Caring for your smile

Crowns

Today’s modern crowns are far superior to older ones, looking and feeling much more natural. They feel less bulky than older ones, and do not have a metal edge showing near the gum line. They also look more realistic.

Crowns are usually fitted when a tooth has been damaged, either through decay or by accident, and is no longer strong enough to support any other type of restoration, such as a filling.

Crowns are also sometimes needed to support a dental bridge.

Usually you will need two appointments for a crown to be fitted. At the first one, we will numb the tooth that it is to be crowned, and the surrounding area, so you will not feel any pain. We prepare the tooth, take impressions (moulds) of the area, and fit a temporary crown.

The impressions are sent to our dental laboratory, where skilled craftsmen create a porcelain crown that will fit perfectly and match your other teeth.

At your second appointment, the temporary crown is removed, and the permanent one is bonded permanently into place.

Tooth-coloured Fillings

Fillings are usually required when we have had to remove decay from a tooth. Today’s fillings are long-lasting and look very realistic, so no-one other than us will know you have them.

If you need a filling, we will usually numb your tooth and its surrounding area with a local anaesthetic, before removing the decayed material from the tooth.

Once all the decay is removed, the tooth will be filled. For tooth-coloured fillings, the material is placed into the hole in layers, with a special light shone on each layer to speed up the setting process.

We will then shape the filling so that it looks as realistic as possible, and so it does not interfere with the way your teeth meet when you bite and chew.

Veneers

Dental veneers are a great way of hiding imperfections in your smile, and are often used on TV makeover programmes to provide complete smile makeovers.

They are very thin layers of porcelain which are bonded permanently onto the front of your teeth, disguising a number of problems including mis-aligned or stained teeth, chips, cracks and gaps.

At The Dental Connection, we offer two different types of veneers, and will advise you on which is best suited to your teeth, the results you require, and your budget.

Our Lumineers are very popular with patients. These are state-of-the-art veneers which are as thin as a contact lens. Usually they do not require removal of any of your natural tooth structure, or any anaesthetic.

We also offer normal porcelain veneers, which are a little thicker than Lumineers. This means that we often need to remove a thin layer from the front of your teeth to make space for them.

Both treatments provide excellent, lasting results, and our patients have been delighted with their new smile.

Tooth Whitening

Tooth whitening can make a big difference to your smile, removing stains caused by tea, coffee, red wine and smoking, and making your smile lighter, brighter and more attractive.

It can also make you look younger – teeth darken naturally with age, so lighter teeth give the impression of youth.

At The Dental Connection, we offer Zoom! tooth whitening, as seen on Extreme Makeover and other similar TV programmes. This treatment is fast and effective – in just one visit teeth can be whitened by an average of eight shades.

The procedure is simple – we protect your lips and gums, and apply the Zoom! professional strength whitening gel to your teeth. The gel is then activated with a special light. After about an hour, your teeth are gorgeously white!

We also offer take-home kits so you can “top-up” your whitening whenever you feel it is necessary.

Beautiful, straight Teeth

If you have always wanted to have your teeth straightened, but have been put off by unsightly metal braces, we can help. Our virtually invisible braces gently move your teeth into the correct position, giving you a great smile – without anyone knowing that you are wearing them.

They are also removable, which means that, unlike with traditional braces, you can still eat whatever you like, and it is still easy to keep your teeth clean and healthy.

We also offer a choice of other orthodontic appliances, including braces with ceramic, tooth-coloured blocks, which are far more discreet than fully metal ones.

All our orthodontic treatment is carried out by a registered orthodontic specialist, so you know you are receiving the highest quality of care.