Treating Teeth

Treatment of Teeth

A divergence in treatment methods is under way

For 150 years conventional treatment of decay has relied on visual examination teeth,or pain to be the trigger for removal of tooth tissue followed by filling with a variety of materials, or extraction. Easing these processes are general anaesthetics, local anaesthetics, sedation, and other means. Distress caused by using these methods means many find dental treatment stressful, and many put up with severe pain rather than visit a dentist. This is the background to our current situation and it will take years or even decades to overcome this image.

Conventional treatment is successful for those who can tolerate it, and are supported by an understanding, and skilful dentist.

Wonderful transformations can be achieved in appearance and function, so there is a place for the conventional skills of dentistry.

For those who cannot tolerate it, dentistry has failed them, but it has been the best available. This is now not so.

Dental treatment as comfortable as brushing teeth: the Freshstart Programme.

We are at a revolution, a breakthrough, in dental care. How would you like dental treatment as comfortable as brushing your teeth? Would that change the image of dentistry, encouraging people to attend for checkups and treatment, preventing the pain and anguish dental decay can bring?

The good news is that such treatment is available at this practice.

We can make and keep your mouth healthy with this new treatment. There are limits to this approach and we may need to use conventional methods in some circumstances, but when we do cavities are so small that local anaestheitic is rarely required and the strength of the tooth not compromised.

So the message is come early, don't wait for pain or swelling to begin, and your dental treatment may be more comfortable than you have experienced previously.

We anticipate extensive conventional fillings will become rare, for those who attend regularly, being reserved for situations where traditional fillings need replacing.

When do teeth need treating?

Often damaged teeth don't hurt and it's possible you remain free of pain whilst the damage continues. If you use pain as the indicator to have teeth treated, then this becomes:

  • very costly because treatment becomes complicated, or you decide to have the tooth taken out, leaving spaces
  • it takes longer to treat
  • treatment may become more uncomfortable
  • larger repairs are likely to break down sooner, requiring further work
  • should pain develop it may become severe rapidly requiring urgent treatment possibly at an inconvenient time, interfering with work or leisure, perhapsr disrupting holiday arrangements.

It really makes sense to have regular checks to identify problems at an early stage when we may be able to advise simple steps to allow you body to heal iwithout treatment, or for us to intervene in a simple way to help you.