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Thankfully January is over! Longer days are on the horizon and Spring time not too far away. Our case of the month for January involved quite a complex one to replace a missing front tooth using a dental implant. Unfortunately, our patient had an accident causing severe trauma to his front tooth. The tooth could not be saved and required removal. This is a nightmare scenario for most of us but thankfully we have the technology and options available to replace the tooth with a long term solution- a dental implant. In the past, we the option of a bridge was the main method of replacing teeth. This is where the adjacent teeth are cut down to size to literally 'bridge' the gap. However, this is extremely destructive and removes almost all of the supporting structures of the tooth which will almost certainly lead to issues in the future. Of course, there is also the option of a removable partial denture! Realistically, this is not a long term option especially for a young adult.
 

Our case of the month for December was a stunning one involving the replacement of old porcelain veneers and a dental implant crown for a front tooth.
 

Our case of the month for November 2021 was a classic tooth bonding case involving severe tooth wear. Tooth wear is an increasing problem with grinding at night becoming an ever increasing problem coupled with acid in the diet. The combination of these two factors can lead to the softening and dissolving enamel leading to thin edges, chipping, fractures and exposure of the underlying dentine which can be very sensitive. 

The beauty of cosmetic bonding is that we can treat the wear, protect the teeth and improve the aesthetics in one visit. We do not need to cut the teeth down at all, there is no need for any needle, the procedure is pain free and easy to maintain.
 

It's the 21st of December and officially the shortest day of the year! Brighter days ahead.

This year, we will close at 12pm 23rd December for our Christmas break. Emergency appointments will be available on 29th December from 0900-1200. Please e mail us or call on the day for an appointment. If you need advice whilst we are closed, please also send an e mail, leave a WhatsApp on 07508 663942 or leave a message with our offsite reception who are available 24/7. Once this message has been received, one of our dentists will be informed and they will get back to you as soon as possible, even on Christmas Day! 

We resume normal opening times from 4th January.

Have a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
 

There are a number of areas to check for mouth cancer. The Mouth Cancer Foundation has provided a superb self check kit which we have provided below. This will take 2 minutes and could be crucial in spotting early signs of mouth cancer. If in doubt, please book an appointment with your dentist.

FACE
 

Look at the whole face. Are there any swellings you haven’t noticed before? Inspect your skin. Has anything changed recently? Have moles become larger or started to itch or bleed? Turn your head from side to side. This stretches the skin over the muscles making lumps easier to see.

NECK
 

Run the fingers under your jaw and feel along the large muscle either side of neck using the balls of your fingers. Are there any swellings? Does everything feel the same on both sides?

LIPS
 

Using your index, middle fingers and thumb to feel the inside of your mouth. Pull your upper lip upwards and bottom lip downwards to look inside for any sores or changes in colour. Use your thumb and forefinger to feel around and inside your lips checking for any lumps, bumps or changes in texture.

GUMS
 

Use your thumb and forefinger on the inside and outside of the gum working your way around the gum to feel for anything unusual.

CHECK YOUR CHEEKS
 

Open your mouth and pull your cheeks away, one side at a time, with your finger to look inside. Look for any red or white patches. Use your finger in the cheek to check for ulcers, lumps or tenderness. Repeat on the other side. Your tongue can be helpful to locate sore areas, ulcers or rough patches.

TONGUE
 

Gently pull out your tongue and look at one side first and then the other. Look for any swelling, ulcer or change in colour. Examine the underside of your tongue by lifting the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth.

FLOOR OF MOUTH
 

Lift your tongue up and look underneath then look at the floor of your mouth for any colour changes that are unusual. Gently press your finger along the floor of your mouth and underside your tongue to feel for any lumps, swellings or ulcers.

ROOF OF MOUTH
 

Tilt back your head and open your mouth wide to check the roof of your mouth. Look to see if there are changes in colour or ulcers. Check for changes in texture with your finger.

Make a note of anything unusual. If you have recently had a cold, sore throat, ulcer or swollen glands, bitten or scolded yourself for example, these should heal within 3 weeks. If you have any concerns visit your dentist or doctor to see if you need specialist advice.

Our case of the month for October 2021 was a simple yet effective one involving three of our favourite techniques: Invisalign, tooth whitening and cosmetic bonding.

Crowding of teeth is so common, we would probably say the majority of the population suffer some form of mis alignment of some sort. Luckily, modern day treatments mean that teeth straightening is actually a simply and pain free process. In our case, we used Invisalign Lite which is the 'middle of the road' version which typically takes less than 6 months. We have access to 14 initial aligners and then 2 sets of additional sets of up to 14 each for fine tuning.

Once this was complete, tooth whitening was done at home using our favoured Zoom gel followed by some expert cosmetic bonding. All treatment was carried out by Dr Nissit Patel. Please take a look at the before and after photos. Quite a transformation!
 

We don’t know what causes most mouth cancers. However, there are several factors that are likely to increase your risk.

Up to 90% of all mouth cancers are linked to lifestyle factors.

This means that with a few small changes, you can help cut your chances of developing mouth cancer.

If you do not stop or reduce the things that might put you at greater risk, it is important that you self check at home and regularly visit your dentist.

The below causes are linked to mouth cancer.
 

Our case of the month for September 2021 was a simply stunning one using ultra minimally invasive E max veneers. Our client disliked her front teeth composite bonding which had discoloured, worn and chipped over time. Although teeth bonding is a superb treatment, there are disadvantages compared to porcelain such as those mentioned above. Porcelain will not stain or change colour and it is far more durable than composite. However, in the past, porcelain needed considerable preparation to create space for the material which was a huge disadvantage. Today, material technology and modern techniques allow us to create beautiful veneers without having to cut teeth.

Our case highlights this, just take a look:
 

Our case of the month for August 2021 was a straight forward one but effective. In many cases, we get asked to correct one or two teeth which really bothers our patient. Most of the time, this is perfectly feasible using modern day cosmetic dental techniques such as lingual braces and cosmetic bonding. 

For our case, one tooth had slipped behind the others and was in cross bite with the lower teeth. This is where the upper tooth actually sits on the inside surface of the lower tooth when closed. This is not desirable aesthetically nor functionally. One tooth in cross bite will often wear at a greater rate and can interfere with the bite. 

To keep things really simple, we used a Social 6 lingual brace to correct the tooth and place it back to the normal position. As mentioned above, due to wear, it was much shorter than the adjacent teeth. However, with some snazzy cosmetic bonding using our own techniques and polishing methods, we had a life like tooth back again which looked as good as new.