Family Friendly & Specialty Dentists in London, UK

Dental implants are custom-made teeth replacements that are permanently attached to your jawbone. They sometimes need to be attached to the cheekbone when is not enough bone in the mouth. The questions you must consider before signing up for an implant treatment with a dentist should include:

Why should I have my dental implants done by a Periodontist?

Scientific evidence shows success rate is dependent on the quality of the gum around the implant, therefore for better results it would be best to see an expert in gums. Our patient, Laura, explains this point perfectly.

Due to the extensive skills and knowledge of the expert, the aesthetics and final results would be better and the gum would be perfect.

Our regulator (The General Dental Council) recognises  a specialists in Periodontics as having particular expertise in the management of gum diseases and dental implant surgery. These dentists would have spent 3-6 years of continual postgraduate study after they qualified as dentists.

What is the success rate of dental implants?

In the hands of an expert, such as a the periodontist at London Dental Specialists, we achieve a success rate of 95%. We also offer a 10 year warranty on all implant treatments.

How can I tell if my dentist is an expert in dental implants?

In UK Law, there are only three specialities with verified expertise in dental implants; Periodontics, Oral Surgery, Prosthodontics. Ask your dentist for their registration number, click on this link put the number in the appropriate section and you will be able to see if your dentist is an expert.

The advantage of seeing a periodontist for Implants is that it is accepted that if the gum is perfect, it is very unlikely to face problems with the implant.

How long does dental implant treatments last?

The time frame for dental implants would be between 3-12 months depending on the case.

Why you should see a specialist dentist.

Dentists will agree that expertise is required to carry out a successful implant treatment and that only a minority have this expertise because this training is not given at dental school.

Many implant case patients need further treatments, whether its gum disease, root canal treatment or orthodontic treatment. To get the best possible results, these additional therapies can be treated under one roof at London Dental Specialists.

Invisalign Specialist Orthodontics in London

Invisalign is a fantastic, computer software-based system for moving teeth that works very well for many patients. Invisalign uses the very latest computers and artificial intelligence to create fantastic results. From a patient’s perspective, there are only three things that are required for success:

  1. You need to wear the trays for 22 hours a day without fail
  2. You need to keep your teeth and gums very clean
  3. Cooperating with any other instructions that are unique to you

What is the Invisalign process?

After careful assessment of your teeth, gums, bones and nerves in teeth, impressions (digital or conventional) are taken of your teeth and sent to Invisalign. Because Invisalign has never met you OR examined your teeth, gums, bones and nerves of your teeth, Invisalign totally relies on very detailed and personalised instructions from the dentist that examined you. Otherwise, the treatment will not work or will take a lot longer than required.

Why should a specialist in orthodontics write the Invisalign instructions?

  1. Invisalign is a computer-based system and therefore needs detailed instructions for it to work.
  2. Specialists in Orthodontics have spent a minimum of 3 years full-time training (after graduating as dentists) learning about how teeth move and therefore have unparalleled expertise in moving teeth. The invisalign computer needs the real world expertise of an orthodontist to get the best result out of the fantastic system.
  3. In a situation where your dentist is not a specialist, Invisalign have a network of clinical advisors to help with the detailed instructions. Sometimes, these clinical advisors are UK registered specialist orthodontists but, in many situations, they are not. Therefore, if you want to ensure that Invisalign is receiving the best possible instructions for you, make sure you get a guarantee from your dentist that the clinical advisor he/she used is a specialist OR seek the care of a specialist.

Once our specialist orthodontist has given Invisalign the correct and personalised information, a set of trays are very accurately manufactured for you and you can enjoy watching the slow but predictable development of the smile of your dreams.

If you wish to receive Invisalign teeth straightening from our specialist orthodontist, please complete the form below.

What Are Orthodontic Braces?

Braces are used to straighten teeth for people who have crooked teeth or a misaligned bite. They apply gentle pressure to the teeth on a continuous basis, which will eventually shift them into a more even alignment.

Why should you go to an Orthodontist and not a General Dentist?

Orthodontists and General Dentists undertake the same training initially, but orthodontic specialists complete 3 years of further training after they graduate dental school.

Orthodontic specialist training goes beyond basic dental training and have a more specific focus. They are specifically trained so that they can very accurately predict how teeth will move.

Preparing for Braces

When you meet with the Orthodontist, he/she will ask you questions about your health and perform a clinical exam. The orthodontist will likely order a series of X-rays of your mouth, take photographs and create a 3D model of your teeth. Once he/she has all the relevant information, the orthodontist will prescribe a plan of treatment best suited for your particular situation.

Different types of Braces:

Metal Braces

Metal Braces are the most prevalent type of braces. They comprise of metal brackets, rubber bands and archwires which are attached to the front of your teeth with special glue.

Metal braces are the most affordable and versatile option. They can be used to correct more severe cases of misalignment. They’re also the least subtle option.

Ceramic Braces

Ceramic braces are similar to metal braces in terms of mechanism, the difference is that they’re made using ceramic material which blends better with the natural colour of the teeth.

Lingual Braces

Lingual braces are also similar to metal braces: they’re both made of metal and they have the same components. The difference is that lingual braces are attached to the back of your teeth, making them virtually invisible.

Invisalign

Invisalign is very different from the previous types of braces because they don’t use the typical brackets and wires, instead, they’re based on a system of custom-made clear plastic aligners you wear over your which you change every couple of weeks.

Procedure for Braces

Typically, the orthodontist will begin by thoroughly cleaning and drying the teeth. They will then apply glue to your teeth in order to attach the brackets. Once they are in place, he/she will install the wire into the brackets and use elastic to secure them in place. The entire process usually takes between 1 hour.

Though the procedure itself is not painful, it is not uncommon to feel some level of discomfort afterwards. Initially, your tongue and cheek will rub against the braces, which may cause some sensitivity, and your teeth may feel sore. Getting used to the braces will typically take about a week.

In this, the second of this 2-part blog, Dr Ope Sodeinde discusses the elements that must be considered when making decisions on dental treatments of this nature. As we saw in part 1, if the decay/fracture does not extend to the bone, the treatment is very simple but when it does, the options are:

 

As part of this dental treatment, we carried out crown lengthening surgery and root canal treatment. Although we are confident that the tooth is currently healthy, the longevity of the tooth is currently uncertain but the patient was extremely happy with the dental treatment she received to help save their tooth.

Very careful consideration of a patient’s bite is supremely important in all aspects of dentistry. Clenching and grinding our teeth when we sleep is extremely common and (like this patient) many of do not know that we are clenching/grinding until we start breaking teeth/crowns and bridges.

This excellent patient was referred by a colleague 2 years ago for dental implants and he managed to fracture them during the first COVID19 lockdown in the UK. We therefore decided to replace all his upper teeth with dental implants (Dr Ope Sodeinde), braces in the lower jaw and dental implants to replace the lower back teeth.

Although we had extensive discussions about whether a 72-year old needed this extent of treatment, I am really glad that the patient and my referrer agreed to have this extensive treatment because the video shows that the patient managed to fracture his temporary implant bridge (very very rare indeed) within 3 weeks. I am so glad that the team at London Dental Specialists are able to carry out such complicated treatment with ease and we look forward to showing you the final results.

This patient referred herself to see me complaining about the appearance of her lower front teeth and the general colour of her teeth. On further investigation revealed that she did not like the alignment and colour of her teeth.

The clinical examination revealed that the two teeth that she really hated had severe gum disease and that her teeth were darker than usual. In this situation, after teeth whitening (to improve colour), the two treatment options are:

  1. Braces with our specialist orthodontist to align the teeth.
  2. Extraction of the two teeth she hated, porcelain veneers and dental implants.

Our patient chose option 2 and the treatment took 4 months to complete

chevron-down linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram