The television programme Dispatches has just aired an undercover investigation into NHS dentistry. This has highlighted a number of issues with NHS dentistry and the treatment available. For patients, it can be extremely confusing what treatment they are receiving and the overall quality.

At Progressive Dentistry, there are no such issues. We are a totally private dental practice committed to excellence in dental care. We believe that the level of dental care we offer is second to none. We understand that finance is a major concern for most patients. Our fee levels reflect the quality of service available.

Not only this, but you can be assured that the treatment is delivery by an expert team led by our Principal dentist Dr Nissit Patel. The materials that are used are of the highest order. All of our products are CE marked and have tested to rigorous standards.

We do not use 'cheap' materials which also reflects in our fee structure. The dental laboratories that we use for our crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, veneers, implants and dentures are some of the finest in the UK. Please ask us for our list of preferred dental laboratories.

Another issue highlighted by the programme, was the service available to children. On our children's membership plan, we include examinations, hygiene treatment, fissure sealants on all molar teeth and preventative treatment with fluoride.

Children's membership starts from only £5 per month. We have an extremely strong emphasis on prevention of dental disease which always starts with the health of the gums. This is essential for overall dental health and you can be assured that any gum disease is identified, treated and stabilised. Gum disease is a constant battle and must be kept at bay for life. The best way to ensure prevention of disease is to join our membership plan.

The adult plan is only £24 per month and includes 2 examinations, up to 4 hygiene visits, 20% off all dental treatment fees and much, much more.

If you have any questions regarding dental health for you or your children, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The latest version of Invisalign is now available. There are significant benefits of the latest version with greater applicability, predictability and usability. The great advantage of Invisalign braces are that they are removable. 

Therefore they will not have an impact on oral hygiene, which is crucial when undergoing orthodontic treatment but also in everyday life. They can also be removed for social occasions and work related activities for example. If you have thought about Invisalign braces in the past, there is no better time to join over 1.8million people worldwide and straighten your teeth with this fantastic system. 

If you have any questions on Invisalign braces, please contact Paula our Practice Manager at our Fulham dental practice on 020 7731 1162 . She is currently undergoing treatment with Invisalign and has experienced some fantastic results.

The event of the year is taking place today, the Royal wedding of Catherine and William. What you may not have realised over the past few months is that Catherine has been wearing lingual braces to straighten her teeth the totally invisible way. Lingual braces are fitted on the inside of the teeth and this means that they are the only purely invisible brace. The brackets have a special low profile so that they are comfortable and easy to wear. The added advantage of a fixed lingual brace is that you have peace of mind that the specially designed brace is constantly working. We undertake a full range of cosmetic lingual braces to create a new smile, form very simple alignment to more advanced corrections. Our specialist laboratory, Wired orthodontics, are experts in the field and provide a diagnostic set up model to show you the final anticipated results. This enable us to plan your case carefully to achieve the best results possible. A case below demonstrates a social 6 brace in action. The results can be seen very quickly.
 

Continuing on from our series of case studies, the next case involves dental implants to replace a full upper set of teeth. Dental implants are the gold standard in replacing missing teeth. They can be used to replace single, multiple or all missing teeth. A common misconception about dental implants is that it is a very invasive and traumatic procedure. With modern techniques and planning, the procedure can be done with minimal trauma. In fact a patient recently mentioned that he did not feel a thing during or after the procedure! We believe that removing a tooth is far more invasive that replacing it with a dental implant.

The case in question required replacement of nearly of all the upper teeth. There were some badly decayed teeth present and these were removed first. A new denture was then made which provided function and aesthetics that the patient was happy with. After careful planning using CT scans and virtual planning software, 6 Astra dental implants were placed. On top of these very secure implants, a fixed bridge was placed using the Astra Cresco Bridge system. This is a non removable bridge which provides excellent chewing ability and aesthetics. 

After years of having a constantly sore mouth, loose dentures and gum disease our patient regained his confidence and smile with a new set of dental implant retained teeth. The photographs underneath highlight the dramatic change:
 

Invisalign treatment is about to improve! Tomorrow at the London Bridge Hilton Hotel, Invisalign will launch their new G3 software which will offer superior treatment options to Invisalign trained dentists and orthodontists. Our Principal Dentist and Prosthodontist Dr Nissit Patel will attend the launch and be able to offer the new Invisalign treatment regime as early a next week. Please contact us if you wish to learn about Invisalign treatment or cosmetic orthodontics in general.

We believe in creating beautiful smiles with non invasive measure whenever possible. Due to the advances in modern technology, achieving straight teeth quickly and comfortably is now a real possibility. In fact, many celebrities that you see on screen everyday are having cosmetic orthodontics. Did you know that Kate Middleton is completing a course of lingual braces, the truly invisible brace, just in time for the royal wedding?! There are many options to choose from and we will guide you to the most suitable ones.

One such example is Invisalign. This is a highly innovative system which is fully digital and uses clear plastic aligners which slowly guide the teeth into position. A highly sophisticated computer generated programme called 'Clincheck' will also show you the final anticipated result in a video format, unlike any other orthodontic system.

The advantages of Invisalign braces is that the aligners are removable which means that oral hygiene is easy to maintain. They are also virtually invisible to the human eye. Paula, our Practice Manager is currently mid way through treatment so feel free to ask her any questions you may have on Invisalign. Invisalign are changing their logo and branding soon. In line with this, we will soon be offering an unrivalled Invisalign Full Package. 

Watch this space for more details!

Our next case involved two front teeth which had two crowns. The patient was unhappy with the colour, shape and overall appearance of them. The main request was to provide a natural replacement. Front teeth are the first point of eye contact and as such extremely important in cosmetic dentistry. A number of factors must be assessed before treatment can begin and this starts with thorough planning. Initially, study models were prescribed and a diagnostic wax up. This is to enable the patient to see the anticipated final shape and contour of the crowns and compare them with the current situation. The wax up will also be used as the template for the final crowns and for the temporary crowns. The following photographs show how we dramatically improved the situation with cosmetic dentistry.
 

We are running a series of case studies to demonstrate the treatments and outcomes that have been achieved at Progressive Dentistry. Our first case was a long and complicated case involving failing crowns and bridges, which required a full upper arch rehabilitation. Initially the gum disease was treated by our Dental Hygienist and Therapist, Jenny Wiggins. This was done over a number of sessions with superb results. After all the failing crowns and bridges were removed, the patient wore a set of temporary teeth to allow the gums to heal and ensure that they could get used to the new design and bite. This was left for a period of 3 months. After full healing and adaptation, the temporary crowns and bridges were removed and a new set could be made. The difference in the gums and overall oral health was outstanding. The overall result was natural, aesthetic and met all of the patient requirements. 

Please view the series of photographs below:
 

We are delighted to announce that Dr Nissit Patel received the prestigious title of Best Young Dentist in London 2010 at the Dentistry Awards, which were held on Friday 10th December. There was further cause for celebration as we also won the category for Best New Website. It is a great privilege to be awarded these titles and we are very grateful to the judging panel for their kind words and acknowledgements. We aim to improve our services to our patients next year and strive to provide the very best patient care possible.

We have some exciting new advances to announce in 2011, so watch this space!