White fillings allow us to restore decayed or broken parts of the teeth to a natural looking finish, with the use of a coloured plastic mixture which is blended to create a colour almost identical to the natural tooth. It is also used to reshape disfigured teeth.

Generally, tooth whitening is successful in at least 90 percent of patients, though it may not be an option for everyone. Consider tooth whitening if your teeth are darkened from age, coffee, tea or smoking. Teeth darkened with the colour of yellow, brown or orange respond better to lightening.

First, the dentist will deter­mine whether you are a candidate for tooth whitening and what type of tooth whitening system would provide the best results. The dentist or hygienist will make impressions of your teeth to fabricate a mouth guard appliance for you. The mouth guard is custom made for your mouth and is lightweight so that it can be worn comfortably while you are awake or sleeping. The mouth guard is so thin that you should even be able to talk and work while wearing your mouth guard. Along with the mouth guard, you'll receive the tooth whitening materials. You'll be given instructions on how to wear the mouth guard.

A denture is an appliance which is worn to replace lost or missing teeth to enable you to enjoy a healthy diet and smile with confidence. A complete or full denture is one which replaces all of the natural teeth in either the upper or lower jaws. A partial denture fills in the spaces created by lost or missing teeth and is attached to your natural teeth with metal clasps or devices called precision attachments.

The base of a denture is called a plate and can be made of either acrylic (plastic) or metal. The teeth are normally made of acrylic and can be made to match your natural teeth. This is especially important in the case of partial dentures.

The denture process takes about one month and five appointments: the initial diagnosis is made; an impression and a wax bite are made to determine vertical dimensions and proper jaw position; a "try-in" is placed to assure proper colour, shape and fit; and the patient's final denture is placed, following any minor adjustments.

A crown is a restoration that covers, or "caps," a tooth to restore it to its normal shape and size, strengthening and improving the appearance of a tooth. Crowns are necessary when a tooth is generally broken down and fillings won't solve the problem.

To prepare the tooth for a crown, it is reduced so the crown can fit over it. An impression of teeth and gums is made and sent to the lab for the crown fabrication. A temporary crown is fitted over the tooth until the permanent crown is made. On the next visit, the dentist removes the tempo­rary crown and cements the permanent crown onto the tooth.

The crown will be made to match your other teeth exactly. The shade of the neighbouring teeth will be recorded, to make sure that the colour looks natural and matches the surrounding teeth

    See www.impressdental.co.uk for further information

Wisdom teeth often cause no problems. They are described as impacted when there is not enough space for them at the back of the mouth. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause pain, swelling, infection or damage to the teeth next to them. If the gum around the wisdom tooth is swollen the jaw may become stiff and sore.

Partially erupted wisdom teeth are breeding grounds for bacteria and germs and may lead to infection. Antibiotics only sooth infected wisdom teeth for a short time.

A bridge is a dental appliance that replaces one or more natural missing teeth, thereby "bridging" the space between two teeth.

You will see a schematic of a cross section through a fixed bridge and the teeth that it sits on (called abutments). As you can see, the abutment teeth are prepared by "shaving" them down so that they are smaller and their sides are slightly tapered and reasonably parallel to each other. This makes it possible to create a casting which will fit over the prepared abutment teeth. Usually the casting is a metal substructure which will eventually be covered with tooth-coloured porcelain.

If you are missing any teeth and are committed to maintaining good oral hygiene practices, you may be a good candidate for a bridge. A bridge is the most natural choice to fill the space in your mouth left by missing teeth. If left unfilled, this space can cause the surrounding teeth to drift out of position and can cause teeth and gums to become more susceptible to tooth decay and gum disease that can cause further tooth loss.

    See www.impressdental.co.uk for further information