Author: Crofts Dental Practice

Smoking Cessation- how we can help

Tobacco can have a very significant effect on your oral health. Lets look into what we’re doing to help our patients with smoking cessation Essex, and what restoration options are available. smoking-cessation-essex

Dental impact of smoking

There are very well established links between poor oral health and long-term smoking, which have become a key part of anti-smoking imagery on tobacco products today. Nicotine and many of the other products of combustion encourage vasoconstriction, the tightening of the blood vessels. Both nicotine and various forms of tar are absorbed through the tissues of the mouth and throat, not just in cigarettes but this is actually more so with cigar smokers, who hold the smoke in their mouth for extended periods of time. The tightening of the blood vessels in gum tissue reduces  blood flow and oxygen too. Over time, gum tissue begins to die and recedes exposing more of the vulnerable cementing (the outer coating of the roots).

This then exposes nerves to damage and can cause sensitivity to hot and cold. But this usually affects the front teeth significantly more than the edges of the mouth, which has a significant impact on your overall appearance.

Dental staining is the first sign of dental damage. There is variety in the extent of the staining depending on how you hold the cigarette when smoking. Most of the surface stains can be brushed off, but over time it will become ingrained, tartar will more often pick up, staining far quicker than enamel.

Whitening treatments

There are chemical and abrasion methods that can significantly reduce the signs of tobacco use as part of smoking cessation Essex,  but it’s best to start with a thorough scale and polish. This allows any stains and tartar to be removed, which could make up the majority of the darkening.  After this, calcified plaque is removed and your teeth have a smooth surface. Traditional gel whitening techniques can be used to achieve the desired shade. Bringing your pearly whites back to pearly white.

Restoring gum health

Gum tissue can be recovered. Depending on the scale of the recession, it will be very challenging to recover gum tissue if the patient continues to smoke. We therefore highly recommend that those who have the start of gum disease, quit smoking or at least move to non-tobacco sources of nicotine.

It not only gives minor recession the opportunity to recover but allows gum transplants to be considered, which are more likely to succeed if you are not smoking.

Cancer screening

Cancer screening is a standard part of a 6-month dental check-up and our smoking cessation Essex. This is particularly useful for smokers, as mouth cancers are one of the most common forms of smoking-related tumours, with dentists usually being the first practitioners to notice.

If an area of suspicious tissue is noted during your examination, you’ll be informed to follow up with your regular physician; this should not be considered a diagnosis, just an indication that looking into it further is required. This permits early intervention and maximises the chances of full recovery.

Hitting your facial aesthetics goals

We understand the significant value behind facial aesthetics Essex. And no, it’s not what you might think. There will always be a place for the glamorous side of cosmetic treatments but the vast majority of what we perform in the clinic is about minimising the signs of ageing and returning confidence to our valued patients. Allowing them to regain a past vigour and confidence and becoming a more productive and generally happier person. facial-aesthetics-in-essex

With our facial aesthetics in Essex, you do not have to accept the passage of time, limitation of genetics and some of the long-term drawbacks of lifestyle. Let’s find out more about how we can help.

What accelerates the appearance of ageing

Plenty of things in life can accelerate the signs of ageing. Unfortunately, most of them are quite tempting like sunbathing, smoking and alcohol use. Others, we have limited control over, like daily reducing stress, staying hydrated and improving sleep will help reduce wrinkles but only to a point.

Treatment options with injectables

Injectable cosmetics are primarily carried out by applying treatment with a syringe.

Reversible and so much less invasive than permanent surgical options, so they can be a great first step for somebody who is considering cosmetic procedures. They also have very rapid results, so aesthetic goals can be reached for a major event like a wedding.

Our facial aesthetics in Essex team has the right combination of excellent clinical skills and aesthetic appreciation to provide treatments safely and effectively. With far more culpability and legislation than salon based providers.

Botox treatment

Botox injections are used to semi-permanently relax muscle groups. By doing so, they strategically reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles; these can be completely removed, significantly reducing the signs of ageing. Giving you a more youthful fresher look. Botox is performed using extremely fine needles and injecting very small volumes into the tissue, making them largely painless. The treatment does not show its full effect immediately but becomes more significant over time. Two weeks is the typical settling in time with the treatment lasting 6 to 12 months.

Dermal fillers

Dermal fillers work in a different way to other cosmetic procedures. Rather than removing tissue volume, they increased tissue volume. But by doing so, cleverly it can give the appearance of a thinner face or smoother skin.

The effectiveness of dermal fillers is heavily based on the practitioner at. We focus on lifting and plumping techniques by applying filler above a problem site in order to increase the tension in the skin beneath it, altering any undesirable features without disturbing the natural attractiveness of our patients. Or causing radical changes in appearance.

Dermal fillers can be removed early but will naturally fade as the primary ingredient is hyaluronic acid. This does occur in tissue and the body will eventually recycle it. Treatments usually last for 6 months, with many patients choosing to have their dermal fillers reapplied every 4 months in a shorter top-up treatment. Dermal fillers can also be used to alter the shape and plumping of the lips. So, please feel free to ask more about lip filling.

Invisible braces: How treatment impacts the everyday

Orthodontic treatment is a procedure that extends far beyond our clinic; the long-term nature requires treatment to occur in parallel with everyday life. Let’s look into what options there are to minimise the impact of treatment, like our invisible braces Essex. invisible-braces-essex

Daily challenges of orthodontic care

There are issues that come with the daily use of orthodontic tools, and these have encouraged us to make them more convenient and practical, with a big emphasis on getting the right sort of care for your particular misalignment. If an orthodontic issue can be corrected using a clear aligner, a brace would be an unnecessarily inconvenient but still effective solution, and it would be sensible to reserve things like headgear only for the most severe misalignments where they are truly required. Using Inman aligners to correct crossbites instead of surgically pinned braces is another example of prioritising the minimum necessary treatment with the maximum quantity of convenience.

Aesthetics

Braces can be worn well with self-confidence and pride, but when given the option, most of our patients would prefer treatment without them. The options that have the least impact on your appearance are clear aligners, with our invisible braces Essex or lingual braces. Clear aligners are thin, translucent plastic forms that can fit over the teeth. Lingual braces can be mounted behind your teeth, meaning they can only be spotted if you open your jaw as wide as possible.

Maintenance

Cleaning is the biggest part of maintenance; repair jobs from trauma are a possibility but we don’t see them often in the surgery . Cleaning your invisible braces Essex or orthodontic tool must be carried out every day and usually after every meal. Any orthodontic tool that is permanently fixed into the mouth will have more cleaning requirements than one that can be removed before eating. Even for tools that can be removed, it is strongly recommended that you brush your teeth or use mouthwash before returning the device, as the disruption of the natural flow of saliva around your teeth can result in food particles being held in contact with the enamel surface, increasing cavity risks.

Seeing the results

Orthodontic treatment is not without its challenges and being able to see results can make a big difference to compliance. With our patients who are completing their treatment with traditional braces, the progression of their teeth into new positions is obscured by the brace itself. Using clear aligners or less intrusive orthodontic tools allows you to see your teeth taking on their new positions. You might lose the big reveal moment from brace removal, but you gain constant reassurance every time you look in the mirror that your teeth are taking on a more aesthetically pleasing form and your smile is gradually improving.

This makes the challenges that come along with removable braces maintenance (cleaning and using them regularly) far easier than those with a standard brace, where you have to delay the gratification till the end of treatment. This is particularly important with removable orthodontic tools as patients can stop their treatment at any time.

Maintaining your dental hygiene

Oral hygiene is one of the least glamorous parts of dentistry. It certainly does not have the cutting edge glimmer of aligners or dental implants, but pound-for-pound, oral hygiene has saved more teeth and improved more lives than any other procedure. Let’s see how you can get the most from your teeth as we endeavour to help with maintaining your dental hygiene Essex. dental-hygiene-essex

Checkups and screening

Checkups can be seen by most of us as an inconvenience for a few who have significant dental apathy. They can be a genuine challenge for nervous patients, but either way, their value is often forgotten. The power of checkups is early intervention, and almost all dental procedures that exist without them are trivial. Whereas if left to extremes, it can be expensive, life-changing and often debilitating. The window of opportunity where treatment is most effective does not always line up with the first few symptoms, which are usually not apparent to the patient; it’s very possible for you to require intervention but have no symptoms. This is where dental checkups come in. In the same way that cervical screening allows the early intervention of cancers, dental screening permits the early detection of cavities that, if left untreated, can result in tooth loss.

The hygienist

The professional in prevention and dental hygiene Essex is the clinic’s hygienist. Hygienists are sometimes left in the shadows but only by those who undervalue their role in the management of gum disease or the scale-and-polish, both of which help with both general oral health and aesthetics.

Art of flossing

Flossing is often not in the everyday routine of many of our patients, as they may find it intimidating. You should never be concerned about asking us about flossing techniques or advice regardless. It is one of the primary roles of our clinic and hygienist to help you maintain your dental hygiene Essex in the long term.

High fluoride toothpaste

Fluoride can provide excellent protection for teeth. However, it has a therapeutic dose that can increase risks and side effects like fluorosis, which is when the enamel begins to show brown stains caused by an excessive buildup of fluoride. This is why over-the-counter toothpastes have restricted concentrations of fluoride and instructions on avoiding swallowing.

One of the normal steps in stabilising an active infection is using toothpaste high in fluoride. These are only available by prescription and are only appropriate for adults since ingestion can be harmful. But they are excellent in rapidly recovering and strengthening teeth before reconstruction work.

Brushing up on brushing

Education that is based on brushing and dental hygiene is not restricted to our youngest patients. In our busy world, it can be easy to ineffectively brush and perform other dental maintenance in an everyday fashion. This can cause plaque to build up in awkward locations in the mouth and be spotted during a checkup. When you come to us at Crofts Dental Practice, we will direct you towards better techniques of brushing – something useful at any age!

Enhance your look with a smile makeover

Smile makeovers Essex allow you to bring together and enhance your appearance, using some of the most effective methods available in a minimally invasive manner.smile-makeovers-essex

Teeth and mouths have a disproportionately large effect on our overall perception of beauty. We are inexplicably drawn through conversation and general curiosity to each other’s mouths and teeth. Strong healthy teeth have long been a perceived indication of wealth, status and  long-term health, with tooth loss due to poor nutrition not uncommon in years gone by.

Poor oral health was a hard thing to rectify and a hard thing to hide in the past, so it makes perfect sense to have used it as a marker up to the present day. The good news is that this means we can make substantial alterations in somebody’s overall perceived attractiveness with very minor, yet visually important, alterations. It may not be apparently obvious what the most effective route of this is, but an important guide comes in the form of a smile makeovers Essex consultation. With our excellent staff it can make all the difference and put you on the right track, saving you a significant quantity of time and money over the long term.

Gum contouring

Gum contouring is an excellent example of the sort of treatment that does not come to people’s minds. It involves altering the shape of the contours of the gum; this can help increase the definition between the tooth and the gum by creating symmetrical arches over each tooth. This symmetry has long been associated with health, as the loss of it due to inflammation is a sign of gingivitis and early disease.

Tooth lightening

Tooth whitening is one of those treatments that has waxed and waned since first appearing in the 80s, but no longer does it focus on the phosphorescent white look associated with its first introduction. Today, a more natural, light-handed approach to increasing a tooth shade slightly or reducing dark spots is focused upon.

Veneers

Veneers are the most effective and often the fastest treatment option, but they are usually reserved for particularly difficult cases or ones on a particularly tight time schedule, such as the run-up to a wedding, as they do have a significant cost.

That said, these individually handcrafted wafers of porcelain can really work their magic when it comes to overcoming almost any aesthetic dental challenge, allowing teeth to appear to be straighter and healthier, covering chips, cracks and permanent tooth discolourations.

Treatment schedules and overall costs

There is no set treatment schedule when it comes to smile makeovers Essex; one patient may simply require a scale and polish and a gentle lightening, where another may need aesthetic orthodontic treatment followed by veneers, resulting in radically different treatment times and costs. But we will endeavour to structure the treatment in such a way that costs and time are minimised, performing procedures in parallel when possible.

Our clinic offers financing options for patients over the age of 18 who are UK residents. This allows you to spread out the cost of your care and avoid your options being limited by your budget.

If you or any of your family members would be interested, please feel free to get in contact with our clinic either online or over the phone.

The importance of healthy gums

Like building a house on rock, healthy gums Essex are the foundation of healthy teeth. It is possible to lose a tooth without any cavities or damage to the tooth itself due to unhealthy gums, so how do you keep your gums healthy?healthy-gums-essex

There are many minor issues that commonly occur with poor hygiene and damage to gum health. Chronic mouth ulcers, sore spots, or gingivitis, often seen as scarlet inflammation of the gums and minor bleeding during brushing, are some of the more common ones.

All these issues can be treated with a visit to our hygienist and a change in lifestyle, but in the event that it progresses to full blow gum disease, known as periodontitis, things can become more challenging.

Periodontitis

Periodontitis is often a gradual process that goes unnoticed by the patient, but the obvious signs of highly inflamed gums and an unpleasant odour to the breath is apparent to others. Even the chronic gum soreness may have become completely normalised by the patient.

Gum recession makes it sounds like the gum tissue has moved, but much like hair recession, the retreating gum line is not the movement of gum tissue, it is the loss of it and the greater the loss, the less likely and longer it will take to recover. If enough of the gum is lost, then the teeth can no longer remain stable in the jaw and they will begin to wobble and the tendons which bind them are destroyed. The final stage of gum disease may result in the total loss of any remaining teeth.

Stabilisation and recovery

Stabilisation is the first priority in treating an advanced periodontal infection. Recovery is not a rapid process, but one that occurs with diligent oral hygiene over many months. During the recovery phase, regular measurements of pocket depth are required, monitoring the progress and intervening in the event of flaring symptoms. Treatment starts with a course of antibiotics as well as a chlorhexidine based mouthwash as the first step back to healthy gums Essex. Often, a scale and polish is required, as calcified tartar on the teeth is usually the starting point of periodontitis, acting as a safe haven for invasive bacteria and would be a source of reinfection if not addressed and removed.

Talking about gum disease with friends and family

If a patient has got to the point of severe gum disease, there must be an element of neglect involved. It can be an awkward and sometimes embarrassing subject to bring up, but failing to do so will only allow the condition to progress and make tooth loss more likely. At our clinic we want to support healthy gums Essex and provide a non-judgmental supportive environment for those suffering from dental aversions, needing help.

If you think you or one of your family members could use the help of our clinic, please feel free to get in contact. We are happy to answer any further questions either online or over the phone. We are operating normally within government guidelines.

Let’s explore the benefits of white fillings

In offering our patients quality cosmetic dentistry our highly capable dentists at Crofts Dental Practice rely on treatments, techniques and products that offer an overall natural dental appearance.white-fillings-essex

We know well how detracting the glint of metal in the mouth can be in a tooth-wide smile. More and more patients are becoming aware of how glaringly obvious certain dental treatments look when they open their mouths to smile or to speak.

To avoid this awkwardness, patients can opt for, where available, tooth-coloured alternatives that blend in with the rest of the mouth, enabling the patient to feel more confident when engaging in face-to-face interactions.

Fillings remain the easiest and most effective form of treatment to deal with cavities. Thanks to progressive dental techniques, patients are no longer limited to just one type of filling choice. The introduction of white fillings Essex offers patients the benefits of both functional and aesthetic qualities.

In this post, we take a look at what white fillings Essex are and why they are the preferred option for patients.

Benefits of choosing white fillings Essex

To fill in cavities (holes in enamel), dental practitioners use dental material (metal or a composite of materials) to stop these holes from getting bigger that leads to eventual tooth decay and loss.

White fillings are made from a combination of materials such as glass and plastic and it is this unique mixture that affords its natural tooth-coloured appearance. The fact that the resin is purposefully matched to the rest of the mouth helps in achieving a desirable seamless look. Natural appearance is just a start on the arm-long list of positive plus points.

Fillings made from composite resin offer an unbeatable quality of structural integrity. A minimal amount of enamel needs to be prepared before receiving white fillings and so teeth weaken (due to removal of a large proportion of enamel) and the resultant teeth sensitivity is avoided. This type of fillings helps to maintain the structure and integrity of teeth receiving treatment as well as that of the rest of the mouth.

Improvements in the technology used in the making of composite resin have resulted in strengthening the fillings to the extent that they now are able to weather the pressures of biting and chewing without the fear of cracking.

The nature of composite resin fillings make it so that they take less time to put in. The materials in the resin harden relatively quickly, and once applied to the tooth receiving treatment, our dentist will use a special light to quicken the hardening process – a process that can take a matter of seconds.

There is no equal to the versatility of white fillings. As the material blends in to match the rest of the tooth, these can be used to fix other dental flaws apart from tooth decay, like fill in chips and cracks in enamel and improve the look of worn down teeth.

Need to bring back your beautiful smile? Let our experienced friendly dentists at Crofts Dental Practice help restore your dental health and function. Simply call our reception team to book a consultation appointment for you to find out more how we can help you improve your smile.

How we accommodate nervous patients at our dental practice

Fear of the dental chair is a longstanding problem that prevents nervous patients Essex from seeking the professional dental care they need to maintain optimal oral health. Figures from an Adult Dental Health Survey reveal that at least one in ten people in the UK experience dental phobia.nervous-patients-essex

The whys and wherefores of dental fear and anxieties comprise of a range of experiences (both personal and of others) that can start off in childhood. The effects of a poor dental experience as a child can carry over into adulthood, threatening the health and function of the mouth.

In addition to prior bad experiences, patients may also be affected by horror stories told by family members and friends. The look of needles and the sounds emitted from dental instruments can also set a patient’s nerves on end.

As difficult as it may be for patients to deal with these fears and anxieties, it is of the utmost importance that their dental health is not neglected. Choosing a dental practice that understands and sympathises with the fears and anxieties of nervous patients Essex can help reduce the occurrence of these disquieting feelings so that patients can get the professional dental care they need.

At Crofts Dental Practice, we take the issues our nervous patients Essex have seriously and have put in place a number of supportive measures to ease their anxieties. It is not every dental practice that can boast of a special nervous patients’ clinic. The fact that we run one goes to show how well we accommodate the needs of nervous patients. Read on to find out more about how we support patients suffering from dental phobia.

What nervous patients can look forward to at Crofts Dental Practice

We pride ourselves on being a dental practice that places a firm focus on caring and compassionate patient care.

We understand that the longer a patient has to sit in the waiting room to see a dentist, the more anxious, nervous patients can get. We have taken pains to ensure our waiting room is welcoming and relaxing and that the staff is friendly and accommodating so patients can feel free to address their concerns.

We include a wide range of entertainment – music and TV programmes – to help patients lower anxieties by taking their minds off treatment. Patients are also welcome to bring along their own choice of music should they wish.

Other intervention measures include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and sedation dental techniques. CBT has been found to offer particular benefits to anxious patients needing dental care but who do not wish to be sedated. This short-term therapy focuses on distinguishing, and then promptly changing, those unhelpful thoughts that affect behaviour.

For those patients preferring to be sedated during their treatment, we make available inhalation sedation (gas and air) as well as intravenous sedation. We are happy to discuss any concerns you may have in regards to sedation dentistry.

Thanks to our support measures, we have been able to successfully help many nervous patients restore their dental health and function. If you are a nervous patient and would like to know more about our support measures, give our reception team a call at Crofts Dental Practice.

Teeth whitening; systems we offer at Crofts Dental

Do you want a whiter smile?teeth-whitening-essex

At Crofts Dental Practice, we can offer teeth whitening Essex, to help you get a slightly whiter version of your current smile or we can aim to provide you with a smile worthy of Tinseltown!

Our dentist is happy to provide the following guide to the teeth whitening Essex systems that we can offer to our patients; Zoom and Enlighten. So, enjoy!

Zoom!

This teeth whitening Essex works by applying whitening bleaches directly to the teeth and activating the oxidising gel using a UV light.

This is the best system to use if you have surface stains, which can be caused by smoking, coffee or the consumption of other foods and drinks that are high in tannins. The light and the gel break up these kinds of stains and disperse them, leaving your smile up to 8 shades whiter.

Now, you may be worried about sensitivity, but this is not an issue with Zoom. The bleaches contain compounds that reduce sensitivity after treatment.

Zoom can be applied in the dental chair by our team, or at home by yourself, or both! The initial session with our team involves the placement of a dam, to prevent gum irritation and the application of the gel.

At home, we will provide you with a custom-fitted mouthpiece and you will apply a drop of the gel to the mouthpiece. This gel is available in 2 strengths; DayWhite (for daytime bleaching), and NiteWhite (for overnight bleaching).

Enlighten

Similar to Zoom, Enlighten can be applied by our team both in the dental chair and at home.

It takes around 15 days to whiten your teeth and, once again, its mode of action is based on oxidizing gels being applied to the teeth. A UV light will be applied by our team which will help to break down stubborn stains and can whiten your smile by over 10 shades if you want to achieve that Hollywood gleam!

A custom-fitted tray is used for at-home whitening, for which our team will create a targeted, but weaker gel than the one we use in surgery that you can apply yourself. Typically, this will be done at night time.

Sensitivity

As briefly mentioned before, both systems have built-in, anti-sensitivity protection, so once the treatment is complete, you won’t have to worry about discomfort.

If, however, you have very sensitive teeth before beginning treatment, it is worth discussing alternative treatments with our teams, such as veneers or composite bonding.

Longevity

Unfortunately, the results obtained by either Zoom or Enlighten are not permanent and will vary based on several factors.

These include your dedication to oral hygiene if you use top-up treatments in between our team reapplying the in-chair gels, and whether you smoke.

And so, it is hard to put an average on how long your whiter smile will last, but it can last anywhere from 6 months to 3 years. Both systems allow patients to top-up their smiles at home with weaker versions of the gel used in the surgery, but care should always be taken when applying these.

Myths about dental implants answered

Think oral implants will become infected?dental-implants-essex

At Crofts Dental Practice, we have a wealth of expertise when it comes to fitting dental implants Essex and can help you to separate the truth from the myths you may read online.

Here, our team debunks common myths about dental implants Essex, to help you learn the truth about these nifty restoratives.

Myth 1- Oral implants require a lot of maintenance

Dental implants Essex require no more maintenance or work than your natural teeth.

So, to ensure that both the implant and the prosthetic tooth or teeth do not succumb to gum disease, you will need to brush your teeth twice a day, floss them with the same regularity and of course, visit our team twice a year for a check-up.

Myth 2- Oral implant fittings are painful

No, they aren’t- we promise!

When it comes to having oral implants fitted, our team will always ensure that the gums and the jaw are fully numbed, to prevent any feelings of discomfort. Although, you may feel pressure as we fit the implant(s).

Once you are at home, any discomfort should be controllable by taking over-the-counter pain relief such as paracetamol. Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen, as these medications are renowned for thinning the blood and can lead to the worsening of bruises.

Myth 3- Oral implants are likely to become infected

This is a puzzling myth as, due to the sterile environment that they are fitted in and due to the cleanliness of dental surgeries in general, they are at no higher risk of becoming infected than any other type of surgery.

When you are at home after having oral implants fitted, you should take care to keep the site of the implant clean, using saltwater. Refrain from brushing the area for a few days to allow the gums to heal and to avoid aggravating the stitches.

But, there are some signs to keep an eye out for, which could indicate an infection. These include a foul taste or odour in your mouth, swelling, discolouration of the gums (blue, reddening or yellowing), a fever, feeling or being sick and worsening discomfort.

If you notice any of these symptoms, then please contact our team for an emergency appointment.

Myth 4- Oral implants are expensive

OK, so this is a myth that may not be entirely false, but we feel we have to include it.

If you are looking at the total due after having oral implants fitted, then it will probably look very pricey, but actually, our team at Crofts Dental Practice may be able to offer you financing options to help you spread out the cost into affordable monthly repayments.

For more information on this option, please talk to our team.

Myth 5- Oral implants are risky

No, they aren’t.

A lot of research has gone into assessing suitability for oral implants, along with the fitting itself and the aftercare. In short, this is a science and our team knows all that there is to know about it.

The procedure itself has been practised for decades in operating theatres and the only issues that prevented it from being performed in dental surgeries before were those surrounding numbing agents and anaesthetics.