Dental Blog - Farnham Road Dental Practice

Teeth whitening with Enlighten technology in Guilford

In our modern world, where TV, magazines and social media are the centre of attention, we are constantly bombarded with people sporting the most impressive set of pearly white teeth. It’s common knowledge that most celebrities have had work done on their teeth to make them white, yet this doesn’t stop us from feeling inadequate about our own teeth.

Teeth whitening is a popular, painless and effective cosmetic dentist procedure carried at many dental practices in the UK. At Farnham Road Dental Practice we use teeth whitening with Enlighten technology, which has been around for at least 10 years with highly reliable results.

How teeth become discoloured

As we grow older, our teeth tend to become yellow and discoloured. There are several causes behind this process and most are not usually immediate oral health concerns. However, yellow and discoloured teeth can affect the aesthetics of your smile and make you look older than you actually are.

Teeth are subject to wear and, as the enamel wears away, the inner layer of the tooth is exposed, causing teeth to appear yellow. Certain medications can also make teeth appear yellow and cause stains. Moreover, some people are genetically predisposed to have yellow and stained teeth, though in most cases it is a matter of diet and lifestyle. If you drink too much tea, coffee and red wine, you may have yellow and discoloured teeth. Finally, patients who smoke or use tobacco products are also more likely to experience tooth discolouration.

How can Enlighten help?

There are now many teeth whitening products on the market, but we always recommend whitening your teeth with the help of a dentist, as this is the only safe method and has been proven to produce the best and most long-lasting results. At Farnham Road Dental Practice, we use the Enlighten system. This treatment involves wearing custom-made whitening trays to gradually improve the shade of your teeth. You wear the trays overnight or for a few hours during the day for two to three weeks, depending on the shade of whiteness you wish to achieve. At the end of the treatment, you can proudly display your new smile.

Oral health prevention with mouth cancer screening in Guilford

A diagnosis of any form of cancer can be very disturbing. However, what most people fail to understand is that cancer can be fought off and treated, especially if it is diagnosed at an early stage. Mouth cancer, in particular, may appear in any part of the mouth including the lips, the interior of the cheeks, the gums, the roof or floor of your mouth, as well as the tongue and tonsils. Early diagnosis is the main reason why oral cancer screenings are essential.

Mouth Cancer Screening in Guilford Mouth cancer, tends to affect people who are over 40 and statistically, men are more prone to be diagnosed with mouth cancer than women. Smokers and heavy drinkers are also more likely to develop mouth cancer, but a lot of cases will not have any previous risk factors, which is why you need to schedule for regular mouth cancer screenings at Farnham Road Dental Practice.

The earliest signs of mouth cancer may be mistaken for other problems, such as a toothache or cold. If symptoms persist for several days or weeks, it is important to see your dentist so that, if mouth cancer is present, it can be diagnosed as soon as possible. Many of these symptoms can be due to other, less serious problems, but this can only be determined by your dentist.

What to expect during a typical mouth cancer screening

A mouth cancer screening is a painless, non-invasive test that can be compared to similar screening tools used for other cancers, such as the mammogram for breast cancer. During a mouth cancer screening examination, your dentist looks inside your mouth and throat to check for red or white patches or mouth sores. Your dentist will also touch the tissues in your mouth to check for lumps or other skin and tissue abnormalities. Mouth cancer screening is really important and it is recommended to be performed at least once a year, especially if you are at high risk of developing mouth cancer. When detected and treated early, oral cancer is curable in most cases.

Get in touch

If you feel that you would benefit from a mouth cancer screening in Guilford, contact our friendly team today.

Keeping hold of life’s great pleasures

As we age and bits of our bodies no longer work as well as they once did, life can get pretty limited. But if we work on our bodies, keeping fit and healthy for as long as we can, then we have a good chance of enjoying our later years rather than enduring them.

Thankfully, modern dentistry means that we can entirely replace teeth and what they do — no half measures and soft food diets any more, when you choose dental implants at Farnham Road Dental Practice in Guildford.

Why do we say half measures?

This is because traditional methods for replacing lost teeth — flexible dentures and bridges — only replace the crowns of the teeth, and not the roots. Imagine if you try to replace a tree by sticking one without roots on top of the ground. It’s not going to do a very good job of staying upright in the even the slightest breeze. And that is also the thing with teeth, they need their roots to do their job of biting and chewing properly.

The roots hold the teeth stable when you bite and chew. You can get that stability with a bridge, but you have to lose the use of two perfectly good healthy teeth to do so. These teeth are ground down to create abutments to fix the bridge onto. You can never have them back as normal teeth again.

Dentures rely on suction to the gums, and this works pretty well for a while, if you want to spend the rest of your life on a soft food diet. The gums give about a quarter of the stability of tooth roots, so really interesting chewy, crunchy foods are off the menu. Goodbye apples, goodbye steaks, hello soft mushy foods and fewer nutrients.

The other thing about implants is they keep your jawbone strong and healthy, acting as transmitter of the vibrations from biting and chewing that tells the jawbone to renew itself. Dentures and bridges can’t do this, and the jawbone quickly starts to resorb, shrinking in size and density. Before too long, dentures no longer fit and are even less good at chewing food. For food fans, surely implants are the only way to go.

Brackets or aligners?

In 21^st century Guildford, at Farnham Road Dental Practice, orthodontics has a variety of systems that can straighten teeth, each with its own virtues. It can be hard to know which to choose. Let’s take a look at two of our most popular systems for adults who want simple misalignments corrected: Invisalign and Six Month Smiles.

Invisalign

Orthodontics in Guildford This is one of the big success stories of the digital age. Invisalign came into being at the start of the millennium thanks to a man who’d just had his teeth straightened and was wearing his overnight removable retainer. He wondered if it would be possible to actually straighten teeth with retainer-like aligners that could be removed for eating and tooth cleaning. And, with the advent of 3D printing, there was suddenly a way to produce precision-made aligners for each patient. Fast forward to 2017 and over four million people across the globe have now had their teeth straightened with Invisalign.

It takes between 12 and 48 aligners to move the teeth, each one an incremental step that doesn’t quite fit, producing the pressure that nudges the teeth gently along to alignment. The aligners must be worn for at least 20 hours a day, so discipline is required for this straightening system. One pleasing bonus for many people is that because Invisalign aligners discolour easily, wearers can only drink water when they are in place, and so often find that by the end of treatment they have lost quite a bit of weight from having to cut out mindless snacking and coffees.

Six Month Smiles

This system makes use of the tried and trusted bracket and wire system, but because the braces are making smaller corrections to the front teeth only, which have fewer roots than the back teeth, gentler forces are required.

This means the brackets can be smaller, and also made of clear ceramic. The wires are thinner too and are made of tooth-coloured nickel titanium. The braces blend in with the teeth rather than dominating them. Six Month Smiles get the done job in an average of six months, and a retainer must be worn afterwards to keep the teeth in place.

It’s a knock out!

What is the definition of an emergency? Emergencies require swift and urgent action and taking that action shoots to the top of the priority list. Some dental emergencies creep up on us — we’ve been living with a mildly uncomfortable tooth for a few days, but it’s woken us up in the middle of the night as a raging toothache that is making our whole head hurt, including our ears and that bit down the side of the throat.

In other emergencies, dental pain in Guildford may not be at the top of the list of issues. Instead it might be that tooth that until a few seconds ago was in your mouth and is now lying over there next to your BMX/skateboard/tennis racquet. There are so many ways we can get our teeth knocked out, and sometimes the shock of it means we don’t feel any pain for a bit.

Emergency Dental Care in Guildford This is the time to act. If you can, whip out a piece of clean material, such as a tissue and pick up the tooth by the crown, being careful to avoid the root. If you are at home, you can wash it carefully; the best way is to lick it, but rinsing it in water is also good. Then try to put it back into its socket. If that won’t work, you can just tuck it inside your cheek or store it in milk. Try not to let it dry out. If it’s your young child’s tooth that has been knocked out, don’t try to put it back, store it in milk and bring your child and their tooth to us.

Get to us at Farnham Road Dental Practice in Guildford as soon as possible. If you can see a dentist within an hour of your tooth ending up in front of your feet, you stand a good chance of it settling back into its socket permanently.

Broken teeth

If you can find the broken off bit, store that in milk and bring it over as we might be able to glue it back on.

Mouth guards

If you, or your nearest and dearest, regularly does a sport that could knock teeth out, you should get a mouth guard.

If it hurts, get it seen to

When your adult teeth come through, you really need to take care of them. We are not sharks, able to replace teeth throughout our lifetimes. We only get one set of adult teeth, and when they’re gone, they are gone. Yes, they can be replaced with dental implants, but far better to always be aware of and value the ones we’ve got.

That means if one of your teeth gets damaged, you should get to the emergency dentist as soon as possible. Yes, even if the damage is just a small chip. Chips may have broken through the protective enamel of your tooth to vulnerable dentin below and decay can set in soon after.

Emergency Dentist in Guildford People often associate emergencies and dental pain in Guildford, but a small chip may not hurt at all. You may just find a tiny bit of tooth in your mouth after biting down on something hard, like a bit of grit in your rice, or an olive stone.

Get in touch

Farnham Road Dental Practice, your Guilford dentist, is part of the local out of hours emergency service, which operates from 6–10pm during the week and 8am–10pm at weekends. By calling this service, you can access the on-call dentist to be seen as soon as possible. Store our number in your phone so that you can get hold of us when there is an emergency.

Of course, it’s not just little chips that need to be dealt with by the emergency dentist. We also deal with anything that is causing you pain. If you are experiencing dental pain, it can be excruciating, taking over your entire head and leaving you unable to be aware of anything else.

Pain is a sign that you should not ignore. It is a signal that something serious is wrong in your mouth and you need help before things get any worse. It may be something like an abscess, which is a build-up of pus, often below a tooth in the gum, or even in the bone. It is caused by infection, and needs to be drained as soon as possible. Leaving it can result in the loss of the tooth.

Prevent bone loss with dental implants in Guilford

People who have lost one, several or most of their teeth are likely to experience quite a few problems in the long run. Eating and speaking are affected with tooth loss and missing teeth can also have a negative impact on your oral health. Besides the obvious cosmetic effects, the loss of a tooth can lead to jawbone loss and eventually, further tooth loss.

Having said that, dental implants are the most effective method for preventing bone loss in the jaw. Unlike other tooth replacement options that merely sit on the gums, dental implants fuse with the jawbone and become a permanent part of the mouth. At Farnham Road Dental Practice, we use dental implants in Guilford to support a variety of replacement teeth including single crowns, dentures and bridges.

Understanding how dental implants work

Dental implants are small titanium artificial tooth roots that are surgically inserted into the jawbone to replace natural missing tooth roots. Since they are made of titanium, a metal which is compatible with human body tissue, dental implants have the ability to attach permanently to the jawbone, creating a stable foundation for replacement teeth, which then look, feel and function just like natural teeth.

How does bone loss work?

When teeth are missing or damaged beyond repair, many people opt for dentures and bridges since they are cheaper than dental implants. However, dentures and bridges do not replace missing tooth roots and this can lead to many problems down the line.

As soon as a tooth is removed, the jawbone stops being stimulated. The jawbone requires stimulation to maintain bone tissue and without it will start to recede. After some time, the receding bone can start to affect the surrounding teeth, making them loose and unstable. Combined with bone loss, this can lead to further tooth loss and a real change in the appearance of the face.

Unfortunately, dentures and bridges cannot prevent this from happening. However, dental implants ensure that the jaw receives constant simulation in the form of biting and chewing. For this reason, dental Implants are, by far, the most effective treatment for preventing bone loss and stimulating bone growth within the jaw.

Health benefits of dental implants in Guilford

Tooth loss is not a pleasant experience, but most people experience it at some point in their lives. Whether the result of gum disease, an accident or old age, missing teeth can compromise your oral health and wellbeing.

Replacing your missing teeth with dental implants can protect your oral and general health. Unlike other tooth replacement options, dental implants provide you with stability, restoring your ability to speak, bite and chew. At Farnham Road Dental Practice, dental implants in Guilford are our treatment of choice for patients who have lost one, several or all of their missing teeth. Besides their obvious aesthetic benefits, dental implants have many health benefits as well.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are replacement teeh that look, feel and function like natural teeth. These small titanium posts are surgically inserted into the jawbone after a tooth has been lost, to replace the missing tooth root. Because titanium is compatible with the human body, dental implants actually fuse with the jawbone creating a stable foundation for replacement teeth such as crowns, bridges and dentures.

Health benefits of dental implants

When you have missing teeth, the jaw that would normally support those teeth, will begin to deteriorate gradually. As a result, your jawbone can become soft or uneven, leading to bone loss. Unlike other tooth replacement options, dental implants prevent bone loss and also stimulate bone growth, keeping the jawbone healthy.

At the same time, dental implants act as placeholders, keeping your teeth aligned instead of letting them shift over the gaps created by the missing teeth. Dental implants also restore balance to your bite, promoting better eating and speaking.

Finally, dental implants can greatly improve your confidence and self-esteem in various social settings. Implant-supported replacement teeth are like natural teeth and if you take good care of them, they have the potential to last a lifetime.

Who is a candidate for dental implants?

Generally, dental implants are ideal for all patients who have lost one, several or all of their teeth due to injury, disease or decay. However, health and not age is a determining factor for dental implants. If you’re healthy enough to have a tooth extracted, you’re probably healthy enough to have dental implants.

Denture stabilisation with dental implants in Guilford

Patients who have been wearing dentures for many years, find that they tend to slip easily and cause discomfort and frustration throughout the day. Dental implants, on the other hand, offer permanent tooth replacement, but can be quite expensive. If you wear dentures and find it difficult to chew properly, speak clearly, or feel comfortable, but do not want to spend a fortune on dental implants, you may be a good candidate for implant supported dentures at Farnham Road Dental Practice in Guilford.

By placing a few dental implants (usually two) with snaps on the lower arch of your mouth and up to four dental implants on the upper arch, our dentists can stabilise your dentures, restoring your speaking and chewing functions. This treatment combines the best aspects of dental implants and dentures at the fraction of the cost.

Why are dental implants important?

Dental implants are surgically embedded titanium posts that are attached to lifelike replacement teeth. Since implants are fixed into the jawbone, they are not visible and rest beneath the gum line in the bony socket that used to hold your missing tooth. Because they are made of titanium, a material that is compatible with body tissue, they fuse with the jawbone, creating a permanent foundation for the replacement teeth and preventing further deterioration and bone loss.

Dental implants become part of the jawbone, therefore, provide a permanent solution to tooth loss. Whereas other tooth replacement options, including removable dentures and bridges, may need to be replaced every few years, dental implants should last a lifetime with proper care. That’s what makes them good value in the long-term.

Implant-supported dentures, in particular, offer a viable solution for many patients who have lost most of their teeth. Not only dentures are stabilised permanently in the mouth, but also transmit forces to the jawbone, preventing bone loss and keeping the shape of your mouth intact.

Am I eligible for denture stabilisation?

Implant-supported dentures are ideal for patients who have several missing teeth on their upper or lower jawbone, yet have enough jawbone to support them. Even if you are missing teeth for years and your jawbone has naturally deteriorated, you may still qualify for implant-supported dentures.

Replace your missing teeth with dental implants in Guilford

It is easy to think that losing a tooth is only going to affect your appearance. Unfortunately, tooth loss has many negative long-term consequences for your oral and overall health. We tend to picture teeth as individual units, but in fact, they are part of a complete and complex system. Teeth work together in balance, and problems can occur when they don’t.

If you have lost teeth because of an accident, gum disease or other causes, you may be considering dental implants. Unlike conventional tooth replacement options such as dentures and bridges, dental implants actually fuse with the jawbone and become a permanent part of your mouth. At Farnham Road Dental Practice in Guilford, we advise our patients to replace their missing teeth with dental implants in order to avoid additional dental work and further tooth loss in the long run.

Don’t ignore your missing teeth

Missing teeth can trigger a chain reaction of movement which could eventually affect jaw function and density. Tooth movement can negatively affect your bite and lead to misaligned or gapped teeth. Your ability to eat properly will also be compromised. You may find yourself deciding among the foods you ‘can’ eat, as opposed to the foods you actually want to eat. Depending on where your missing teeth are located, you may have to change your diet drastically and resort to unhealthy choices. Finally, gaps in your mouth can also lead to speech and pronunciation problems that can affect your social life. Luckily, all these problems can be overcome with dental implants.

Health benefits of dental implants

Essentially, dental implants are small titanium posts, which are surgically placed into the jawbone. Since they are made of titanium, a material that is compatible with the human body, they actually fuse with the jawbone, creating a stable base for replacement teeth. Besides keeping your jawbone healthy and strong, dental implants also help keep your natural teeth and gums healthy, as gaps in your smile are difficult to clean properly. Reduced jaw bone density from missing teeth will also leave you susceptible to other health issues, such as infections and further tooth loss. Dental implants prevent all these issues and restore the proper function of your teeth.