What Will Happen During a New Patient Examination?

Signing up with a new dentist is quite a big decision to make so you need to make sure you get it right. We think The Guilford Dentist is a great dental practice and all the staff work very hard to ensure patients are warmly welcomed.

nervous-dental-patients-guildfordNervous Patients Are Especially Welcome

We especially welcome nervous patients and if this applies to you then please talk to our friendly receptionist when booking your appointment with Dr Paul Cunningham or with another of our dentists in Guilford. We understand this can be a difficult first step to take, but you can rest assured we’ll do everything possible to make sure treatment is as stress-free as it can be. Please remember the first appointment is only an examination so our dentists will just want to take a look at your mouth and won’t provide any treatment at this stage. Some of our patients are people who had not visited the dentist for decades and who are now able to enjoy the benefits of good oral health.

A new patient examination can take a bit longer to complete than a standard examination. This is because there can be forms to fill out and we will need to know a bit about your medical history. Your medical history is important because it can affect your dental health, and certain prescriptions or health problems may cause side effects such as dry mouth or a lack of saliva. This can increase the risk of gum disease and tooth decay, and could mean that our dentists will want to take extra precautions to try to keep you in good dental health. You’ll also probably need to have some dental x-rays. These help your dentist in Guilford assess your oral health more fully and enable them to see if you have any problems such as untreated tooth decay, infections or bone loss. If you are switching dentists and recently had a set of dental x-rays then it might be worth seeing if you can have these transferred as they might be adequate.

Once your examination is complete your dentist will discuss any findings with you, and if necessary will work out a treatment plan for you. The treatment plan is a detailed breakdown of any procedures required, including the costs. Your dentist in Guilford will take you through all the different options available and will explain any treatments that are necessary. It can often be quite tricky to take in all the information provided, especially if you feel a bit nervous at the time. We do understand this and don’t mind explaining things again!

We take patient education very seriously and want you to understand what needs to be done as much as possible. The great thing is, that once any necessary treatments have been completed then you’ll probably find it pretty easy to maintain your oral health through regular check-ups and professional cleanings at The Guilford Dentist. Our dental team can also offer advice on the best way to look after your teeth and gums at home. Regular dental care is hugely advantageous, not only for helping to keep your smile nice and healthy, but also for helping to protect your general health. An increasing number of diseases are being linked to poor oral health.

Is Your Baby Teething Yet?

The first year of life is filled with many milestones, one of which is cutting that first tooth. Most babies will get their first tooth between four months and seven months of age, but this can vary. Their teeth began developing before they were born, and will generally begin to erupt in pairs. The first is to arrive are usually the two lower front teeth, followed by the two upper front teeth. After this all the teeth will gradually erupt until your child has a complete set of 20 milk or primary teeth. These will last until the adult teeth or permanent teeth are ready to come through, and this generally happens around the age of six.

children-teethNew parents will usually find it pretty easy to identify when that first tooth is coming through, as babies can become more irritable and fussier in the few weeks beforehand. It might even be possible to see a slight bump in the gum where the tooth is almost ready to push through. In addition there are likely to be a number of other symptoms which can include:

  • Being less interested in food

  • Having trouble sleeping

  • Developing a slight fever

  • Becoming more likely to drool

  • Diarrhoea

Some of these symptoms can be associated with illness, so it’s always important to talk to your GP if they last for more than a few days or if they seem to be causing your baby extreme discomfort.

Helping Your Baby Teethe More Comfortably

The symptoms of teething can be quite uncomfortable, so if you notice your baby beginning to bite down or chew on anything they can, then it can be helpful to supply them with a cool teething ring or even a cold washcloth as the pressure created by biting down helps relieve some of the discomfort. Other things that can be helpful include supplying them with a bottle of cold water or chilled foods if your baby is old enough to eat some solids. It can even help to just rub their gums with a clean finger.

Once the first tooth has pushed through then contact us to make an appointment with one of our dentists in Guilford. We know it might seem very early for that first dental visit, but it’s really just a quick check to make sure everything is developing normally. In addition we can give you advice on how to look after those baby teeth to ensure they remain strong and healthy until they are ready to be replaced. Some parents think because these teeth are temporary but they don’t really matter, but this is not the case at all and in fact they’ve got a vitally important role to play in your baby’s development.

Healthy milk teeth can help ensure the adult teeth can erupt straight and true through holding open the correct amount of space for the adult teeth. They’ll also make it much easier for your child to be able to learn to speak clearly so they can communicate well with others, and to eat properly. Young children need a diet that contains plenty of vitamins and minerals that are generally found in a wide variety of foods. Being able to bite and chew these foods properly will ensure all the nutrients can be absorbed by the body.

Using dental implants to stabilise your dentures

Dentists have used dentures of some form or another for centuries to replace missing teeth. Modern dentures are more comfortable, realistic-looking and natural-acting than ever before, but a lot of people still experience problems.

dental-implantsThat’s where dental implants come in. At our Guildford dental practice we recommend using implants to stabilise your dentures, thus avoiding many of the common issues denture wearers report.

What are the common issues with dentures, and how do dental implants solve them?

If you have been wearing traditional dentures for any length of time, you are likely to have experienced problems as your false teeth that once fitted so well become increasingly loose and uncomfortable. This can affect your diet, potentially limiting you to only soft foods or liquid meals, and can also have an impact to speech. You may well have seen “comedy” videos in which an unfortunate person’s dentures fall out in public – if you are experiencing loose dentures this is unlikely to make you laugh and could leave you miserable.

The main reason behind these problems is that standard dentures only replace the crowns of the teeth. Without anything to replace the roots, your jaw bone is likely to start shrinking back, which can make previously well-fitting dentures become loose, unwieldy, and uncomfortable.

Dental implants help to prevent this problem because they replace the tooth roots. They are in direct contact with your jaw bone and they are osteoconductive, which means they support bone growth and help to prevent bone loss. They will hold your dentures firmly in place so that they only come out when you want them to, and you can eat, speak, and laugh with confidence once more.

Denture stabilisation involves placing the required number of implants in your jaw (usually between four and eight to support a full arch of dentures) and attaching your dentures to them. You will still be able to take them out to clean, but otherwise they will stay where they should be.

Dental implants: an investment in your smile

Dental implants are an excellent solution for patients with one or more missing teeth. Placed in direct contact with your jaw bone, implants don’t just restore your confidence in your smile, they also give you back your ability to eat what you like, without the restrictions of standard dentures, and can help to prevent the issue of bone resorbtion.

dental-implantsAt our Guildford dental practice, our skilled implantology team can use dental implants to replace one, some, or even all of your natural teeth. If you have lost one or more teeth for whatever reason, or if your natural teeth are failing, come in for a consultation with an implant dentist to learn more about how we can help you to get your smile back.

Whilst dental implants may initially seem more expensive than traditional dentures and bridges, at our Guildford clinic we prefer to see them as an investment in your smile. It’s important to remember that implants are the only permanent way a dentist can replace natural teeth; with a success rate upwards of 90%, so long as you look after them and visit your dentist regularly for maintenance appointments, dental implants could last the rest of your life.

Placement of implants requires a small operation, but this is nothing to be nervous about. Implant surgery is meticulously planned using the latest 3D software, thus enabling your dentist to ensure your implants are in exactly the right position not just to fully support your new teeth, but also to avoid nerves and other vital structures. Most people only need local anaesthetic for implant placement, which is often described by patients as being far more bearable than a tooth extraction.

Once your implants are in place, they will be left to integrate with your jaw bone for a few months. Then you’ll be called back to our Guildford dental centre for your permanent new teeth – a bridge, dentures, or a crown – to be attached.

Why root canal therapy is nothing to be scared of

“Root canal therapy” is one of those phrases that can strike fear into the heart of even the bravest patient when their dentist says it is necessary. However, the treatment is nothing to be scared of and is essential to save an infected tooth. Without it, your tooth could have to be extracted.

root-canal-therapyPerhaps a bad past experience has made your nervous about root canal therapy, or perhaps someone has told you an exaggerated horror story. At our Guildford dental practice we use the latest dental techniques and equipment that enables us to offer pain-free root canal therapy that can be completed in a single appointment (as opposed to the traditional two).

Ironically enough, if you don’t have root canal therapy, more serious and uncomfortable conditions such as painful dental abscesses can arise if the infection spreads.

Why your dentist will prescribe root canal therapy

Root canal therapy is necessary when the pulp or nerve at the centre of a tooth becomes infected. This can happen through dental decay or through accident or injury, and tooth ache is one of the most common symptoms. This infection can spread into the root canal system of your tooth, which may be fairly simple in a front tooth or fairly complex in a back tooth. The purpose of root canal therapy is to remove all traces of infection before sealing the tooth.

This is a skilled and complex procedure that requires a 1.5 hour appointment to ensure we have time to complete the whole procedure in one session. Dentist Dr Paul Cunningham is highly experienced in the delicate art of root canal therapy and enjoys providing the treatment, especially as many patients are surprised that it is entirely pain-free.

Under local anaesthetic Dr Cunningham will access the root canal system of the infected tooth and will carefully clean it with the latest rotary-ended equipment. He will fill the tooth with white or tooth-coloured filling material, and in many cases will cap the tooth with a crown to give it additional strength.

How dental implants can boost more than just your smile

Dental implants are an increasingly popular way for patients who have lost one or more of their natural teeth to regain confidence in their smile. Having gaps in your mouth from missing teeth can be a major source of social embarrassment and can cause you to hide your smile away in public. However, there are also other health implications that mean you should seriously consider replacing your missing teeth.

dental-implantsWhen teeth are lost, any remaining teeth may shift position as they move into any gaps. This can cause them to become crooked and more difficult to clean, which in turn can increase the chances of plaque build-up, gum disease and tooth decay.

Losing your teeth can also impact on your ability to enjoy a healthy diet. You may find yourself limited to a soft food diet if you have lost several teeth, and even one missing tooth increases the amount of strain put on your remaining teeth.

Why dental implants?

Dental implants are the only permanent way to replace your natural teeth. They are small titanium screws that your dentist carefully places in precise locations in your jaw bone. There they integrate with the bone, providing firm support for new teeth in the form of dentures, crowns or bridges, and also stimulating bone growth and the development of tiny blood vessels around the titanium.

This helps to stop the common side-effect of bone loss that often happens when teeth are lost, and which can cause a sagging appearance around the jowls.

Once your implants are in place a healing period is required, typically about three months. After this your dentist will check that the implants have integrated sufficiently with your jaw bone and will then attach your new teeth.

The implants and attached restorations look and act much like natural teeth. You will find your confidence in your smile restored and will be able to enjoy a full, healthy, balanced diet once more, which is better for your general health. With proper care and regular visits to the dentist, your implants could last you for the rest of your life.

Teeth whitening: What you should know

It’s no surprise that the popularity of teeth whitening treatment continues to grow. As cosmetic dentistry become more accessible to an increasing number of people, bright, white teeth are no longer the preserve of celebrities and film stars. Teeth whitening treatment from a dentist is one of the fastest ways to boost your smile, and is perfect for a mini smile makeover before a special occasion.

teeth whiteningAt The Guildford Dentist we use the Enlighten home teeth whitening system, which involves the use of custom-made teeth whitening trays and special dental bleaching gel, designed to remove stains such as those caused by food, drink, and smoking from the teeth safely and gently. We welcome new patients for a teeth whitening consultation.

Why you need a dentist

If you are considering whitening your teeth, the key thing to remember is that this treatment should only be carried out by a dentist (or a dental hygienist on a dentist’s prescription). There are several reasons for this.

First, as with any cosmetic dental procedure, teeth whitening should only be carried out on a healthy mouth, to avoid the risk of sensitivity during treatment. Your dentist will ensure that you are in good oral health before prescribing whitening treatment. If you do have any health problems, such as gum disease or tooth decay, your dentist is perfectly positioned to treat these issues. Just remember to leave enough time before your special occasion for all treatment to be completed.

Secondly, it’s important to remember that while Enlighten, and other whitening products used by dentists, have been subjected to rigorous testing and have been proven both safe and effective, products available from other outlets are unlikely to have been tested to the same degree.

There are many products, both online and on the internet, that claim to whiten teeth, but they may fail to deliver, and in some cases can even cause damage to your teeth and gums. Products used by dentists are completely safe, as well as very effective. When it comes to your smile, you want to know you can trust your provider.

Teeth whitening to boost your smile

Teeth whitening is a very popular cosmetic dental treatment, and it’s not difficult to see why. Most of us would like a brighter, whiter smile, and teeth whitening treatment carried out by a dentist is an excellent way to achieve this.

teeth-whiteningAt The Guildford Dentist we only use the Enlighten teeth whitening system. This world-renowned product is an excellent way to remove stains and discolouration from your teeth, and is the only whitening system that guarantees a B1 shade of whiteness at the end of treatment – the lightest shade available in the UK.

Whitening treatment becomes necessary because our teeth are easily stained in everyday life. Even if you have good dental hygiene, drinks such as tea and coffee, habits such as smoking, and some medicines and mouthwashes can cause the teeth to become stained. When carried out by a dental professional, teeth whitening offers a safe, reliable and predictable way to remove these everyday stains, giving you a brighter, whiter smile in as little as two weeks.

We use Enlighten home whitening products at our Guildford clinic. This involves using custom-made whitening trays and special dental bleaching gel, which has been specifically designed to reduce the chances of developing temporary tooth sensitivity during treatment.

Although this is a home whitening system, you will still need to come into the practice for a consultation with a dentist prior to starting treatment. They will assess the type of staining on your teeth to check that this is the best option, and will also ensure that you are in good dental health – whitening should only be carried out on healthy teeth. Your dentist will then take impressions for your whitening trays to be made up.

All you need to do is place a small amount of whitening gel in the trays and wear them either overnight or for short periods during the day for approximately two weeks. The result will be beautifully bright, white teeth.