To answer this question, we really need to differentiate the two treatments as they are two different treatment entirely. 

Composite bonding is an additive process. In simple terms, we carefully sculpt composite resin over the teeth in question. This can be used to treat chipped, fractured, uneven and gappy teeth. Composite can also be used to replace old fillings on front ( or back) teeth. The great advantage of bonding includes:

1. Treatment is completed in one visit; an instant smile transformation!
2. Minimally invasive. There is little, if any, drilling of the underlying teeth needed.
3. Biologically safe for the teeth and gums. There is no risk of damage to the nerve.
4. Composite can be easily maintained.
5. More affordable than porcelain veneers or ceramic crowns.
6. Composite will protect the underlying teeth from further wear and tear.
 

One of our favourite treatments for cosmetic teeth straightening is the Social 6 lingual brace. This brace is the truly invisible brace as it is placed on the inside of the teeth. Even though lingual braces have been around for many decades, there is little awareness of the system as the treatment in the past has been kept within the realm of specialist orthodontists and the costs have been incredibly high compared to conventional braces. Now for complex cases, lingual brace treatment is an extremely difficult and technically demanding one for dentists and patients and the costs, quite rightly, relate to this. However, for more simple cosmetic alignment, the Social 6 lingual brace is a great option for simple, quick and affordable treatment.
 

We celebrated our 15th birthday in style on the 6th December with a packed reception enjoying glasses of English Fizz from Kingscote, Denbies and Balfour winerys and food from Papa Ciccia's in Fulham. It was so nice to see patients who have been with us from the very beginning, new clients and new businesses from Fulham High Street attending.

Our charity raffle was a great success with the winners of some great prizes announced including ZOOM in surgery whitening, take home tooth whitening kits, Oral B electric toothbrushes, a Christmas hamper donated by our neighbour Dr Espresso, a case of High Water hard seltzer donated by the owner and one of our patients, Waterpik air floss units, bottles of English Sparkling wine and beer from Exeter Brewery! Phew, what a list. We managed to raise over £3000 for Alzheimer's Society, a brilliant team effort for a wonderful cause. 

What a journey it has been. Here's to another 15 years, cheers!
 

Dental crowns are one of the best ways to protect badly damaged teeth. In most cases, crowns are needed on back teeth that may have needed a root canal treatment. For front teeth, the most common reason for the need of a crown is due to trauma . This could be from a childhood playground accident or a sports injury for example. Ouch!

If a front tooth crown was placed many years ago, over time there will have been changes in the mouth including the level of the gums and the shape and colour of the teeth. This often why there is a 'black' line around old crowns where the gum has receded and the underlying root becomes visible. Older crowns will have been made with a metal base, called a metal ceramic crown and the metal can also show as the tissues change.
 

November 2024 marks 15 years since Dr Nissit Patel took over the dental practice on Fulham High Street and what a journey it has been. To celebrate, we are holding a practice reception on 6th December from 1700-1900. Come and join us for drinks, nibbles and pick up a free goody bag! 

We will be holding two charity raffles with 100% of the proceeds going to Alzhemeir's Society. The prizes for raffle 1 include:

ZOOM tooth whitneing in surgery

Take home whitening kits

Oral B Pro 3 electric toothbrushes

Waterpik Ultra Plus corded and cordless water flossers

A case of High Water hard seltzer dontated by the founder Nick Britton

A case of Exeter brewery organic lager

A Trio of English wines

Christmas hamper from Dr Espresso next door to us

Raffle 2 is for tickets for Fulham Vs Arsenal on 8th December with seats on the new Riverside stand. What a game that promises to be! 

In addition, we will be holding a children's toothbrushing clinic at 1730 with special goody bags for the little ones. 

We would love to see you then!
 

Teeth straightening is one of the most common cosmetic dental treatments we undertake at the practice. There are huge benefits to having fully aligned teeth. Of course there are the aesthetic improvements which will enhance your smile but also the health benefits from being able to clean your teeth better and improvements in the bite. There are many options available and often, the decision lies between Invisalign and fixed braces. However, which one is best?

In reality, there is no one technique that we would consider the best one. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each option below.
 

One of the most topical subjects at the moment is the debate between composite and porcelain for dental restorations. In terms of cosmetic dentistry, this equates to the use of composite veneers and porcelain veneers. It is important to note that composite veneers can either be made by a laboratory or placed free hand by the dentist in the chair. Porcelain veneers can only be made by a dental laboratory or within a dental practice that has the necessary technology such as computer aided design and a milling machine, otherwise know as CAD-CAM.
 

Our case of the month for July involves a treatment to whiten a discoloured lower front tooth. We will often come across darker teeth when they have undergone a root canal treatment due to the loss of the nerve and blood supply. Often the degradation of blood products from the pulp tissue within the dentinal tubules cause the tooth dentine to be gradually discolour and give that inherent grey/ dark appearance. This can be quite unsightly especially on a front tooth. For back teeth, in almost every case, we will need to place a crown once a tooth has been root filled to maintain function. This will also improve the colour as the ceramic cover the dark dentine. However, for front teeth, crowns are not always needed as the access for the treatment is on the inside of the tooth and when done under microscope, can be extremely minimal. So how do we whiten the tooth?
 

One of our favourite cosmetic orthodontic treatments is the Social 6 lingual brace. This is a superb treatment to straighten the front teeth in a matter of weeks. In our experience, most treatments are just 3-4 months. With our 15 years experience with lingual braces, we have the know how to treat almost every imaginable case out there.