CLOUD9 DENTIST CLAREMONT

The Causes of Stained Teeth

Your natural tooth colour can become stained from tea, coffee, red wine and tobacco and calculus otherwise known as tartar.

Restore the natural shade of your teeth professionally by simply removing the surface stains with debridement and polishing commonly termed "scale and polish".

Tartar is difficult to remove without a professional clean.

Teeth Whitening

Where teeth stains have become permanent, and no amount of teeth scaling and polishing can remove their natural colour, then teeth bleaching may be necessary to 'whiten' the color of your teeth.

We often refer to teeth whitening as teeth bleaching, because it is a simple method of lightening the colour of your teeth.

The degree of teeth whiteness achieved with this method will vary from patient to patient. Additionally, the type of bleaching process chosen will influence the level of teeth whiteness.

Results are normally seen over a period of 2 weeks, depending on how severe the staining is.

Often referred to as 'false teeth', dentures are a removable plate or frame holding one or more artificial teeth.

There are two types available - complete or partial dentures. We use complete dentures when we extract all the teeth. And when some teeth remain, we use partial dentures.

Patients often insist on immediate dentures after removing their teeth, because they do not want to be without teeth.

A disadvantage of immediate dentures, is they require adjustments to fit properly during the healing process and are also only a temporary solution until more 'permanent' dentures are ready.

Ideally, we suggest dentures are renewed every three or four years.

Denture alternatives

Dental implants can be used to support cemented bridges, eliminating the need for dentures. Implants are more expensive, but the implants and bridges more closely resemble the feel of real teeth.

Dental bridges replace missing teeth that would otherwise form a gap in your set of teeth.

In order to fill the gap left after removing teeth, we create a bridge. The bridge is then positioned between the anchoring teeth, called abutment teeth, on either side.

We then crown the two teeth and make use of a false tooth to create the dental bridge between them.

Today, several dental filling materials are available.

Teeth are filled with gold; porcelain, silver amalgam (which consists of mercury mixed with silver, tin, zinc, and copper); or tooth-colored, plastic, and materials called composite resin fillings.

Additionally, we use fillings to repair holes in teeth caused by caries (dental decay), or external trauma.

In some cases, tooth preparation is necessary to improve the aesthetics or the physical integrity of the intended restorative material.

A dental crown is positioned on top of a tooth, in order to cover the tooth and restore its shape and size, strength, and improve its appearance. 

It is a perfect way to rebuild teeth which have broken, or have weakened due to decay or a very large filling.

Firstly, we shape the tooth in the same form of the cap it's about to receive. 

The crown, when cemented into place, fully encases the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.

During root canal treatment or endodontic therapy, we remove the inflamed or infected pulp tissue of the tooth.

We then clean and disinfect the tooth, after which we fill and seal the tooth with a rubber-like material called gutta-percha.

The number of visits to the dentist will depend on the tooth involved. This is because it determines the number of roots present.

Finally, we restore the tooth with a crown or filling for protection.

Porcelain veneers (sometimes referred to as dental veneers or dental porcelain laminates) are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-coloured materials.

We design veneers to cover the front surface of teeth to improve their appearance.

We then bond the veneers to the front of the tooth changing their color, shape, size, or length. Porcelain veneers will transform an unsightly smile completely.

If you suffer from a dull headache or jaw pain in the morning it may be due to night grinding of your teeth.

Grinding your teeth at night is an involuntary activity that commonly occurs. However, we have also seen patients who experience it during the day.

It is often a habit of unconsciously grinding your teeth while you're sleeping or stressed.

To keep teeth safe from the damage caused by grinding, many patients choose to wear a night-guard or occlusal guard.

Cloud 9 Dental offers several sedation options:

• oral sedation;
• conscious sedation;
• IV sedation;
• nitrous oxide inhalation sedation;
• and general anesthesia for adults and children.

Conscious sedation is a great option for patients who find it difficult to endure the various dental procedures necessary.

Additionally, phobic patients have the option of dental treatments done in hospital under general anaesthetic.