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Some Of Your Common Dental Questions Answered

Some Of Your Common Dental Questions Answered - Dentist Surrey

Addressing recent questions asked by our Addlestone patients.

On the whole, we try to write full and comprehensive articles on topics related to dental care here on our blog. These may be general dentistry topics or surrounding a specific procedure.

Sometimes though, we are asked questions that don’t perhaps warrant a full blog post and so we have used today’s blog to address some of the more commonly asked questions that we get asked at the Sync Dental Centres. Let’s begin….

How long can I leave a cavity before it needs filling?

The answer to this is very simple. If you suspect that you have a cavity, you should arrange to have it examined as soon as you can. Cavities will not stay as they are but will almost always get bigger and bigger and deeper and deeper. As a worst case scenario if you delay having it checked, you may have very painful toothache indeed. At the best, you will need to have a larger dental filling than you would if you had contacted us straight away.

I need treatment but I’m scared of the dentist, what can I do?

It may surprise some of our patients to know that we do understand how you feel when you are in this situation. Even some dentists are not overly keen on receiving treatment, but we do know that it is necessary. There are two aspects to this answer. The first more or less replicates the previous one in that delaying any treatment is never a good idea. From a pragmatic viewpoint, if you do suffer from dental anxiety, please let us know. Our dentists have successfully helped numerous anxious patients and you can be sure that you will be treated as gently as we possibly can.

Is having my teeth whitened really worth it?

This is largely down to the patient. There are no health benefits from having a teeth whitening procedure, but it can make a difference in other ways. The most obvious one of these is the visual one. If you really aren’t bothered about what your teeth look like as long as they are healthy, then this probably isn’t the procedure for you. On the other hand, many that have it say that it not only looks nicer but also adds to their confidence.  The treatment is non-invasive and causes no harm to the teeth, so if you wanted to try it just the once to see how you felt afterwards and how it suited you, then you could do so without any significant risk.

Why is there a sharp pain when the dental ‘needle’ is used to apply anaesthetic?

There is a common misconception that the sharp pain comes from the needle itself. However, in reality the main discomfort comes from the anaesthetic meeting the bloodstream and not when the needle is inserted into the gum. In fact, in most cases, you will barely feel that part at all. This is why careful dentists introduce the anaesthetic quite slowly to try to minimise any discomfort.

How can I afford dental implants?

We understand that many of our patients will not want to wear dentures and would like to have dental implants if it weren’t for their higher cost. Unfortunately, implants are not available on the NHS and the nature of them means that they are more expensive than dentures. We try to keep our prices competitive and we also offer some zero interest payment plans (subject to conditions being met). This allows you to spread your payments over a period of up to two years. Dental implants typically have relatively low ongoing maintenance costs and often last for twenty plus years; so over the longer term they can prove to be quite cost-effective.

What’s your opinion on teeth whitening toothpastes?

We won’t comment on specific brands, but by and large, most are relatively ineffective. Due to the nature of toothpastes, there is a very strict limit of the amount of whitening ingredients allowed in them. They may work to extend a period of whiteness between teeth whitening treatments just a little perhaps, but as far as improving the colour of your teeth, you are unlikely to notice any real significant difference. Only a professional teeth whitening procedure will achieve that. It is also worth stating that some of these toothpastes are highly abrasive and may cause damage to the enamel surface of your teeth.

How do I know if dental implants are the right choice for me?

Given the financial outlay, it is understandable that our Addlestone patients need to know as much about this procedure as possible. You can of course, find information on the internet and providing that it is from a reliable source, that might be a good starting point. Everybody is different in their requirements though and one of the best ways to decide if you want this treatment is to arrange a free consultation with one of our experienced implant dentists. This is a no obligation appointment and you are of course, free to choose to proceed or not. It is a great opportunity to ask anything about the treatment that you are not sure about and so you are well-equipped to make an informed decision.

Our team is always happy to address any issues or questions that our patients might have. So if there is a dental related question that you would like answered, please let the Sync Dental Centres know and we will do our best to answer it! You can get in touch using the ‘phone number at the head of the page or via our website contact form.

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