Category: Dentists

Getting your child to attend a dental checkup can feel like a challenge at the best of times.

If you are told that your child could benefit from braces, you may feel that they will be sulky with you for the rest of your life if you have one fitted. But, there are many advantages to your child wearing a brace in their younger years and, we promise, they will thank you for it later!

At Aura Dental, we are proud of the orthodontic options that we can provide for our younger patients. Our dentist St John’s Wood and the rest of our team have helped thousands of children get straighter smiles, and we can attest to the many advantages that this treatment can offer in the short and long term.

So what are some of the advantages of your child undertaking braces with our dentist St John’s Wood?

Better nutrition

Your child will eat most of what you give them. But, when they are out and about or at school, the position of their teeth may create issues for them. As a result, they may be passing up on healthier food options such as fruits and vegetables in lieu of chips and softer foods.

When our dentist St John’s Wood fits a brace and your child’s teeth start to straighten, they will find it easier to bite into and chew harder foods, thus improving their overall nutrition. Great!

Clearer speech

It is amazing how big a role our teeth play in our speech. If your child has an overbite, we are willing to bet that they have issues pronouncing the ‘th’ and ‘s’ sounds. If they have an underbite, they may struggle with pronouncing the letter ‘l’.

With a brace, we can correct these issues and thus, as their teeth realign, their speech will become clearer and their confidence will improve.

Improved oral health

Misaligned teeth are harder to brush; it is a fact of life.

If your child has complex misalignments, they may regularly need fillings or fluoride sealants to protect their teeth against decay. So, being fitted with a brace will make it easier for them to brush and clean their teeth, improving their dental health in the long run.

Better long term physical health

Following on from misaligned teeth being harder to brush, should your child not have their teeth straightened, they may develop a higher incidence of plaque in their mouth.

Excessive levels of plaque have been linked to serious health issues like heart disease, cancer and even strokes. So, by straightening your child’s teeth and making it easier for them to clean out plaque deposits, you will actually be ensuring better physical health for the rest of their life.

Improved confidence

And of course, what better way to set your child up for a happier life than by improving their self-esteem with a straight, healthier smile.

Children who have their teeth straightened using a brace earlier in life often report higher levels of confidence when they reach their teenage years and beyond. Remember, for those under the age of 18 years, orthodontic work is free in the UK so, it won’t cost you a penny!

At Aura Dental, we offer a wide range of treatments from general, children’s and cosmetic dentistry to orthodontics and dental implants. We also offer emergency treatments if you should ever find yourself in need of them. We like to think that if you’re looking for a warm and friendly dental practice that really cares about each individual patient, then you will have come to the right place! But don’t just take our word for it, we are finalists in the 2020 Private Dentistry Awards, an achievement that is thanks to our knowledgeable and experienced staff and the holistic approach that we take in our relaxed environment. We hope that all our patients feel a part of the decision making process when it comes to creating their treatment plan and we will always take the time to answer as many questions as they may have. Find out more about what we can do as a dentist St John’s Wood.

Teeth whitening: Enlighten

If you’re looking for a dentist St John’s Wood who offers teeth whitening, then look no further. We use a system called ‘Enlighten’ that guarantees to get your teeth to at least a Vita shade B1. It is a renowned system that gets results. We also offer the Enlighten’s Evolution professional teeth whitening system that can brighten teeth by up to 16 shades lighter. You will have trays made to fit your mouth and while you are waiting for them to arrive, we will provide you with some fancy toothpaste to use. It contains HAP (Hydroxyapatite) and this is what the enamel of your teeth is actually made up of for 97% of it. This will reduce the sensitivity in your teeth and strengthen them. When you then receive the trays you will wear them at home with your whitening gels. By wearing them every night for a couple of weeks, you will then be ready for a final session in our practice with our dentist St John’s Wood to give your colour a final boost and get a smile that shines!

Composite bonding

If you are looking for a solution to the size or shape of your teeth, as well as the colour of your teeth, then composite bonding could be for you! It is made of the same material as that which is used for white fillings and is normally applied to the fronts of teeth which are visible to other people. There is no damage caused to your teeth in having this treatment and it can be a quick and simple solution to minor issues; it can also be used for narrowing gaps between teeth, as well as disguising minor rotations of teeth.

What should I do now?

If you are interested in finding out more about how Aura Dental can help you, why not book in for an initial consultation? We can examine your mouth and discuss any concerns you may have. We will be able to explore the options available to you and you can quiz us about anything you are unsure of. Together, we will be able to determine a treatment plan that is bespoke for you, because it’s what you deserve – treat yourself and your teeth to an experience worth smiling about.

If you’re looking for a dentist, you may have had some recommendations from friends and family about where to go. Perhaps you’ve been doing a search online and checked out some options on a map, but letters A-Z won’t tell you much. The fact is that dental practices have varying levels of expertise and different treatments available. If you don’t want to have to move around to receive different treatments, you may be keen to find a dental practice that has all the dental treatments you could wish for under one roof! At Aura Dental, we are a highly experienced practice that offers dental care for the whole family. We are finalists from the 2020 Private Dentistry Awards and we offer general dentistry, orthodontics, cosmetic dentistry, dental implants and a range of treatments for children. We also offer emergency care should you ever need it. Find out more about some of our popular treatments.

Dental implants

If you have a single tooth missing, several teeth missing, or even a whole set of teeth that need replacing, our dentist St John’s Wood can offer dental implants as a solution. Implants consist of screws which are attached to your jawbone and act as artificial roots for your replacement teeth, which are crowns, dentures or bridges. The screws are made from titanium metal which fuses well with the body’s tissues and ensures that they are firmly fixed in place. Your replacement teeth will be attached to an abutment and once fitted will look completely natural; nobody should know that they aren’t your real teeth. Whether you’re chomping on a steak well done, or crunching on an apple, your replacement teeth won’t let you down. They are easy to look after as well, all you need to do is brush and floss regularly and your replacement teeth won’t get cavities!

Invisalign

At Aura Dental, with our dentist St John’s Wood we have a wide variety of appliances for realigning your teeth, many of which are discreet and enable you to achieve results in as little as 6 months. One such option available to eligible patients is Invisialign. Invisalign is a system that uses clear plastic aligners that are made bespoke to fit your mouth. They sit over the teeth and along the gumline, making them comfortable to wear. They apply gentle pressure to the teeth to gradually move them into the correct position. The beauty of Invisalign is that the aligners can be removed for up to 2 hours a day, including when you are eating and drinking. The plastic is highly durable, so there is virtually no need to see us for them breaking, unlike with metal braces, so you should only need to see us for a check-up every 6 weeks. In between the check-ups, you will be provided with sets of aligners to wear and change around every fortnight. We don’t want to blow our own trumpet, but the results are fantastic and you can see what they will be before you even begin thanks to the iTero technology that takes a 3D scan of your teeth and can be used to generate an animation of what your teeth will look like after treatment before you even get started!

Come and see us!

If you are keen to find out how our dentist St John’s Wood can help you get a smile that you can be proud of, why not book in and pay us a visit? Our door is always open to our patients and we’re ready to help you with whatever dental needs you require treatment for. Whether it’s a quick scale and polish or something more complex, we have the expertise and the knowledge to treat you; you’ll be in safe, experienced hands.

Oral hygiene for many is often nothing more than a background afterthought. And this is the cause of dentistry in general;the best dentistry is preventative and our dentist in St.John’s Wood would prefer to keep you out of the chair!

For a lot of patients, good oral hygiene can be quite an awkward object as they believe their oral hygiene is fine and so, advice is an insult. Alternatively, they may know their oral hygiene could be better and would not like to be reminded. As medical professionals, we don’t judge our patients’ personal choices when it comes to how they wish to keep their own teeth. As long as the consequences are understood, it is important to maintain good hygiene for your health and bank balance.

A primary condition caused by oral hygiene issues is a cavity, but often, only a few of our patients know exactly how cavities are formed. Cavities are made by colonies of bacteria who attach themselves to the enamel of tooth; they digest sugar producing lactic acids much like the lactic acid that is produced in our muscles during exercise, but when it is produced at the surface of the tooth, lactic acid is particularly good at attacking the calcium compounds within the enamel. This weakens and softens the localised area and the bacterial colony exploits this getting deeper into the tooth. They do not do this in order to eat the tooth, only to provide a sheltered spot in which they can happily continue digesting the sugars from inside your mouth. It is this parasitic behaviour that results in the formation of a cavity, which will drill deeper and deeper into your tooth overtime eventually compromising structural integrity and resulting in the crumbling of the tooth.

This process accelerates over time as dentin components are weaker and more susceptible to damage by acids. The precursor to these colonies’ foothold inside your teeth is a biofilm that curved over the tooth surface. This film is called plaque and is a mix of many different bacterial species. By regularly removing plaque from your teeth and disrupting biofilm, you are preventing the next stage of the bacteria’s invasion.

Even with regular brushing of the teeth, it is tricky to remove plaque from certain spots. This includes between teeth, areas that have been damaged by cracks around bridgework, and where the dentie of the root has become exposed as gums recede.

During the early stages of a cavity,there are little to no symptoms. This is also the stage where it is easiest to treat. Catching cavities at this stage is one of the main reasons why the regular screening for cavities which occur during your six month regular checkup at our dentist in St.John’s Wood is so important.

As well as being able to see cavities at early stages by a simple examination of the enamel, our team is also able to ascertain the depth of the cavity; it is possible that quite a small hole extends deeply into the tooth.

If you are experiencing a cavity,you can get in contact with our dentist in St. John’s Wood. You can do this via the phone or email as well as the contact form on our website.

Cracking a tooth might sound like a rare or strange situation but it’s fairly common and easy to do, usually on hard foods. And our dentists in St.John’s Wood are happy to help.

In general, most people understand that a damaged tooth is something that needs to be treated and this is often the case if there is any form of discomfort. Deep cracks can be exposed, making them sensitive to changes in temperature. But a patient’s experience of cracking over a long period of time can become complacent, even though this type of cracking is painful but rarely beyond treating. We have to explore the reasons as to why cracking of the teeth can occur, so you can keep an eye out for it.

Night-time tooth grinding can be a common source of cracking teeth as well as having uneven chewing pressure when eating. Night-time guards are available to prevent grinding in the clinic; even the pressure long-term, however, you may require some form of orthodontic treatment. Misalignment can result in placing an excess amount of pressure on a protruding tooth in order to crack it during everyday wear and tear. Either way, cracked teeth need to be addressed as it was a sign of a form of structural weakness in the tooth. If the crack is from a cavity or has now formed a nook in the tooth, this can be exploited by bacteria to form a cavity in the near future.

Not all dental cracks are visible with the naked eye but if you have a sharp pain when biting down hard which fades as quickly as it came, this is one of the signs of a cracked tooth and a sign that the crack in the tooth is opening up under pressure exposing the nerve. This exposure closes again as soon as the pressure is reduced; if you notice this, you should attempt to book an appointment as soon as possible. Our dentist in St John’s Wood maintains a number of empty slots during our daily appointment schedule allowing us to provide same day emergency care.

A crack in a tooth which extends down below the gum line can act as a conduit for bacteria to gain access to the jawbone and beneath the tooth. This can cause dental abscesses and would have to be addressed with a root canal unless the crack is treated in time.

There are many treatment options available to us which depend heavily on how the cracks present in your case; the most minor form of surface cracking can be addressed with a polish in order to smooth out the tooth surface and a fluoride sealant to to help reinforce the enamel against further damage.

A full fracture of the tooth is a crack that penetrates from the surface enamel and goes all the way to the root but with the two pieces remaining in place, this crack can progressively spread over time if not treated. Our dentist in St Johns Wood will endeavour to hold the tooth together using filling material; if the crack continues to spread down the tooth, a crown may be required to hold the tooth together.

A split tooth is the most dramatic form of crack, dividing the two into two pieces with molars who have two individual roots. There may be the option to recover the tooth via crowning it but for the front teeth or canines it will usually result in the tooth having to be extracted.

Are you suffering from poor oral hygiene and in need of treatment? Then look no further than Aura Dental London in St Johns Wood where our expert dentists will be able to see to your needs and requirements in a professional and friendly manner.

What do we do?

At our dentist in St Johns Wood we offer expert treatment together with general dentistry which is often overlooked by a lot of people who get busy with their work and social lives and end up neglecting proper care for their teeth. If you think you are one of those people who need to get back into the routine of caring for your teeth then the best way to start is by making an appointment with your dentist in St Johns Wood and ask for an initial check up. This will enable the dentist in St Johns Wood to be able to provide you with accurate advice and guidance on the best way to maintain dental health and oral hygiene.

What treatments do we offer?

We find that one of the most common forms of treatment required within the UK as a whole is fillings. You may have had at least one filling in your lifetime as it is a very common occurrence. Fillings are needed when you get holes in your teeth and are made up of material that gets placed in the teeth to replace parts of the natural tooth that are now missing.

Dental decay

You may need fillings if you suffer from dental decay as this is one of the main causes of damaged teeth. This happens when people eat too much sugary and fatty foods and drink and do not take care of their diet. This causes bacteria to form in the teeth and the gums which ends up causing erosion and holes to form. Another cause of holes and damage to teeth is caused by poor technique in brushing teeth. This will eventually cause you to suffer tooth pain which can cause discomfort and cause you to struggle to go about your day-to-day life.

What are your options?

If you feel that you are suffering with a hole or pain and discomfort in your teeth and you may require fillings then visit your dentist where the experts will be able to have a thorough consultation and check up so that they can see what the issue is and quickly resolve it for you in a professional and friendly manner. Fillings can be performed on the day and is a quick and easy procedure. The filling will get drilled into the hole and filled with white substance and this will treat the broken tooth and relieve you of the pain. You will not suffer any pain when the dentist inserts the filling into your tooth but if you do feel any slight discomfort your dentist will be able to give you local anaesthetic and some painkillers after the procedure. It will be best to avoid eating and drinking hot foods and drinks for the first 24 hours so that the filling remains in place. After 24 hours you will be able to eat and drink as normal.

Sometimes, unexpected things can happen to your teeth that can be uncomfortable and/or painful. This is why we offer our emergency dentist St John’s Wood service to help our patients in those moments when they are concerned about their oral health.

Reasons for having an emergency dental appointment

There are a few different things that can happen that may cause you to call our emergency dentist St John’s Wood, and we will do all we can to help you at that moment. Our team is highly qualified to deal with the most severe dental cases, and you can have a peace of mind knowing you are in good hands.

Toothache

This is one of the more common reasons that people will come to us for an emergency appointment. Toothache can be unbearably painful, and can stop you from doing your normal day-to-day activities. The pain is usually targeted in one area, causing it to be extremely sensitive, painful and uncomfortable.

When you come to us for an emergency appointment about toothache, we will do what we can to relieve your pain through different types of medicine, depending on the severity of your case. We will then try to find out what the cause of the pain is, and do what we can in that moment to treat it. If further treatment is needed, then we will create a plan to help you with it in the future.

Loose Tooth

If you have knocked a tooth out, then this can be painful, and can put the area at risk of infection. This is why you should contact our emergency dentist St John’s Wood if your tooth gets knocked out or becomes loose. It is especially important to contact us if you have continuous bleeding after it happens. If you still have the whole tooth intact and it is clean, then we may be able to reattach it, but if not, we will discuss options with you for future treatments to replace it.

If your teeth have become loose without knocking them, this could mean that there are bigger problems at play, such as periodontal disease. It is important to not ignore these symptoms, as they will only get worse over time, the quicker you contact us, the easier it will be to treat the problem.

Cracked tooth

Another reason that you may need to contact us for an emergency appointment is if you have cracked your tooth. This can cause sharp pain when you bite down, and when you eat or drink. It can also cause that tooth and the surrounding teeth to weaken at a faster rate. Depending on the severity of your case, there are several things that we can do to help you if you have a cracked tooth.

If you have a minor crack in your tooth, we will most likely just lightly polish the area to smoothen out any rough areas. On the other hand, if your whole tooth is cracked, this may need a root canal to treat it, or sometimes we can just repair it with material used for fillings.

Are you finding it harder to chew and swallow food? Do you have oral ulcers that you cannot get rid of?

If so, you need to see our team.

As scary as it is to consider, the rates of oral cancer are rising in the UK and in fact globally, making it all the more important to see your dental team regularly for check-ups. If you are in a worrying place where you aren’t sure if you have oral cancer, don’t worry! With early detection and treatment, it has one of the highest survival rates of all cancers and so, you should really see a member of our team if you have concerns.

Because at Aura Dental, we know how important it is to screen for oral cancer and so, our dentist in St Johns Wood provides all of our patients with cancer screening as part of our biannual check-ups. If you have concerns about cancer between check-ups, however, please contact us right away so we can help.

But what are some of the signs of oral cancer to look out for at home? Our dentist in St Johns Wood answers that question below.

It’s hard to chew and swallow

If you are having issues biting into food, chewing it or swallowing, then you need to see our dentist in St Johns Wood for a check-up.

If you are suffering from a cold or flu, then these problems could be due to inflammation or may even signify a long-term undiagnosed allergy. However, if they persist for more than 2 weeks, come and see our team.

Weight loss

Unexpected weight loss is always worrying and should always be explored by a medical team.

As before, just because you have lost weight, it doesn’t immediately point to the big c, but may once again highlight an issue with food intolerance, allergies or even stress and mental health issues.

But if you have seen a doctor and all of these issues have been screened for, you may need to see our team for oral cancer screening.

Recurrent ulcers

From time to time, most people get oral ulcers; usually due to stress or illness.

But if you are noticing consistently occurring ulcers in your mouth, on your tongue or on your lips (they can look like a cold sore) then you need to see our team.

If one of the ulcers grows to the size of a 5 pence piece or larger, seek emergency medical assistance.

You can’t move your tongue and jaw correctly

As you may have guessed, if you struggle to stick out your tongue or are having issues with jaw movement, this could point to a hidden tumour underneath your tongue or in the jawline or joint. Of course, it could also indicate nerve issues, but nevertheless, if you notice that your tongue feels heavy, is not as mobile as it once was or is just feeling stiff, then you should contact our team for an oral cancer check. 

When your adult teeth come in at about the age of 7-11, it can be a time for relief; no more teething issues, or uncomfortable swellings to contend with.

Sadly, for 80-90% of the population of teenagers, there are another 4 teeth that need to erupt and will do so between the ages of 13-17. Known as wisdom teeth, these 4 teeth appear behind the second molars on both the upper and lower jaw. While this may sound straightforward, they rarely come without their own set of issues and can cause havoc with your already erupted adult teeth.

Luckily, we can help! Our team at Aura Dental knows how uncomfortable wisdom teeth can be and can assess yours as they begin to erupt. Our dentist in St John’s Wood will be able to identify any potential issues with these additional teeth following an examination, allowing you to decide if you want to have your wisdom teeth removed.

But what are some of the more tell-tale signs that our dentist in St John’s Wood needs to remove your wisdom teeth?

Eating issues

As wisdom teeth rarely erupt straight in the way that other teeth do, they can cause issues with eating. If you notice that your wisdom teeth are preventing you from removing food debris, or ache when pressure is applied, you need to see our dentist in St John’s Wood to discuss your options.

Gum inflammation

As you may or may not remember, when teeth erupt, the surrounding gum becomes sensitive to touch due to inflammation.This is part of the process for wisdom tooth eruption too, except over 40% of patients experience gum inflammation once the teeth have finished erupting, making brushing and eating harder. If your teeth have erupted and your gums still look red and are sore to the touch, contact our team at Aura Dental.

Sinus issues

Wisdom teeth that grow in the upper jaw can press against the sinuses once they have fully rooted and developed.

And as you know, blocked sinuses can lead to congestion, pressure and extremely painful headaches. If you have been having congestive issues since your upper set of wisdom teeth erupted, then our team can take an X-Ray to assess if the issues are related and then discuss a treatment plan with you to alleviate the pressure.

Stiff jaw

From the upper jaw to the lower jaw!

As the more mobile of the jaws, if you notice that there is stiffness in your jaw, such as pain when you are trying to bite into food or when you yawn, your wisdom teeth may be at fault once again. This is caused by the wisdom teeth pushing against your other teeth and leading to pressure in the jaw, or stiffness. If you have a hard time opening your mouth, talk to our team.

Pressure

Or you may just experience a sense of pressure in your jaw, which can feel like a persistent ache. If you do, contact Aura Dental today!

Following 2020, many dental patients are a bit apprehensive about stepping back into dental surgery. There have been many changes over the last year and understandably, fewer people are as concerned about their teeth as they have been previously.

With the ongoing pandemic, social distancing and other restrictions in place, many people are puzzled about the rules surrounding dental emergencies; are they still the same? Are you able to see an emergency dental team on the same day?

At Aura Dental, we are proud that our dentist in St John’s Wood can keep our doors open and we are currently seeing emergency dental cases every day. We will aim to see you on the same day that you contact us, allowing you to get back to your daily life pain and stress-free. Simple!

But have the criteria for what constitutes an emergency trip to see our dentist in St John’s Wood changed? Read on to find out!

Discomfort

A universal indicator of a dental emergency is discomfort; it may be intermittent, feel like a burning sensation or may even only occur when you are eating or drinking hot or cold foods and drinks. Either way, if your discomfort is keeping you from focusing or is impacting on your sleep, you need to see our emergency dentist in St John’s Wood as soon as possible.

Swelling

Another indicator that there is an issue is swelling. This could be located on your face, on your gum line or under your jaw.Even if the swelling doesn’t hurt, it still needs to be seen by our team urgently, before it presents an issue to your ability to eat or breathe. Even a painless swelling could point to an abscess or an impacted wisdom tooth, both of which require urgent medical attention from our team.

Loose fillings or crowns

An irritation that can occur with procedures such as fillings or crowns is that they can come loose or even fall out. Like the swelling, even if this doesn’t hurt, you need to book an emergency appointment to see our team to have them replaced. For example, an open or loose filling can allow bacteria to gain access to the pulp, causing further discomfort, decay and maybe even an abscess. If you actually have your lost filling or crown, bring it into our team who will be able to reattach it.

Detached braces

While rare, if you notice that one of your fitted brace brackets is loose or has come away from the tooth, you need to see our team! While we won’t be able to assess any damage in the way that your orthodontist would, we will be able to temporarily reattach it until your orthodontic appointment, where it will be fitted in place.

Cracks and chips

Like a lost filling, such minor damage can seem trivial but needs urgent attention from our team. Not doing so can again allow bacteria to get underneath your tooth’s enamel, and cause issues with decay and infection occurrence.