

Bonding is a great way to repair cracks and holes that affect the cosmetic appearance of your smile. Bonding is highly adaptable and tends to be a better option budget-wise than your other choices. This is a non-invasive treatment that can often be completed in a single visit. It does not require special fitting as the resin is shaped in-situ.

Crowns

Crowns are used to cover larger holes in teeth. They are used to cover the whole tooth and are very durable. Crowns are typically used when the area where the repair is required is often subject to heavy usage.

Veneers

The great thing about veneers in Essex is that each one can cover the whole front of a tooth thus masking any chips or cracks. You can have multiple veneers applied to adjacent teeth to create a uniform appearance to the smile. They are ultra-thin and easy to apply is just a couple of appointments.

How we support your Six Month Smiles journey

When you are approaching a teeth straightening treatment, it’s important that you have all the information you need to prepare you for the journey ahead. Even with swift, modern methods of aligning the teeth, you are still going to have a treatment time of a few months or more. This means that you need to be able to integrate your treatment into your life. At Crofts Dental Practice, we provide plenty of support to help you do that.

Six Month Smiles in Essex When you enter the Six Month Smiles teeth straightening programme through our clinic, you will go through the following steps:

Consultation – this is where we work together to gather all the information required to give you the results you want. You need to let us know what your expectations are and we will gather data about you and your oral conditions to help meet them. We send your information off to Six Month Smiles who return a custom-made set of braces for you to wear;
Fitting – Six Month Smiles in Essex are fixed to your teeth for the duration of your treatment. We apply brackets to your teeth in the positions indicated by your treatment plan. We then thread a wire through these and keep it in place with elastics. With Six Month Smiles, all this equipment is clear or tooth-coloured so that it blends in with your teeth;
Monitoring your progress – during your treatment, you will visit us approximately every six weeks so that we can keep an eye on your teeth and braces. We will make adjustments where necessary and ensure that you are happy and comfortable;
Support and guidance – before you leave with your new braces, we give you detailed instructions on what you should experience at home and how you can care for your teeth and equipment. We are also on hand if you need support between appointments;
Removal and aftercare – your braces are removed at the end of your treatment. Your teeth should not be unduly affected but you might benefit from a clean and polish at this point. You will then need to wear a retainer as you do after all teeth straightening treatments.

Four dental implant facts to get you started

Getting an extensive treatment like dental implants in Essex can be a big step for some people. You may feel a bit excited about the prospect of getting new teeth but also a little nervous about the procedure. At Crofts Dental Practice, we like to break things down for our patients in a way that makes the information flow manageable, non-technical and accessible to everyone. We can tailor the way we offer you the facts so that you feel comfortable going ahead and making decisions about your treatment.

Dental Implants in Essex We share some of these facts with patients when they come to see us for dental implants because they highlight the benefits and offer some technical information to support your understanding of the treatment:

Dental implants are usually made from titanium – a complete dental implant consist of a prosthetic tooth, an abutment and a shaped metal post that sits in the jawbone. The latter is typically made from titanium because this metal has been shown to have unusual properties that allow it to integrate with the bone. This quality was discovered in 1941 by scientists called Bothe, Beaton and Davenport and later exploited to develop dental implants;
Dental implants can support more than one tooth – depending on the location of your missing teeth, you may only need a single implant to support multiple replacements. Teeth can be mounted on a bridge or denture which is then affixed to the implant. Some people have an entire set of teeth supported on just a few implants;
Dental implants do not stain or decay in the same way as natural teeth – this is great for the appearance of your smile but it does not mean you can be lax about dental hygiene! Dental implants rely on the surrounding gums and jawbone. If they are damaged or infected in any way, it can compromise the integrity of your dental implants;
Dental implants are quick to fit – the actual process of fitting implants is quicker than many people think. You can be in and out of our clinic in just a few hours. We talk to you about how long the healing process takes during your initial consultations with us.

It’s a funny thing, smoking

If you have never been a smoker, you must wonder why it is so very hard to stop. All you can see is money going up in smoke, grey faces, yellow fingers and that overwhelmingly noxious smell of fag smoke. If you have been, or are, a smoker, you know that no amount of disgust registered on the faces of the saintly non-smokers around you is going to make you stop.

Smoking Cessation in Essex Maybe you have tried time again to give up tobacco, but each time you have a crisis, you run to the garage for another pack of cigarettes or rolling tobacco. And, everything is a crisis when you first stop smoking.

It can be a whole lot easier to stop the evil weed if you have someone on your side to talk to, offer advice on coping mechanisms for those early days and cheer you on when the going gets tough.

Here at Crofts Dental Practice in Essex, we get to see plenty of mouths and what smoking does to them. We see the shrinking gums, stained teeth, and hairy tongue. We treat the gum disease and infections that are exacerbated by the fact that smoking stops oxygen getting to the gums. We hear about how our patients can’t taste or smell things like they used to. And we upset people when we tell them they can’t have dental implants because smoking has caused jawbone loss.

Can we help you?

Did you know we offer support for smoking cessation in Essex here at Crofts Dental Practice? We can give you information on the best ways to stop smoking and how to get hold of products that can help you quit. We can also offer you something that will make it much easier for you to stop smoking: support.

We understand that it’s highly unlikely that you will manage to stop the first time you give up. It usually takes about four attempts to quit, but some people have to try over and over again before they finally manage it. After all, if you are used to dealing with life with a ciggie in your hand, getting through the ups and downs without one is going to take practice.

Rolling back the years

Time was when reaching the age of 40 was quite an achievement. Then in more recent times, 40 was seen as the start of middle age and you were most definitely over the hill. Now, 40 is nothing at all and 50 is the new 30. Better nutrition and exercise is keeping everyone much more fit and able, so it’s important to have faces that keep in step with the rest of our wonderfully toned, supple bodies.

Facial Aesthetics in Essex One way to do this is with facial aesthetics, which we offer here at Crofts Dental Practice in Essex. Dentists are the perfect practitioners to deliver treatments that affect the face because we spend years and years training in working with the skin, blood vessels, nerves and muscles of the face so we can be effective dentists. Expanding this knowledge to encompass the delivery of facial aesthetics in Essex is a natural progression. We have spent years using needles to deliver anaesthetics, and now we use that experience to deliver just the right amount of Botox or dermal fillers in just the right places in your face to give you a naturally youthful look.

Botox and dermal fillers do two different jobs and can be used either separately or in combination.

Botox

Botox smooths out some fine lines and wrinkles by temporarily paralysing the muscles that have contracted to cause them. It works really well on particular wrinkles that are caused by us habitually holding certain facial expressions, such as frown and worry lines, crow’s feet and even smoker’s lines around the lips. You receive a series of carefully placed injections of Botox, which gradually takes effect over the next few days. You will still be able to make facial expressions. Botox lasts about four months.

Dermal fillers

Dermal fillers are injections of synthetic hyaluronic acid, which the body naturally produces and which works to lock in moisture. We inject it into folds and hollows to plump them out. Dermal fillers work really well on naso-labial folds and smokers lines and are also great for plumping out lips that have flattened with age or were naturally thin to start with.

Straighten your teeth and still look smart

If you are an adult who needs teeth straightening, but do not want to ruin your professional appearance, then invisible braces may be the right option for you. Unlike metal braces, which are highly visible, invisible braces are specifically made for adults, who care for their appearance for professional or other reasons.

At Crofts Dental Practice, we offer invisible braces for adults, namely Invisalign, lingual braces and Six Month Smiles. With invisible braces, you can be safe in the knowledge that most people won’t even know you are wearing braces.

Invisalign

Invisalign is an innovative teeth straightening treatment, consisting of a series of custom-made, transparent, removable aligners. Invisalign aligners are created with the help of 3D technology, allowing your dentist to plan your treatment from the beginning. Each aligner is individually manufactured with precise calculations to gradually move your teeth into place. More importantly, you can remove the aligners to eat or brush your teeth, so your teeth stay healthy while they are undergoing treatment.

Lingual braces

Lingual braces are hidden on the inside of the teeth and are uniquely customised to match the shape of your teeth. The greatest benefit of lingual braces is that – even though they are metal braces – they are completely hidden behind the teeth and so are practically invisible. There is no need to remove them before you eat, as you would do with Invisalign. Moreover, lingual braces can treat a wide variety of dental issues, including severely misaligned, crooked and rotated teeth.

Six Month Smiles

Six Month Smiles is a treatment for patients, who are self-conscious about their crooked front teeth. Six Month Smiles combines the best aspects of traditional braces with the increased comfort and aesthetics of cosmetic dentistry. This treatment uses clear brackets and tooth-coloured wires to gently move your teeth into their proper position. Patients who do not need corrections made to their bite, but want straighter teeth, may find that Six Month Smiles is the most suitable treatment for their needs.

Get in touch

Want to learn more about invisible braces in Essex? Gives us a call and we will schedule a consultation appointment for you.