Dental Blog - Farnham Road Dental Practice

Understanding when to access treatments for emergencies & dental pain Guilford

When tooth pain strikes, it can make our entire lives feel miserable as it is widely recognised as one of the worst types of persistent pain we can experience. It may also interfere with other aspects of our lives by making the simple tasks of eating and drinking difficult and may contribute to a lack of sleep.

In many cases, tooth pain can be a warning sign of a far bigger issue occurring within the mouth. For this reason, we recommended that you immediately seek the advice of our dentist at Farnham Road Dental Practice, who focuses on emergencies & dental pain Guildford. Receiving treatment early may be key when dealing with any issue causing you tooth pain.

It is also important for you to understand when you need to access the services designed to treat emergencies & dental pain Guildford as there are different situations where these treatments are required.

A brief outline of emergency dental situations

If you suffer from severe pain in your mouth, you should not ignore it because this often indicates a larger problem being present. You should contact our dentist to seek professional advice and receive treatment if necessary.

If you find you have some heavy bleeding from your mouth, you must contact our dentist straight away so that we can investigate. Do not panic, there are many reasons why the mouth would bleed and not all of them are warning signs of larger issues. However, it is always best to have our dentist examine the teeth, gums, and mouth if bleeding occurs.

Should you find that a tooth has fallen out of your mouth, you should contact us as soon as possible. Early action in these cases may allow our dentist to reinsert the tooth into position. If possible, save and protect the tooth by placing it in a sealed container with salt water or milk, and remember to bring the tooth to your dental appointment with us for it to be examined and assessed.

If you find that you have some unexplained swelling around your mouth, you will need to seek medical advice. While your first instinct might be to call your doctor’s surgery, they may recommend that you contact an emergency dental service such as ours. Swelling around the mouth is often an early warning sign of an infection or abscess in the affected area, and early treatment with medication is vital in these cases and can make all the difference when it comes to the development of larger issues.

Finally, if you have been involved in an accident where your jaw and teeth have been damaged, then it is best to let our dentist examine them. In most cases, this may just be a precaution; however, there are cases, such as a broken jaw, where our dentist’s help and advice may prove vital.

Our hope

Our hope is you will never find yourself requiring emergencies & dental pain Guildford services, but, unfortunately, life happens. Hopefully, this article has provided some information that you may find useful during an emergency. Visit us at Farnham Road Dental Practice and we can provide you with more detailed information on our recommended dental routines and particular areas of dental care.

Know how to access help with emergencies & dental pain

We all understand the need to take care of our teeth and gums; brushing and flossing twice daily allows us to keep our teeth strong and healthy. This should help to ensure that we can use our teeth as intended, without feeling any pain or discomfort.

However, there may be times when we find ourselves in need of an immediate visit to the dentist due to pain or injury. Tooth pain is often quoted as one of the worst kinds of pain that we can experience. If you suffer from tooth pain, we at Farnham Road Dental Practice can provide you with emergencies & dental pain Guildford services and you can rest assured that our help will always be available to you.

We all understand the negative effect tooth pain can have upon anyone’s life. It can disturb our sleep patterns and make simple tasks, such as eating, drinking, or talking, hard work as we try to avoid further pain.

In cases of damage to the teeth caused by an accident

It is important to understand what you can do if you lose a tooth due to some form of trauma. Here, we are going to assume that the tooth has fallen out of its position, but you, as the potential patient, still have it in your possession. In cases like these, it is recommended that you first place the tooth in a sealed container of either milk or salt water as this will protect it from further harm.

At this point, you should contact our dental practice and attend an emergency appointment as soon as possible, taking the protected tooth with you. In some instances, it is possible to reinsert the tooth back into its position in the jaw. To achieve this, the tooth should be shielded from any more damage and you must attend an appointment immediately after your tooth has fallen out.

Do not live with tooth pain any longer

If you start to experience tooth pain, please do not ignore it as it can often be an early warning sign of another, more serious, issue. When you contact us at Farnham Road Dental Practice for our emergencies & dental pain Guildford services, the first thing we will do is prescribe some pain relievers. This should let you carry on using your teeth without severe pain, allowing you to get some much-needed sleep.

Once the pain issue has been addressed, we can then start to investigate its cause. At this point, our dentist will recommend a course of action that should resolve the underlying problem causing the pain.

Remember

Please remember that this article does not cover all instances where you may need to contact a dentist for emergencies & dental pain Guildford services. Therefore, our advice is this: if you feel the need to contact our dentist, thinking it may be an emergency, you should do so without hesitation. At Farnham Road Dental Practice, we can provide more detailed information on our recommended dental routines and particular areas of dental care.

5 advantages of having dental implants fitted by Farnham Road Dental

When you have a missing tooth or missing teeth as an adult, you have probably spent some time online searching for the best options to resolve the issue.

Currently, in dentistry, there are three; the reliable denture, a fitted bridge or the newer and more permanent solution of an oral implant. While more expensive than the other options, there are many benefits of having oral implants fitted if you can, and in this article, we will discuss the ones that our team have noticed with our patients.

At Farnham Road Dental Practice, we have our fair share of experience when it comes to fitting dental implants Guildford and can advise you on your suitability for this procedure, alongside helping with aftercare and long-term maintenance of it too.

With that in mind, what are some of the main advantages of having dental implants Guildford fitted?

Aesthetic

Of course, as is the way with any cosmetic dental procedure, the first advantage that you will notice is the visually improved appearance of your smile.

But not only that; when you have dental implants Guildford fitted, you won’t need to worry about your smile moving or your new teeth rubbing on your gums. Meaning you will have more reasons to smile than ever.

Cost-effective

Yes, it can seem that having oral implants fitted is pricey in the short term.

But long term, they can save you money. Missing teeth can cause surrounding teeth to move, causing issues with alignment and orthodontics, meaning with implants, you may save a fortune relating to adult braces and aligners.

They also prevent cavities and gum disease, meaning that you won’t have to pay out for restoratives and excessive scales and polishes. So eventually these tiny screws prove to be less of an expense.

Dental health

As mentioned before, there are many benefits that oral implants can offer in relation to your oral health; orthodontic, preventive and restorative.

But they can also prevent issues with acid erosion too. When you have missing teeth and break down food, often, larger chunks reach the stomach and cause it to create excessive amounts of acid. This in turn can cause acid reflux, which can damage the enamel on your teeth and heighten sensitivity. With implants, you are able to better chew your food, meaning that smaller portions of food reach your stomach, and a regular amount of stomach acid is created, easing acid-related issues.

So, there is more to having implants fitted than simply blocking a gap in a smile.

General health

The link between plaque in your mouth and heart disease, cancer and even strokes has been known for decades.

If you have gaps in your teeth, this can attract plaque and heighten your chances of developing these issues. Implants protect against that, by concealing the gaps and ensuring that plaque has got nowhere to hide in your mouth. So, better health all around!

Longevity

As they are fitted to your jaw, your oral implants cannot (or should not) fall out. With correct aftercare and hygiene, they can last up to and over 15 years, meaning that when compared to other restorations like bridges and dentures, they have a much longer lifespan. Now that’s a smart investment in your smile!

5 common questions about dental implants from Farnham Road Dental

When it comes to dental care in this day and age, we have got almost every base covered.

If you want whiter teeth without sensitivity, we can offer you veneers. If you want a more symmetrical smile without metal, we can offer you invisible aligners. And if you want a missing tooth or teeth restored permanently, we can offer you oral implants.

Attached to your jaw, oral implants are a very long-term solution to missing teeth, that allows you to bite into harder foods and smile with confidence, without the hassle of dental glues and adhesives.

At Farnham Road Dental Practice, we can offer our suitable patients dental implants Guildford. Starting with a consultation and some X-rays, we can assess your suitability quickly and once fitted, provide you with targeted aftercare advice, catered to your mouth and any medical conditions that you may have. After all, keeping your smile looking great and functioning is what we do!

So, what are some of the most searched and asked questions about dental implants Guildford?

Our team answers them below.

Can I get them abroad cheaper?

Technically, yes, but you should always be wary of cosmetic dental options from abroad for set prices.

When you come to us for dental implants Guildford, we use excellent modern equipment to achieve the end result and, as mentioned before, we will cater your fitting and aftercare to your needs. In other countries, substandard materials may be used to offer a cheaper fitting cost, but the results will usually be subpar and ineffective. So, to ensure your implants are well fitted and long lasting, come to us.

Are they difficult to fit?

No.

Our team has fitted many oral implants and will ensure that the fitting is straightforward.

In simple terms, we numb the implant site and then make an incision into the gum, peeling it back to expose the bone. We then drill a hole into the jaw and fit the implant. Once that is firmly in place, we sew up the gum line and that is it. You have a newly fitted implant.

Can any dentist fit them?

No, any dentist who fits oral implants will need to have attended additional training courses to perform this procedure correctly.

At Farnham Road, we have many members of our team who are trained in implantology, so when you come to us, you are getting experts in this field of dentistry.

What aftercare is required?

Once your implants are fitted, you will need to refrain from eating hard foods, to ensure the fusing process can begin and to prevent the implant site from being aggravated.

To clean the area, for the first few days, use a saltwater rinse and when you brush your teeth, use a soft-bristled brush. Do not use mouthwashes and if you notice signs of infection (discolouration around the implant site, unrelenting soreness and an offensive smell or taste), contact our team. However this is rare.

For more guidance on your individual aftercare, talk to our team.

How long do they last?

With correct aftercare, maintenance (such as attending biannual check-ups) and refraining from smoking and drinking excessively, your oral implants can last up to and over 15 years.

Nervous patients and how to get your dental needs met

Fears and phobias surrounding the dentist

Whilst each individual suffers from their fear of the dentist in their own unique way, rest assured that if you have anxieties you are not alone. Studies have shown that a high percentage of people with fears and phobias surrounding the overall dental experience have had them since childhood, partially due to minimal appointments being attended or bad experiences. However, this does not mean that your anxiety is just another one of those things that you need to overcome alone. Our team is here to support every single patient, no matter how big or small their fears may seem.

How to reduce and potentially eliminate anxiety surrounding dental visits throughout childhood

Attending regular appointments from the age of around 6 months old can drastically reduce fears surrounding dental appointments in later life. Each check-up appointment, which could be in intervals of 6 to 12 months, can help reinforce a positive association with the dental practice. In some cases stickers or a toy may be given after the check-up. Whilst this may seem like a very simple idea, the impact of the positive associations can last throughout an individual’s life. This is one of the many reasons that regular check-up appointments throughout childhood are encouraged, so as to reduce nervous patients Guildford in the future.

Containing the fears and attending our practice

When nervous patients Guildford regard visits to the dental practice, it is all too easy to postpone, delay and continue to put the appointments off. In some cases the appointments never get rebooked and years pass before any consideration towards a visit arises again. Whilst without any physical pain this may seem like the way forward, after all, why force yourself into an uncomfortable situation, it can actually create further dental problems leading to extensive dental work further down the line. This is most definitely something everyone wishes to avoid, particularly when anxiety is already apparent.

In order to make your experience within the dental practice a positive one each time, it is important for you to inform the practice of any anxieties you may have before attending the appointment. By informing our friendly reception team we can work with you to ensure that any extra measures that may need to be taken can be put in place to assist with your overall comfort. It could vary from a simple visit without any other patients present to a particular piece of music being played. No matter what, upon discussion with our team we will work together with you to ensure that each visit is as gentle as possible.

The environment

Along with our friendly, approachable team our practice has also ensured that the entire layout and decoration of our modern practice is as calming and relaxing as possible. The approach to ensuring your comfort throughout your visit is important and therefore the environment combined with the dental team will hopefully have you feeling as much at ease as possible from day one.

Whilst all treatments and procedures can carry small potential risks it is important to know that thorough checks and consultations are carried out before any are undertaken. It is also encouraged that all patients discuss everything under consideration with their local dental team, so as to fully understand the processes before deciding upon a course of action. This is of particular importance for nervous patients Guildford as they may then feel more at ease.

Nervous Patients Guildford – Taking the plunge and giving your dental practice a call

Avoiding dental visits for years and fearing the worst.

For those suffering from anxiety surrounding visits to the dental practice, it is all too easy to allow months and years to pass by without stepping foot into a dental practice. It may be that your overall oral hygiene does not suffer to the extent that pain begins to occur, however it is better to attend the dental practice before it becomes an absolute necessity. By attending appointments on a yearly basis at least the need for extensive treatments and procedures are greatly reduced which in turn will enable you to spend more time enjoying your life.

Things to understand.

A common misconception often arises among patients that should a certain amount of time pass by without attending an appointment, the dental team will reprimand and judge the patient. Whilst we may fear this approach and think the worst, rest assured this is not a common occurrence and whilst the media may suggest this occurs, in everyday life it is far from the truth.

Whether you have attended appointments every 6 months or have not visited in several years, our dental team is here to support and encourage you every step away. It may be that you feel more comfortable picking up the phone and giving us a call to start the process or it may be an email, no matter how you decide to get in contact, please rest assured your comfort is our priority and we will not leave you to face your fear alone.

Useful tips which may assist your visit

In some cases having a particular item or piece of music playing throughout your visit to the dental practice can assist with calming the nerves. When suffering from anxiety this can be a great source of redirection as having an item or music to focus on can often provide a sense of calm. We therefore encourage all Nervous Patients Guildford to discuss their individual needs with our friendly reception team to ensure we assist in whichever way possible. Your visits with us need to be as relaxing as possible each visit and therefore if we can help you achieve this then we will.

Visiting at a particular time?

There is no harm at all in requesting a particular time of day for your appointment. It may be that having the same time and day of the week for each appointment helps calm your nerves a little. Or it may be that attending an appointment first thing will ensure you attend rather than fret about the visit all day. All of these options are possible and therefore do not feel pressured to just go with any time, please ask and we will ensure that we come up with a variety of options to suit your needs.

If you are a Nervous Patient Guildford and any of the above applies to you or someone you know, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly, approachable team. Our aim is to get you through our doors and feeling comfortable within our calming environment whilst also maintaining and improving your overall oral hygiene.

Empathetic dentistry for nervous patients

Farnham Road Dental Practice is an inclusive family dentist and as such we’re always open to nervous patients in Guildford. We are able to provide dental services to the whole family, regardless of how they may feel about dental procedures. All the practice of dentistry is whatever is the highest priority and there are a great many dental treatments which are far more effective if performed early in the stage of a disease rather than when things have become critical. Unfortunately, many nervous patients leave treatment until it has become completely unavoidable and is usually in quite an advanced state, making care more costly and more invasive than it ever had to be.

We understand that you may have previous experience with less empathetic dentists who may have had a pragmatic view about patient compliance during procedures. We will endeavour to alter any treatment schedule to meet your needs, understanding that an aversion to dental procedures can indeed be crippling and requires compassion above all else.

Will a dentist judge me?

Nervous patients in Guildford have had extended periods of not attending checkups. They may also have a wide variety of dental conditions that are associated with poor oral hygiene and a level of self neglect. There is an unfortunate trend of nervous patients feeling that if they attend a dentist appointment, they will be judged and will be lectured. The role of our dentists, when treating nervous patients in Guildford, is not to pass judgement but simply to be a hired professional to guide and help you in your dental care, providing the necessary treatment required to maintain your health and well-being.

Can I bring things with me which comfort me?

Yes, this is your dental visit and you are entitled to bring with you anything which you would find comforting or helpful during your session. Dark glasses can be used to help if you find the glare of the lamp uncomfortable, and you should feel free to listen to any music you choose to on a set of headphones before your procedure starts. Simply inform our dentist of this and we will agree on a non-verbal way of communicating, probably a touch on the shoulder or by raising your hand in order to indicate that there is an issue and you would like them to stop any ongoing procedure.

Can I have an appointment at a particular time of the day?

There are slots available throughout the day and most of our patients have to book their appointment around important work and other commitments. There is no problem with having a specific time of the day when you would like to have your check up or procedure. Most nervous patients in Guildford. find it easier to have their procedure early in the day, this minimises the time they spend in the waiting room and also ensures that the clinic is relatively quiet. In addition to this, it stops the thought of your upcoming trips to the dentist playing on your mind throughout the day, or you becoming distracted or delayed.

Dental aversions- how our clinic helps

We all know that regular trips to the dentist are important for most of us; they are simply an inconvenient routine and usually a mundane experience. This is not the case for anxious patients whose anxiety over attending a simple dental check-up can be so crippling that they either deliberately or subconsciously find reasons to not attend or ignore their checkups completely.

Nervous patients in Guildford are our top priority when it comes to receiving care. More often than not, they have missed appointments and often find themselves requiring emergency care more than the average. Many of the nervous patients in Guildford we see in our clinic feel that their behaviours are particularly odd or that they are strange. The unfortunate truth is that nearly a quarter of all patients have some concerns about the dentist and one in 10 people are considered officially dental phobic, to the point of avoiding dental care unless absolutely essential. This unfortunately has the side effect of delaying care and resulting in more radical treatment being necessary to resolve the condition that could have been treated relatively simply if it had been picked up in its early stages.

Here at Farnham Road Dental Practice, we understand that patients come with their own unique set of experiences and prerequisites. When it comes to their perception of dentists (and although our intention is only to support our patients and maintain their dental health and get the most out of treatment), their previous experiences have led them to expect the worst from a dentist. Alternatively, patients may have had very few, if any, experiences of dentists and have inherited their negative perspective from parents or parental figures who experienced dentistry which was far less focused around patients comfort than modern techniques. Much of the old family horror stories about dentistry are either heavily embellished or based around procedures which have long since been stopped.

There is a very primeval aversion which we all have; to be in a vulnerable position with somebody close to us who possesses a sharp implement. It is similar to the type of phobia that many young people have regarding hairdressers; the act of sitting or lying with somebody so close to your personal space is an ernerving and it is understandable that many people find the dentist quite unsettling, regardless of the intention of their visit or the standard of their teeth.

Managing dental anxiety in the clinic

We attempt to manage dental aversions in the clinic through communication and spending the additional time explaining the procedure as well as agreeing on a non-verbal communication strategy before starting any work. This allows the patient to stop the procedure at any time by raising their hand or some other form of signal. We are entirely comfortable with patients bringing and playing their own music as well as wearing dark glasses or a blackout blindfold during the procedure if they find this helps.

If you have any further questions or you or a family member who would be a nervous patient in Guildford and would like to speak about what measures can be taken to make your or their visit more comfortable, please feel free to get in contact with the clinic.

Missing a tooth? Information about dental implants

Missing teeth can have a permanent effect on the way you smile, the way you feel about your smile, and not only the aesthetics but the functioning of your mouth, which can affect your self-confidence and be embarrassing and uncomfortable. Research and advances in modern technology have helped to develop many different treatment options for missing teeth and dental implants in Guildford have been found to be an increasingly common choice of treatment for tooth loss.

Dental implants in Guildford are small metal posts, made of titanium that are used in the replacement of tooth roots of missing teeth. Dental implants work as a permanent fixture in the treatment of tooth loss, and due to the comfort and stability they can provide for your replacement tooth or teeth, dental implants in Guildford have become a popular choice of treatment amongst patients and dentists. If you have been affected by tooth loss, then speak to us here at Farnham Road Dental Practice to find out how dental implants in Guildford can help put that beautiful smile back on your face.

The procedure for dental implants

Whether your tooth has had to be taken out or it has fallen out due to dental issues, rest assured that your well-being is our priority and we will work with you to address your specific needs and design an individually tailored treatment plan to help meet your requirements. The dentist will examine your mouth fully to ensure that you have no other underlying dental issues and will then explain the treatment procedure for dental implants in Guildford to you. A local anaesthetic will be administered to help numb the area to ensure your comfort and ease during the procedure. The implant is then placed into the bone socket of the missing tooth, then the surrounding bone cells, known as osteoblasts, will grow around the implant and secure it permanently into the alveolar bone of your jaw. This is a natural process that can require approximately 12 weeks from when the implant is inserted into the jaw for it to become permanently fused into the bone. Over the next few weeks, the dentist will examine the implant to ensure successful integration and once the dentist is satisfied with the result then the procedure can continue. A small connector post, which is known as an abutment, will be attached to the implant and this is designed to hold the new tooth securely in place. Depending on your specific requirements, the new tooth or teeth are designed by making an impression of your existing teeth and using this model to create either a crown or a set of dentures to match your natural existing teeth. These can then be securely attached to the implant via the abutment. Dentures are usually preferred over multiple crowns in the case of multiple missing teeth, however, this will depend on your individual needs, choice and what the dentist will recommend for you. Dental implants help improve the aesthetics of your mouth as well as return the functioning of your teeth and mouth which may have been lost as a result of tooth loss. Speak to us at Farnham Road Dental Practice to find out what positive impact dental implants can bring to your smile today.

Preventing tooth loss in adulthood

Tooth loss as an adult is a traumatic, uncomfortable and embarrassing situation to find yourself in. The most important way to prevent tooth loss is by maintaining good oral hygiene. A good oral hygiene routine needs to be instilled into our daily routine from an early age. Brushing your teeth after meals, using a good mouthwash and flossing before bedtime is essential in making sure that your teeth are clean and healthy. However, despite good brushing and flossing technique, bacteria can often remain in those hard to reach areas and result in many different dental issues which can ultimately result in tooth loss if left untreated. Regular visits with your dentist and hygienist here at Farnham Road Dental Practice is important to make sure that your daily dental hygiene routine is effective, that your teeth are clean and healthy, that you have no underlying issues with your teeth and if any conditions do present themselves that they are detected early on so that they can be treated successfully before they can be detrimental enough to result in tooth loss. In the unfortunate event of tooth loss, do not despair, speak to our friendly team here at Farnham Road Dental Practice to find out how dental implants in Guildford may be the perfect treatment option for you to help replace your missing teeth and bring back that smile to your face today.

What are dental implants?

Dentists have been using dental implants in Guildford for many years now and they have become a well-established and increasingly popular choice of permanent tooth replacement therapy amongst patients and dentists. Dental implants in Guildford are permanent fixtures that are designed to fuse with the alveolar bone of your jaw, to help provide strong support for replacement teeth following tooth loss. They are small titanium components that are fitted into the bone socket of the missing tooth. A natural process called osseointegration will then occur in which the surrounding bone cells, known as osteoblasts, will grow around the dental implant and secure it permanently into the alveolar bone. This process can take up to 12 weeks for the implant to be successfully fused into the bone, and you will be called back to the dentist to check the progress of this process. Once your dentist is satisfied that successful osseointegration has occurred then a small connector post known as an abutment is attached to the implant and the new tooth is attached to the abutment to make sure it is fixed securely in place. Depending on your personal choice and individual requirements, your new tooth or teeth will be created using an impression of your existing teeth and a crown will be created to replace your original tooth, or dentures will be created as an alternative to multiple crowns or to suit your preference. Speak to us at Farnham Road Dental Practice today to find out more about how dental implants in Guildford can help you. A thorough discussion with our dentist and a full examination of your mouth will help you and your dentist learn how dental implants can help with your tooth loss today.