To enable the dentist to make an accurate diagnosis, proper imaging are usually required. This enables the dentist to evaluate not only the teeth in the mouth, but also the bone and tissues surrounding it.

We use modern x-ray machines with low radiation doses, and we limit our exposures, thus we only take x-rays when necessary. Our x-rays include intra- oral x-rays- to take x-rays of small areas in the mouth- and also Panoramic or Conebeam CT x-rays which takes an image from outside the mouth by circling the x-ray machine around the patient.

Scaling and Polishing of teeth remove plaque, as well as harder build- up called calculus. Cleaning of the teeth is followed by topical fluoride application, which strengthen the teeth, help lower sensitivity and prevent cavities from forming. Oral hygiene instructions are also thoroughly explained and demonstrated to aid each patient in keeping his/her mouth healthy at home.

Regular, bi- annual cleaning visits are imperative to maintaining healthy gums and teeth, prevent staining as well as bad breath.

Zoom tooth whitening is done, together with take- home kits to further the effect of whitening. Our practice manufactures custom bleaching trays- made for your mouth- which enables the bleaching liquid to be safely used at home.

The BriteSmile teeth-whitening procedure has been available in South Africa since March 2003 and it is growing at an amazing rate, with more and more dentists becoming associated with BriteSmile every month. The procedure has been introduced in more than 80 countries since 1999 and in early 2004 over a million treatments has already been performed worldwide.

These figures reflect the good results of the procedure – over 98% of BriteSmile patients are satisfied with the treatment. In just a little over an hour, your teeth are whitened by more than 9 shades (on average 9.3), which makes it economical for tourists to have the treatment while visiting South Africa.

Tooth whitening forms an essential part of the treatment process and helps transform your smile into a radiant one.

Gum treatment is done, in conjunction with basic cleaning and oral hygiene visits, when indicated. Upon assessment of your mouth, the dentist or oral hygienist will inform you if your gums need further treatment. This is usually indicated when gingivitis or periodontitis is present. These terms refer to inflammation of the gums and possibly the bone surrounding the teeth. These conditions can lead to gums bleeding when brushing, red or swollen gums, loose teeth, and bad breath. The good news is that it can be treated!

A gum guard is a custom fitted guard that fits snugly around your teeth to protect the teeth and jaw from injury when participating in sports.

When a gum guard is custom fitted it is more comfortable to wear and more ideally suited for optimal protection, due to the precise fit. Gum guards are important for children, as well as adult athletes.

A night guard is essential for most people to wear while sleeping. A night guard is a translucent acrylic (similar to plastic) plate that fits precisely over the biting surfaces of the teeth (it does not cover the whole tooth and gum such as a gum guard would).

This is beneficial as it protects the surfaces of the natural teeth and crowns when grinding or clenching (which is very common in most people as almost everyone is under stress). The plate also protects the jaw joints (Temporo- mandibular joints) which more often than not sustain damage when grinding the teeth.

It is very important to get protection for your teeth and crowns by making a biteplate!

When a tooth has a cavity, then a filling needs to be done.

A cavity contains bacteria, which result from foodstuffs adhering to the tooth and damaging the outer layer of the tooth (enamel or dentin). When this cavity presents, it needs to be cleaned and the resultant hole/ cavity needs to be filled up to close the sensitive tooth structure and to protect is from further decay.

We use aesthetic, tooth coloured filling materials to do these fillings. If, however a cavity becomes too large, then a porcelain filling or crown may be necessary.

Cavities can be uncomfortable and even painful, so be sure to get them fixed as soon as possible!

When a tooth’s pulp cavity or nerve has sustained damage, root canal treatment is necessary to prevent further inflammation or infection. Root canal treatment is essential in such a scenario to save the tooth (which will always be our primary goal). The tooth will be numbed entirely before doing this, ensuring you won’t have pain when we do the root canal treatment.

The pulp cavity may sustain damage in various ways, which may include:
⦁ Deep fillings
⦁ Large cavity extending into the nerve/ pulp
⦁ Tooth fractures/ cracked teeth
⦁ Trauma or injury to a tooth
⦁ Tooth abscess

A root canal treatment treats the nerve inside the tooth roots to relieve pain and restore the tooth’s health. We use specialized equipment (such as apex locators and heat obturation systems) and an array of disinfection materials when doing our root canal treatments to give you the best possible treatment. When the root canal treatment is done, the tooth is built up with a filling, and a full-coverage porcelain crown is often necessary to strengthen the tooth.

We always try to save a tooth where possible, but if a tooth can’t be salvaged, it might be necessary to remove it.

When tooth extraction is necessary, the area is wholly numbed to prevent pain or discomfort. So you will not have pain while we do the extraction!

We use modern techniques and instruments to gently remove the tooth and prevent damage to the surrounding bone and tissues. This is very important as we strive to replace a missing tooth when the area has healed, requiring healthy tissues.

Options to replace missing teeth include:
⦁ Implants
⦁ Bridges
⦁ Removable dentures

A ceramic veneer can be described as an ultra- thin shell covering a tooth’s outside surface, usually the front teeth in the mouth. This is a wonderful option to preserve as much as possible of your natural tooth structure. When indicated, porcelain veneers offer an aesthetic, minimally invasive solution to a better smile.

Dental veneers can:
⦁ Improve your smile
⦁ Improve tooth colour
⦁ Close gaps between teeth

A ceramic inlay or onlay is an excellent alternative to conventional direct tooth-colored fillings and may be indicated when a cavity becomes too big for a traditional natural filling. A “conventional direct filling” implies that a filling is placed directly in the mouth and is not manufactured in the lab. An indirect filling or a filling manufactured in the lab (inlay or onlay), has the following advantages:

⦁ More detail/ better aesthetic/ natural outcome and character to the restoration
⦁ Better contact between teeth results in fewer food impactions
⦁ The porcelain filling is manufactured in the lab. Thus, no shrinkage in the mouth results in less post-op pain and better long-term stability.

If you want the best possible long-term result, ask your dentist about this exciting option!

A ceramic crown is a full-coverage dental crown that covers and protects the entire circumference of the tooth crown in the mouth. This procedure is done when a significant amount of tooth structure- necessary for function or aesthetic reasons- has been lost due to extensive damage to the tooth structure. These scenarios include ⦁ Very large cavities ⦁ , Very large fillings ⦁ , Root canal-treated teeth, ⦁ Fractured teeth ⦁ Worn down teeth ⦁ , Crowding of teeth, or severe bite problems.

A bridge is one of the options available to close a gap where a tooth has been lost (also refer to implants and dentures for other options). It is a fixed structure cemented in your mouth, just like an individual crown. A bridge needs to be anchored to the teeth behind and in front of the toothless gap, just like a structural bridge’s abutments support the arch.

A bridge can utilize natural teeth (that have to be healthy) or implants as abutments. However, just like a structural bridge connecting two pieces of land, the arch of a dental bridge can’t have arches that are too long between available abutments to support it. Due to this reason the dentist might advise against a bridge on natural teeth in certain instances and instead advise an implant(s) with crowns and/ or bridges.