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  1. Dental Implants


    There are a number of reasons why a tooth may be lost. It could be because the tooth has decayed or broken to the point that it cannot be restored. It could also be because the root support has become affected by gum disease and the tooth has become too loose to keep in place.

    Whatever the reason you may find yourself with a missing tooth, there is never any need for you to accept the gap. Dental implants provide a fixed long term solution to tooth loss. Traditionally, when a tooth was missing, the options involved either leaving the gap, placing a denture (which would need to be removed and cleaned each day) or restoring the gap with a bridge. Bridges, like implants, are fixed options. However, their major drawback is that they require the teeth either side of the gap to be filed down and are therefore not particularly conservative.

    Implants on the other had provide a false tooth that is as firm (if not firmer) than natural teeth and without the need to interfere with the teeth either side of the gap. They thus provide a perfect replacement with minimal damage.

    So how do they work? Put simply, the titanium implants are placed in your bone and allowed to integrate. This process is known as “osseointegration” and is the biological process that allows attachments to be made in bone and forms the basis of other medical procedures such as hip replacements. Once the osseointegration process has taken place (and as a rough guide, for dental implants, this is anything between 12-20 weeks depending on the density of your bone), a false tooth (crown or bridge) can be attached to the implant. The implant is therefore acting as a new root.

    If you would like to know more information about how implants can replace your missing teeth, contact the clinic on 01923 859678 and ask to speak to our treatment plan coordinator to arrange a free consultation.

  2. Dental Veneers


    If a dentist is approached by a patient who wishes to have the appearance of their teeth improved it is important to try and understand what detail of their teeth the patient wants to change.

    The changes can involve the colour of the teeth, the position of the teeth in the mouth or the shape of the teeth. There are many different cosmetics procedures that will cater for a single change. Where aspects of all three possible changes are desired, dental porcelain veneers (DPV) can often achieve all three.

    DPVs are thin layers of porcelain that are placed over the front surfaces of the teeth that need to be changed. Before the veneers are made, your dentist will assess which teeth are to have the veneers by discussing your desired smile change. The selected teeth will be prepared by removing a very thin layer of enamel from the surface. Impressions of the prepared teeth will then be sent to a dental laboratory technician who will make bespoke thin layers of porcelain that fit perfectly over the prepared teeth, the colour having been chosen at the preparation appointment. These DPVs are then bonded on to the prepared teeth by your dentist using special dental bonding adhesives.

    The bespoke nature of the process means that whatever smile you are after can be created to specification. So whether it is a dazzling white straight smile or something more subtle, together with your dentists and the laboratory technician, you can become a co-creator in your new smile.

    People who have been through this process will tell you that a new smile has changed their life. Where previously they may have developed a habit of placing a hand over their mouth when talking to people or turning away from the camera when a photo is being taken, a new smile gives the confidence to engage socially where previously this was not done.

    If you would like more information on DPVs and how they can change your life, call our treatment plan coordinator Lily Talbot on 01923 859678 or email lily@dental-radlett.com






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