Month: March 2017

Replacement tooth options

Many people living in the Banbury area of Oxfordshire come to Amsel & Wilkins wanting to replace their missing teeth. So, what are your options if you have missing teeth?

There are five different ways to go about solving this problem.

replace-missing-teethDo nothing

Many people choose this option. This can have some downsides. The bone where the tooth has been extracted will resorb overtime. This can make the surrounding teeth look longer as the gum pulls away.

This also means that if you wanted a dental implant later in life there may not be enough bone, or the procedure may be more uncomfortable or costly if bone grafting is required.

Another possibility is that the surrounding teeth on either side of the gap will fall into that space, potentially creating problems with your bite.

Crowns

Dental crowns are used in a wide variety of situations. The most common reason is to repair a broken tooth or weakened tooth structure. Under certain circumstances a crown can be used to cover a poorly shaped or undersized tooth. Dental crowns can also be used for cosmetic reasons to improve the appearance of dark or discolored teeth.

Bridges

A dental bridge is made by gently reducing the teeth either side of the gap to accept a new crown. With a new crown on the teeth either side of the gap, a new tooth can be suspended between them and joined to the two crowns. This creates a dental bridge made of three components joined together.

Dentures

At Amsel& Wilkins, dentures are an extremely good solution to the problem of missing teeth. Dentures are the most cost-effective option and with modern advances, they can be made to look so good that most people won’t ever know that you are wearing them.

Dental implants

If you have lost or missing teeth, then your jaw will shrink and weaken until the gap is filled. Dental implants are the best way to stop this ongoing damage, resulting in the closest thing to your natural teeth.

Amsel & Wilkins offer these treatments at our beautiful and welcoming practice in Banbury. Give us a call, so we can help you replace your missing teeth and restore your confidence.

Go White. Replace Old Silver Fillings

Most people have some form of filling in their mouth. Nowadays, fillings are not only functional, but can be natural looking as well. Many people don’t want silver fillings that show when they laugh or smile because they are more conscious about the way they look.

white-fillings-in-banburyBecause silver fillings are opaque to X-Rays, it makes it difficult to see a cavity under the filling until it has become quite serious. Research has shown that if you don’t use any X-Rays you can see around 50% of what is going on under the filling and even with a full set of X-Rays you will still only see about 80-85%. So, there is 15-20% of cavities that won’t be able to be seen because the metal can block out the damage.

Does that mean white filings could help prevent decay?

Research has shown that silver fillings do not strengthen your teeth. So, a silver filling in a tooth, essentially acts like a wedge and when you bite down on the filling the forces are spread to the remaining tooth structure.

If the filling is large there is a good chance that the tooth is going to crack, break or chip. Because silver filling material was sometimes just packed into the tooth, there is no bond of the silver filling to the tooth. This is not the case with white fillings. The force of chewing is distributed over a larger amount of tooth, making the tooth around 20% stronger with white fillings.

The cost

Costs usually depend on the size and type of white filling used and the time it takes to complete the treatment. At Amsel & Wilkins, tooth coloured fillings start from just £65 a tooth. With an initial consultation being just £51, there has never been a better time to consider changing your silver fillings to white ones.

Give your loved ones this special gift

If you wanted to treat your family or friends to white fillings, we can offer you gift vouchers, available from as little as £10. You could make a loved one’s birthday or Christmas extra special. Just give us a call, or email us for more details on our gift voucher options.