Available treatments

Hygiene

Good oral hygiene is essential for your dental health as well as your overall wellbeing. At Townsend Dental Practice we believe preventing problems from occurring is much better than fixing things when they go wrong.

To ensure your teeth, mouth and gums remain in great condition, we recommend regular visits to the dentist for examinations and for a range of treatments. To help you achieve a healthy, happy mouth your dentist can remove stains, tartar, hard deposits and plaque. They will also advise you on the best way to take care of your teeth at home, including correct flossing and brushing techniques and other oral hygiene techniques according to your personal requirements.

Amalgam fillings

Amalgam is a common type of filling made from a mixture of metals of which approximately 50% is mercury, It is strong and hard wearing and used mainly to restore back teeth.

Amalgam fillings have been used in dentistry for over 150 years; they are strong and long lasting and cheaper than white fillings. However they don’t match the colour of your teeth and corrode over time causing discolouration of the tooth. Amalgam fillings do not ‘stick’ to the tooth so sound tooth tissue has to be removed to ensure the amalgam filling stays in the tooth.

White fillings

If you do have decay and need a filling then we recommend white fillings as a good solution that is both aesthetic and functional. To improve the cosmetic look of your smile have your metal-coloured fillings replaced with tooth-coloured or ‘white’ fillings. White fillings ‘stick’; to your tooth which means less tooth structure needs to be removed compared to an amalgam (silver) filling. They are also not affected by the temperature changes in your mouth, therefore do not expand or contact the same way amalgam fillings do. As a result, teeth filled with amalgam can be more prone to fracture.

Denture

A denture is a removable prosthesis used to replace missing teeth. Commonly referred to as ‘false teeth’, a denture is usually made of acrylic or a combination of acrylic and metal. A partial denture is fitted to replace some missing teeth whilst a complete denture is indicated when all natural teeth are missing. A good set of dentures helps you to eat, speak, function, and often improves a person’s appearance.

Flexi Denture

Benefits of Flexible Dentures Flexible dentures provide a solution for patients who can’t or don’t want to use regular dentures. They cling to the gums and don’t require denture adhesive or metal clasps to hold them in place. The material is clear and allows the natural gum colour to show through.

Root Canal Treatments

Root canal treatment (also called endodontics) is needed when the blood or nerve supply of the tooth (known as the pulp) is infected through decay or injury. Root canal treatment in the past has had a poor image and patients often express concern that they have heard that root canal can be unpleasant. Modern endodontics, carried out with state of the art equipment is now a predictable and virtually pain free procedure.

Root canal treatment involves one/two visits. At the first visit the infected tissue is removed and any abscess can be drained. The root canal is then cleaned and a temporary dressing is placed until the next visit. At the second visit the temporary dressing is removed and the canals are cleaned and shaped to receive the permanent filling.

Crowns/bridges

Crown and bridges for NHS and Private Patients. Crowns are usually necessary when the tooth is broken or decayed and cannot be repaired by a routine filling. Crowns can be provided for both front and back teeth and are much preferable to losing the tooth. Modern crowns are very hard wearing and look great. Crowns can transform a patient’s appearance. Dental bridges are similar to crowns, but are used to fill the gap or gaps left when teeth have been lost. We can offer bridges in many simple and more complex cases. Whether you’re on the NHS or Private, you can access quality treatment at Townsend Dental Practice. 

Bridges: a dental bridge is a false tooth used to replace a missing tooth or teeth. It if fixed in place to teeth or implants on either side of the missing tooth, usually by a crown. Bridges can be fully ceramic or made with metal fused to porcelain.

Traditional Fixed Bridge: a dental bridge is a false tooth which is fused to one or two teeth on either side of the gap. The crowns holding the false tooth in place are cemented to the teeth on either side. This is known as a fixed bridge and cannot be taken out of your mouth like a removable denture.

Resin Bonded Bridge: this is normally used to replace front teeth. This is best used when the teeth on either side of the gap are healthy and don’t have large fillings. The false tooth is fused to a metal band which is cemented to the back of an adjacent tooth.

 Metal Ceramic Crown: these are made from a metal interior or base to which a porcelain crown is fused. This type of crown is robust, long-lasting and normally cheaper than fully ceramic crowns. However, there can be cosmetic issues with metal ceramic crowns and the metal base can appear dark/grey at the gum line.

Full Gold Crowns: these are the strongest and longest lasting crowns. This type of crown requires the least amount of tooth preparation and can last for up to 40 years or more. The disadvantage is the colour as many people would prefer a tooth-coloured crown.

All Ceramic Crowns: These are cosmetic crowns made purely from ceramic. There is no metal base so no dark or grey line at the gum margin. They are strong, long lasting and extremely aesthetic.

Veneers

Porcelain veneers are thin layers of porcelain that are fitted onto the surface of front teeth in order to improve their appearance. They can be used on discoloured, chipped or misshapen teeth. Veneers are very thin so do not involve removing much tooth structure, unlike crowns, so the strength of the tooth is not compromised. They are constructed by a top quality dental laboratory using the strongest and most aesthetic porcelain materials.

Veneers are a more conservative alternative to crowns and can transform your smile. With improvements in material strengths over the years they have excellent durability and they can last up to 15 years or more in most cases.

Inlays

Inlays are lab-made tooth coloured fillings. They are constructed from porcelain or composite resin over two separate visits and are more durable than directly placed composite fillings. They appear similar to white fillings and should blend almost invisibly with your natural tooth

Teeth Whitening