Your biggest concerns laid to rest at a dentist in St. John’s Wood

When it comes to general dentistry there are three things that many people could be worried about; Extractions, fillings and root canal therapy. Many dentists don’t understand why people are so afraid as they never perform surgery without completely numbing a patient’s mouth first. At Aura Dental we know that part of the problem is not knowing what to expect and not knowing what happens after because, of course, we cannot see what the dentist in St. John’s Wood is doing in our mouths. In this article, we hope to provide some explanation for these common procedures so that you can go into your appointment with knowledge instead of fear.

Fillings

Holes in the teeth are often caused by poor diet or poor oral care Sugary and acidic foods degrade the state of the protective enamel on the teeth and eventually cause small holes in or between the teeth. Not flossing regularly can also leave food particles between the teeth which then begin to create holes in the tooth. This is where fillings come in, before that hole exposes the tooth to a big infection, we need to fill it for you.

This is a procedure we do just about every day at the dentist in St. John’s Wood. First we numb the side of the face that needs work by blocking the nerve that feeds that particular area. Once the local anaesthetic has taken effect we will drill into the hole in order to make sure the cavity is free from infection and shape the hole in order to properly fill it. Once this area is clean, we insert a composite bonding material (this is a tooth coloured synthetic substance as metal amalgam fillings are no longer used). Once the area is full of bonding material, we shape it in order to fill and construct the area of the tooth we drilled away and then use a light to harden the material.

Root canal

Root canal therapy is needed when there is an infection in the pulp of the tooth. This infection will be causing you an extreme amount of pain and getting the treatment means taking your pain away, not giving you more. We need to clean out the infected pulp before it rots the whole tooth, in order to do this we will have to drill away the top middle section of the tooth to gain access. Once the pulp is exposed we wash it all out and fill the tooth once more with a synthetic substance and cap the tooth off with a crown. It really is as simple as that, but if you don’t get it done, we will eventually need to pull that tooth out.

Tooth extractions

If a tooth does become rotten or severely injured, it will need to come out before infection has spread to the surrounding teeth. Like with all surgical treatments we will block the nerve going to your mouth so that the dentist in St. John’s Wood can work on you pain-free. The tooth in question is likely to be quite degraded and will probably break under pressure so we may take it out in sections and then clean the gum and socket properly before stitching you up. An option to replace the tooth will likely be discussed with you before the extraction.

A note on wisdom teeth – this surgery is often done under sedation or general anaesthetic and you will not feel or remember anything. Wisdom teeth do not need to be replaced as they are not necessary and cannot be seen as they grow right in the back of your mouth.