Your smile is one of your most stand out features, and arguably, the most beautiful thing you can ever wear. A smile (like the eyes) is a window to the soul, and here at Cliftonville Dental, we believe everyone deserves to have one they can feel proud of and unafraid of showing off to the world.
The pandemic has brought its challenges when it comes to caring for our teeth. For many people, the lack of routine and morale has resulted in less time spent brushing and caring for their oral health. What’s more, dental practices remained closed and open for emergency treatment only for a large portion of last year.
Whilst dental practices are now able to offer a more comprehensive range of treatment; you may feel like you’ve slipped behind with your smile goals. Over the past 12 months, lots of us have become very familiar with Zoom and Skype calls, and with this can come a level of self-scrutiny about how our teeth appear to others. Sound familiar? If you’re feeling self-conscious about certain imperfections with your smile, here are five treatment options we offer here at our Northampton dental practice. All of which can give you the dose of confidence and wellbeing you’re looking for.
Dental Implants
Many patients who visit us are aware of how missing teeth can progress to impact their ability to chew and speak, but one of the lesser-known consequences of leaving a missing tooth untreated is jawbone loss. When you lose a tooth, the jawbone area below no longer receives the stimulation it needs to remain healthy, and as a result, it begins to shrink away. Each year you have a missing tooth, this shrinkage (or resorption, as we dentists like to call it) progresses by several millimetres.
In cases where someone has neglected to seek treatment to replace missing teeth over a period of years, the jawbone can totally shrink away and become unable to support your facial structures. This can give the face a hollow appearance, resulting in an individual looking much older than their real years.
So, not only can missing teeth leave unsightly gaps in your smile, they can go on to totally alter the way your facial structures look. Dental implants are the best way to replace a missing tooth, especially if you’re concerned about the health of your jawbone. If you’re interested in reading more about this life-changing treatment, take a look at our informative blog on The Complete Guide to Dental Implants.
CEREC Same-day Crowns
Crowns have long been an effective way of repairing a tooth’s crown, as the name suggests. The crown is the part of a tooth that’s visible and covered by tooth enamel. If it’s not possible to fix certain issues with a filling, we may suggest a crown to be the best course of action. A few reasons a crown might be necessary are:
- A tooth is badly decayed and needs support to stay healthy.
- A tooth is badly worn and needs protection to avoid further damage.
- A severely cracked or broken tooth requires support to enable it to hold together.
- To cover a dental implant.
- For cosmetic reasons, such as to improve the shade and shape of a tooth.
At Cliftonville Dental, we offer CEREC same-day crowns, a revolutionary way of designing and creating crowns. Thanks to the integrated CAD/CAM system, we’re able to craft stunning bespoke porcelain crowns that resemble a real tooth in just a single appointment. CEREC is considered the gold standard when it comes to treatment with crowns. We’re one of the few practices to be offering this fantastic treatment in the Northampton area.
Adult Orthodontics
Orthodontic treatment is about more than just how your smile looks. When your teeth are not structurally healthy, this can have a negative impact on tooth function and oral hygiene, potentially costing you financially, emotionally and physically in the long term.
Malocclusion (the medical name for poorly aligned teeth) can make teeth a challenge to brush and floss, opening you up to a greater risk of decay and cavities, as well as discolouration. Rejuvenate your smile by improving the way your teeth sit in your mouth with adult orthodontics at Cliftonville Dental. Take a look at some of our patient testimonials to learn about the different brace options and how they could benefit you.
White Fillings
Fillings have been around for many years and are an effective way of treating decay and protecting a tooth from damage. But did you know that today, there is a more aesthetic type of filling on offer? Composite fillings (also known as white fillings) are a cosmetically up-to-date version of their amalgam (silver) counterparts, blending in with your smile and offering a significantly more discreet result.
The benefits of white fillings don’t stop at their cosmetic appeal. Possessing restorative qualities, they’re often used for reshaping and rebuilding broken and worn teeth. Meanwhile, we’re also able to use them to cover areas of discolouration that can’t be addressed through teeth whitening treatment and polishing. You’ll find that white fillings are less sensitive to hot and cold food and drink and don’t contract in reaction to temperature changes in the same way silver fillings do.
Teeth Whitening
Over the lockdown period, getting creative with and enjoying food has kept many of us going. It’s common knowledge that sugary foods can cause a spike in our mood and happiness, only to bring us crashing down again and craving more of the same. During what has been a very tough time, perhaps you’ve been turning to these kinds of food to lift your spirits. Aside from being bad for your waistline, high sugar foods are no friend to your teeth. If you feel your teeth have become dull and discoloured, consider professional teeth whitening to breathe life into your smile. Whilst we’re not currently offering this treatment, we will be reintroducing it as an option for patients once lockdown has eased.
If you’ve spotted a dental issue that’s concerning you during lockdown or you’re due to visit us for a routine appointment, please contact our Northampton dental practice.