
In days gone by, if you went to your dentist in the city of London, you didn’t really have a lot of options to choose from when having a dental procedure done. You were knocked out with a hammer and then your teeth were then attacked with a road drill, or if there were any doubts, the dentist would yank it out. Okay, so that may be a little over the top, but technological changes in the dental world now mean that you are more integrated with your dentist and get more of a say in what you would like to have done. There are so many operations involved in dentistry these days that the choices become overwhelming at times. Basic procedures such as having a filling and root canals can be done with a laser if you so choose, that is virtually painless, removing the choice of anaesthetics, but the use of lasers truly come into their own when it comes to the options in cosmetic dentistry. Such things as gum contouring, teeth whitening and dental implants have never been easier thanks to this new technology. Of course, you can still get your teeth into shape using tried and tested methods such as crown placements, veneers and bridges. You really are spoilt for choice with what’s on offer these days so you would be wise to do lots of research beforehand in order to get what is best for you.
What’s an endodontist I hear you cry, people of west London? Well Endodontics is one of those specialist dental treatments that deal mainly with the nerves of your teeth and if you have suffered from a trauma due to injury, the roots of your teeth have become infected, or simply, you have let things get out of hand and are suffering from tooth decay, your regular dentist will call in an endodontist to solve the problem. One of the more common problems is that of tooth decay and this means that you will have to have root canal treatment in order to save the tooth. This means the nerves within the tooth have become badly infected and have to be removed. This is done by first removing the bad pulp in the tooth to enable the nerves to be drilled out and then once done the tooth is then filled and topped off with a
A whole branch of dentistry is not well known by many people in the general public and yet it is a vital part of maintaining
Most of the problems that many people are familiar with when it comes to teeth, are those affecting the outside of teeth, such as cavities or excess plaque. In fact there is a whole other side to dentistry that is concerned with the vital interior of your teeth. This is called endodontics and the word, which might not be familiar to that many people, has its origins in the Greek words for inside (‘endo’) and teeth (‘dontics’).
When teeth become infected because decay and enamel erosion has allowed bacteria to penetrate to the central, sensitive part of the tooth it can be very painful and also extremely bad for the health of your teeth and wider body. Dental infections will cause the nerve to come under attack from infection and will ultimately result in its death and the death of the tooth, and once this has happened, the tooth will fall out and leave an unseemly gap in the dental arc.
When teeth become infected as the result of dental decay it can be a very painful experience and one that can cause you a lot of misery and anxiety. Infections are almost always started by plaque and bacteria eroding the protective layer of enamel that coats the teeth. This forms dental cavities which are further exposed until the enamel is finally penetrated and the softer more sensitive inner part of the tooth is exposed. Infections then take hold in these cavities and begin to attack the dental nerve which is why it so painful. If this is not remedied quickly, the nerve will eventually die and the tooth will fall out.
Root canal treatment is a complicated procedure, and therefore it is usually only done in extreme cases. The treatment is given to patients who are constantly prone to infection in a particular tooth, rather than lose the tooth the treatment saves what is an otherwise healthy tooth. The procedure is about as painful as any other treatment, in other words you won’t usually feel a thing during the process. First of all the dentist will drill into the cavity of the tooth called the Pulp Chamber, and remove any infection that remains. Then further drilling will remove the nerve ends and any blood vessels that serve the tooth. What is left is a hole in the centre of the tooth, this is then filled with an antibacterial based substance, the most common used is Gutta-Percha which is a natural latex made from the sap of a tropical tree. Once the cavity is filled it is allowed to harden, then a
As you may be aware, your teeth play a vital role in maintaining long term good health. Unfortunately, as you age, cavities and other damage to your teeth may lead to tooth loss. Today, root canals are one of the most reliable methods for saving teeth that would have required extraction. Without a question, if you can arrange to visit a dentist in West London, it will be worth your while to ask about root canal treatment.




