maintenance & repairs
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hygiene & gum care
All beautiful smiles start with decay-free teeth and healthy gums. We offer all the routine maintenance and check-ups you need.
To keep your gums healthy and clean, we recommended that you have a hygiene clean every 6-12 months. We will remove any stain, plaque and calculus build up especially underneath the gums where your toothbrush can’t reach and give you tips on how to look after your dental hygiene better.
This is especially important if you have fixed retainers and any fillings, crowns or veneers.
To keep your teeth decay-free, we recommend a full examination every 12 months. We will complete an oral cancer screening and check the health of your teeth, gums and bones, taking any x-rays required (usually needed every 2-3 years).
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composite contouring
Maintenance for composites are to be expected as with any dentistry.
You will notice the composite resin can pick up surface stains from foods, losing some of their gloss/lustre over a period of time. This can be renewed with a simple maintenance appointment where we can clean up, re-gloss and polish the composites back to their original finish.
This can be completed as part of a routine examination and hygiene. We recommend this once a year.
Whilst the composites are very strong, you should avoid biting directly into very hard foods with your front teeth as this can apply added stress onto the teeth. If a chip or fracture does occur, the composite can be repaired in a short appointment.
Whilst the longevity of the composite will depend on your habits, proper care and maintenance means the material should last a long time and anywhere between 5-7 years or more.
From this point forwards, depending on the condition of the composites, more frequent repairs or replacing the composites may be required with new composites or with porcelain.
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porcelain veneers
Porcelain is one of the strongest and most durable materials we have.
The characteristics of porcelain means that it is highly resistant to staining and chipping. Even so, porcelain veneers will also require good long-term maintenance, so they can last anywhere from 10-15 years or more.
We recommend a routine examination and hygiene every 6-12 months to maintain the gum health around these teeth.
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teeth whitening
After your initial course of teeth whitening, the warmer colour of your natural teeth will gradually return due to the normal staining process of daily eating and drinking. The time-frame of this will depend on your consumption of tea, coffee and other staining food/drink.
We recommend you carry out a ‘top-up’ night or 2 of whitening every 3-4 months to maintain your brightest shade.
For long term-maintenance, additional top up gels can be prescribed and purchased with us.
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removable retainers
Wear and tear is normal, especially if you grind your teeth at night.
Most patients require a new removable retainer every 12–24 months. Please look after these and wear them as instructed.
For convenience, digital casts of your teeth can now be created for you to save you having to come back for new moulds every time you need a new retainer. This way we can post you a replacement retainer whenever you need them, wherever you are.
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fixed retainers
The glue around the fixed retainers can wear thin over time so regular maintenance is important so that it can last many years.
If you have any trouble or notice a sharp corner, please get in touch immediatley. Please push the wire retainer back against your teeth and wear your removable retainers over them for comfort, until we can see you to re-bond it.
It is essential you do not pull out or cut the wire yourself as it is unlikely we can fix this.
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