Services

CEREC is the new golden standard in restorative dentistry made available through CAD/CAM technology and has revolutionized dentistry to such an extent that it is seen as the future of modern dentistry. At this stage it is available at only a select few dental practices. It is for ALL ceramic restorations like Crowns, Veneers, Inlays and On-lays and is completed in JUST ONE VISIT.

Enjoy metal-free dental restorations milled with high precision that has exceptional durability.

There are no uncomfortable impressions since the prepared area is scanned with a 3D intra-oral scanner to give us virtual models to design your restoration from. This is done with the aid of the advanced CEREC software available to us.

There is also no laboratory involved because the restoration design is then communicated to the on-site milling unit wirelessly. We use strong and durable ceramic blocks to mill a restoration that closely match your own tooth colour and look. Your new restoration will be finished in 15-30 minutes thus placement of the crown, veneer, inlay or on-lay is done in the same visit. Usually the placement/cementation of your restoration is within an hour for a single tooth. So no extra visit and no extra injection! Very convenient for busy people and travelers, since the usual one week waiting time for a laboratory crown now unnecessary.

A bridge is a fixed structure to restore areas of missing teeth. In order to place a bridge two teeth next to the opening have to be crowned and we call them the abutment teeth. The tooth that is replaced is called the pontic tooth. These units (the abutments and pontics ) are fused to one another and this whole structure then gets cemented onto the prepared abutment teeth.

Bridges are made of various materials like a metal base with porcelain fused to it or ceramic materials like zirconium. Most bridges are still made in a laboratory so two visits are necessary. On the first visit the two abutment teeth are prepared by removing tooth structure all around the tooth and impressions are taken that gets sent to the laboratory. The dental technician takes about a week to manufacture the bridge so on the first visit a temporary bridge will be made chair-side by the dentist and cemented in place with temporary cement.

On the second visit the temporary bridge will be removed and the area cleaned so that the newly manufactured bridge can be cemented into place.

On the second visit the temporary bridge will be removed and the area cleaned so that the newly manufactured bridge can be cemented into place. Bridges usually have a lifespan of 5 to 10 years but this relies on a strict oral hygiene regime including brushing and flossing. Remember the longevity of the bridge relies on the health of the abutment teeth. With good care a bridge can last even longer.

A denture replaces missing teeth and can be partial devices if only a few teeth are missing or full upper and lower devices if all the teeth are missing.

Dentures are usually made from an acrylic material. Most people know them as plastic teeth. They can also have a metal base made from chrome and cobalt with acrylic teeth attached to the metal base. These are generally for partial dentures and are thinner and more comfortable but more expensive. Some dentures can also have a softer rubber base for more comfort. Especially if the jawbone and ridge is very thin.

We understand that each person differs and so does their needs so we aim to provide you with the denture that best addresses your unique needs. We strive to provide you with the most comfortable and natural looking solution as well as make you feel confident and beautiful.

At our practice we make your child’s visit to the dentist the most fun it can be. It is very important to bring your child for regular visits from the age of three even if you don’t suspect any problems. This is so that we can act in a preventative matter if necessary and to get them used to dental visits. We have rides in the chair and brush their teeth with our special toothbrush and there is most definitely a reward afterwards.

At this age it is important for your child to establish a healthy relationship with the dentist so for us the first visit usually is more of a “get to know one another affair “ than a dental visit. It is important for your child to feel comfortable and relaxed so that if there is a problem in future they can come and visit us without fear. We do not want their first visit to be because of an abscess or need for extraction , because then a dental visit will always be associated with pain.

As parents and caregivers it is important to keep an eye on their oral hygiene so it is a good idea to have your own check-ups at home and even do one of the brush sessions yourself every so often. Primary or “baby” teeth are just as important as permanent teeth and shouldn’t for that reason just be left because they will eventually be lost. They are important for space maintenance. Good oral health principles will help your child well into their adult life.

An implant is placed in an area where a tooth is missing or removed. This is a fixed and more permanent solution for missing teeth opposed to having to use a denture. So a missing tooth will not mean the end of your smile.

Benefits of implants:

• Replaces missing teeth
• Restores functions like chewing and speech
• Maintains facial contours and appearance
• Prevents drifting of other teeth
• Easier to maintain than a bridge or denture
• No need to damage adjacent teeth in the preparation like for a bridge
• Permanently fixed/Non-removable

For most patients the placement of dental implants involves three phases. In the first phase a titanium screw/implant is surgically placed in the jawbone and then left to integrate or grow on to the bone for about 4 to 6 months. After integration of the implant to the bone the implant is exposed and a small healing abutment is placed so that the gingiva can heal. After healing of the gingiva an impression can be taken to have a crown made that then gets placed onto the implant via screw-retention. The end result is an artificial tooth that looks and feels right at home alongside your own natural teeth.

Implants are also placed for overdentures. This is mostly for patients that struggle with dentures that do not fit properly anymore. The procedure remains the same and you will still be able to wear your existing denture during the integration and healing stages. Most patients do not experience any disruption in their daily life.

Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars most people get in their late teens or early twenties. Some people may have all four (or even more) and some only one or two. They do not always have to be removed if they are healthy and properly aligned but more often than not this is not the case and will require removal.

If they are misaligned they may be positioned horizontally, angled forward, backward, inward or outward and can cause damage to the adjacent teeth, jawbone, gum or nerves. They can also be impacted which means they are enclosed by bone and gum.

If they are only partially impacted (some of the tooth is pushing through the gum) they can cause an infection. This will result in pain, swelling, jaw stiffness and general illness. Partially erupted wisdom teeth are also more prone to tooth decay and gum infections because of their hard-to-reach location making brushing and flossing difficult.

To determine if your wisdom teeth are present and if they need to be removed the dentist will examine you and need to take an x-ray to properly diagnose their position and condition. Sometimes we may recommend having the wisdom teeth removed before problems develop. This is to avoid a more complicated and painful surgery later on. Removal is easier in young people because the roots are not fully formed yet and the bone is less dense. The healing period tends to be less in younger patients as well.

There are several ways of removing wisdom teeth and this usually depends on the positioning and condition of the teeth. Some can be removed under local anaesthetic like a normal extraction and others will require surgical removal either under local anaesthetic, sedation or general anaesthetic in theatre.

This is a process of simultaneously rebuilding or restoring all of the teeth in both the upper and lower jaws.

It typically involves performing procedures like crowns, bridges, veneers and ceramic restorations placed by the general dentist and can also incorporate specialists like periodondists (specialising in the gums), oral surgeons, orthodontists (specialising in tooth movements and positions) and endodontists (specialising in the tooth pulp).

The indications for full mouth rehabilitation may be due to:

• Lost teeth due to decay or trauma
• Fractured teeth
• Severely worn teeth as a result of long-term acid erosion or grinding
• Ongoing complaints of jaw and muscle pain or headaches and thus requiring adjustments to the occlusion (bite)

A filling is needed when you have a cavity that needs to be restored. So what is a filling? When there is decay present in your tooth it needs to be removed. Once all the decay is removed a restoration/filling is placed in the opening that is left. A filling/restoration is the most conservative way of restoring a decayed tooth.

Silver/amalgam fillings are used very little in dentistry today due to the controversy regarding the use of mercury in the composition that has been associated with toxicity.

These days composite materials are the filling materials of choice. These so called “tooth-coloured” materials are made from resins and have a more natural look that mimics tooth material.

Root canal treatment is performed when a tooth has become so decayed or infected that the inner part (living pulp tissues including the nerve and blood vessel) of the tooth is exposed and this tooth cannot be saved by a normal filling procedure.

This decay is usually accompanied with extreme pain and often swelling or the start of an abscess. There is no obvious way for you to determine at home whether a root canal treatment is necessary so we highly recommend that you make an appointment so that we can examine you.

After it is established that root canal treatment is necessary, the tooth is anaesthetised and all the decay removed. Then the pulp chamber is opened and the nerve inside the root is removed with a rotary instrument and small files. This cleans the canal in a mechanical method. The tooth is then chemically rinsed and a medicament is placed within the root and a temporary filling is placed so that the tooth can heal. Usually after about two weeks you will have another appointment to further clean the canals inside the roots. The canals are then filled with a root canal filling a then a permanent filling can be placed or the tooth can be crowned.

If your teeth are discoloured, yellowed, blackened or simply not as white as you would like, tooth whitening is the option for you. Your lifestyle and ageing process can darken your teeth. What you eat and drink and smoking can stain your teeth and brushing alone will never reverse these effects. You will have to have a consultation first to ensure that your teeth and gums are in a healthy condition and that you are a suitable candidate for bleaching.

Good dental hygiene results in a mouth that look, smell and feels healthy. This means your teeth are free of debris and calculus, your gums are pink and do not hurt or bleed when you brush or floss. If you experience any pain or bleeding or struggle with a persistent bad breath you should book a consultation with us.

We can help you to identify causes of bad breath and bleeding gums and teach you dental hygiene techniques in areas where you require extra attention. Healthy teeth and gums will not only enable you to feel and look good but to eat properly as well. We recommend six monthly visits. These dental hygiene visits are particularly important during pregnancy and orthodontic treatment.

This service is provided at Birchmed Surgical Centre for all oral surgery cases and children that are too little or scared to have treatment done in the rooms. This usually involves general anaesthetic by a qualified anaesthetist in a modern and well-equipped day facility.

As sports are getting more and more competitive these days, mouth guards are an essential protective device for most contact sports. A lot of the mouth guards bought at sport shops or pharmacies are generic and thus very uncomfortable and then not worn.

We will take an impression and a custom made mouth guard will be made by our technician that fits perfectly. There are also a wide variety of colours and patterns available.

A biteplate is an occlusal guard that is worn to protect the teeth and the temporo-mandibular joint in patients with a grinding habit. Most patients are not even aware that they grind their teeth but struggle with headaches, neck and shoulder pain and have worn down teeth. An occlusal guard or biteplate usually solves all of the above.

An impression will be taken and a biteplate will be manufactured by a technician. There are different types of biteplates and can be made to fit over the top or bottom teeth. Biteplates are usually worn during night time but the more you can wear it the better.

Botox is a highly purified & diluted preparation of botulinum toxin A. Botox is injected, in very small amounts, into specific muscles, as a treatment. It acts by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses to muscles and so paralyzes (relaxes) the muscles. This treatment is used for people who chronically grind their teeth. It relaxes the muscles used for grinding and thereby reduces/ stops the damaging habit.

It is also used to relax the muscles that cause frowns and wrinkles, thereby treating the wrinkles for a younger, more aesthetic appearance.

Dermal Filler is a soft tissue filler injected into the skin at different depths to help fill in facial wrinkles, provide facial volume, and augment facial features: restoring a smoother appearance.