Services
Restorative Dentistry
Restorative dentistry deals with the day-to-day repair and restoration of decayed, broken or otherwise damaged teeth, involving treatments such as fillings, crowns and bridges. Our practice policy is that we, as far as possible, do not use dental amalgam as a filling material. We prefer to use composite which gives a far better aesthetic result without any adverse risk to the patient’s health. We work very closely with our dental technicians to provide the most appropriate restoration for each individual case.
Cosmetic & Aesthetic Dentistry
Cosmetic and aesthetic dentistry is a broad description encompassing several dental disciplines, with the ultimate aim of giving the patient the most spectacular smile possible.
This may involve orthodontics to move the teeth, periodontics to improve the appearance of the gums, prosthodontics to replace missing teeth or to substantially improve the appearance of the patient’s own teeth. A smile makeover could be as simple as teeth whitening through to a full reconstruction with implants, crowns, veneers and bridgework, depending on what is required and what result the patient would like.
Endodontics
Endodontics is the branch of dentistry dealing with treating damaged or infected contents of the pulp chamber and root canals of teeth.
Marco Carugati looks after our patients’ endodontic requirements at Cornerways. We use the latest techniques and equipment, including a dental microscope, apex locators and rotary instrumentation in order to achieve the ideal result. This includes the removal of all diseased or damaged tissue and sealing the pulp chamber and root canals in such a way so as to preserve the tooth and prevent further infection of the tooth and surrounding tissues. Successful endodontic therapy allows a patient to keep their natural tooth functioning as normal rather than the usual alternative of having the affected tooth removed.
Orthodontics
Our aim with orthodontic therapy is not only to provide patients with a beautiful smile, but also to see that the occlusion is correct. Occlusion is the relationship between the upper and lower teeth that allows your mouth to function correctly. This relationship is a complex one, and if not set correctly can lead to symptoms such as recurrent headaches, neck ache, shoulder pain and toothache.
By moving the teeth orthodontically, correct occlusal relationships can be re-established, thereby removing and further preventing these symptoms. In addition, our orthodontic philosophy is that we will try as far as possible to achieve an ideal orthodontic result without the need to remove adult teeth. It is a myth that only children require orthodontics, we have many adult patients of all ages undergoing successful orthodontic treatment as well.
Periodontics
Periodontics is the speciality in dentistry which deals with the tissues around the teeth; in other words, the supporting structures that keep the tooth in place.
For various reasons, some patients suffer from periodontitis – inflammation of the gums and other supporting structures of the teeth as a result of excessive plaque and tartar build-up. In most cases, if left untreated, this condition will ultimately result in the loss of teeth. In many cases patients who suffer from periodontitis experience little or no symptoms until the very late stages of the disease. Symptoms include swollen, tender gums which bleed readily, teeth begin to feel loose, a foul taste in the mouth and halitosis (bad breath). Recent research has shown that periodontitis is linked to other systemic problems such as some cardiac conditions, stroke, thrombosis and diabetes.
Hennie van Jaarsveld, our specialist periodontist, is able to help such patients. Using non-surgical as well as surgical techniques, he is able to reverse virtually all the signs and symptoms of periodontal disease, thereby increasing the likelihood of the patient keeping their teeth for a longer length of time as well as potentially improving their health in general. It is then very much the responsibility of the patient to maintain a good level of oral hygiene which includes meticulous home care as well as regular visits to the hygienist.
Implant Centre
Dental implants are typically small, screw shaped attachments, usually made from titanium. These are inserted within the jaw bone to take the place of a missing tooth root. Once osseointegration (when the bone attaches firmly to the implant) has occurred, a replacement tooth, known as an abutment, can be secured to the top of the implant. This new tooth can look, feel and perform just like a natural tooth. It is also possible to use multiple implants to support a denture or a fixed bridge.
Prosthodontics
Prosthodontics is the branch of dentistry dealing with replacing missing or severely damaged teeth in order to restore normal aesthetics and function by means of fixed or removable prostheses.
Removable prostheses are commonly known as dentures and can be used to replace anything from one to an entire set of teeth. As their name implies they are not fixed into the patient’s mouth and need to be removed regularly for cleaning and maintenance.
Fixed prostheses are an evolution to the problems of removable prostheses. By means of crowns, bridges and implants, teeth can now be replaced and fixed in the patient’s mouth, to look and function as well as the patient’s own teeth. We use the services of highly skilled and experienced dental technicians to achieve the most realistic aesthetic and functional results possible.
Occlusion
Occlusion is the branch of dentistry which looks at establishing the correct balance and harmony between all the elements of the oral complex.
Stress is an integral part of modern life, whether we like it or not. For many people stress contributes to problems involving the oral complex. The most noticeable problems are those which arise when people clench and grind their teeth excessively, particularly when they’re asleep. If a person develops such a habit and the way their teeth meet is not in harmony with their jaw joints and not in sync with their muscles, then symptoms such as recurrent headaches, neck ache, shoulder pain, toothache, vertigo and ear ache can result, often with debilitating consequences. Often these sufferers will ascribe their symptoms to a whole host of other factors such as spending too long in front of the computer or bad posture.
Treatment for such conditions can be achieved by splint therapy, occlusal equilibration or orthodontics, ultimately relieving what can be extremely painful symptoms.
Oral Hygiene
Our oral hygienists, Suzanne Harris and Jane Gander, head the oral hygiene team at Cornerways. They help our patients to maintain a good level of oral hygiene with a programme of regular hygiene visits, oral hygiene instruction and medicaments where necessary. They also provide advice as to what oral hygiene products are best suited to each individual. All this is done in collaboration with other dental team members in the practice to provide every patient with an optimal, bespoke care package.
Suzanne and Jane are also able to provide a deeper cleaning service for those patients with more severe gum problems, but who prefer not to have surgery. This is known as root planning and is undertaken under local anaesthetic, usually one quadrant (section of the mouth) at a time.
