METAL FREE FILLINGS

Tooth coloured fillings are used to restore your tooth where decay has weakened the structure of your tooth. We make use of the latest in composite/resin materials in order to restore your teeth and keep it functional and natural looking.

What are the Advantages of Composite Resin Fillings?

• They look more aesthetically pleasing since they match your natural tooth colour
• They require less drilling compared to amalgam fillings as they don’t require as much removal of tooth structure
• They harden in seconds because they go through a light curing stage compared with other material that can take days to harden
• They chemically bond to the tooth directly. This gives greater strength, which helps prevent fractures and breaks.
• They can easily be repaired if damaged by just adding on to the damaged area
• They are metal free and consist of made from a mixture of plastic and fine glass particles, with the most widely used compound being resin-based.

CROWN AND BRIDGE WORK

If you have a weak tooth or are missing one or more teeth, you may need a crown or a bridge.

Crown procedure
On your first visit, local anaesthesia is given to your tooth and the gum tissue around it. Then, the tooth, on which the crown will be placed, is filed down along the chewing surface and sides to make room for the crown. The amount of tooth that needs to be filed depends on the type of crown. ,. A temporary crown is made during this visit to protect the tooth until the final restoration is ready. The final crown takes +- 1 week to be ready.
 
A bridge is used to literally bridge the gap between teeth. It consists of two or more crowns which are connected to each other and cemented on the teeth on both sides of the gap. These teeth are called the anchoring teeth as they form the anchors for the bridge and the crowns hanging in the middle are called pontics. A Dental bridges can either be supported by natural teeth or implants.

ONLAYS AND INLAYS

Inlays and onlays are used in molars or premolars, when the tooth has experienced too much damage to support a basic filling, but not so much damage that a crown is necessary. The difference between them is the amount and part of the tooth that they cover. An inlay will incorporate the occlusal/chewing surface of the tooth  between the cusps where an onlay will include one or more cusps (thus including the cusp in the restoration).

SAFE AMALGAM REMOVAL

What is an amalgam filling?
Dental amalgam is an alloy of metals consisting of approximately 50 % liquid (elemental) mercury and a powdered combination of silver, tin, and copper.

What is mercury?
Mercury is a liquid chemical element which is highly toxic in its natural form. It was previously believed to be safe when used as part of a filling but with new information there is a lot of controversy surrounding this subject. 

Small amounts of mercury vapour have been found to be released from these fillings as we chew and bite on them. These amounts are very minute and the world health Organization feel that it is below threshold as not to cause harm to patient. We believe that it is better to not use any toxic material and make use of composite and ceramic materials.

How do we remove these fillings?
At Bergvliet dental we try and provide a safe way to remove the fillings by making use of rubber dam, providing an oxygen supply to the patient, covering both the patient and staff with protective wear and using a high volume suction device in the patients’ mouth. This is to prevent any excess mercury vapour from being ingested. 

We also try to section the mercury, causing less vapour and used special mercury catching filters in our evacuation systems.The procedure is normally done in 2 to 4 stages by either doing a quadrant at a time or alternatively one half of the mouth at a visit. (This procedure can also be done under sedation).

The process makes use of supplements beforehand, during and after treatment as well as some guidance for detoxification.

ROOT CANAL THERAPY

“Root canal” is the term used to describe the natural cavity within the centre of the tooth. The pulp or pulp chamber is the soft area within the root canal that contains the nerves.

A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. Without treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected and abscesses may form 

A tooth’s nerve is not vitally important to a tooth’s health and function after the tooth has emerged through the gums. Its only function is sensory — to provide the sensation of hot or cold. The presence or absence of a nerve will not affect the day-to-day functioning of the tooth. After root canal treatment an aesthetic filling will be used to fill the cavity caused by the decay and return your tooth to its most natural looking state.

EXTRACTION

A normal extraction is the removal of a tooth which is still visible above gum level. We start by numbing the tooth and gum and then carefully loosen the tooth and remove the entire tooth by making use of a dental forceps or a dental elevator.

SURGICAL EXTRACTION

A surgical removal is a bit more complex and is used when the tooth is not visible above gum level (broken at the gum line) . A incision in the gum is sometimes made to get better access to the tooth which is then surgically removed.

WISDOM TOOTH REMOVAL

This is the process by which the wisdom teeth are surgically removed. During the procedure your dentist/surgeon will make an incision in the gum (and remove any overlying bone) to get access to the teeth. These teeth will either be sectioned or removed in whole.

WHAT IS AN IMPLANT

A dental implant is a titanium post that is surgically positioned into the jawbone to replace the “root” of the missing tooth. After healing (integration in the bone) the implant will be restored with a crown, bridge or denture.

The advantage of implants is that they give the option of being restored individually and doesn’t need to be anchored to other teeth like bridges or dentures.

What are the other advantages of an implant?

• Resemble natural teeth and is fixed: Implants function like natural teeth. They are strong and stable and can blend in with your natural teeth. They feel and act as your natural teeth would and are completely fixed compared to dentures that can slip and slide out.
• They offer a better long-term solution: Replacing missing teeth with dentures or a bridge is not always ideal long term. Bridges make use of anchor teeth which means natural teeth need to be cut to act as anchors. Should any of these anchor teeth fail it would deem the bridge unusable. Dentures also make use of natural teeth to clip onto and is not completely stable as they can slip out or become loose over time. Implants have a longer shelf life if maintained and have the potential to last longer.
  

Am I a candidate for an implant?

If you have a missing tooth/teeth implants can be an option. We do an assessment and take x-rays to confirm if there is adequate space. Next, we will refer you to one of our specialists.

Referral to a specialist.

We work in close association with two specialists to whom we will refer you if it is found that you are a possible candidate for an implant. They will do thorough examination of the area as well as to take a Computed Tomography (CT) scan. This will help them to identify areas of bone loss and carefully see the shape of your sinuses and nerve location to make accurate assessments for your treatment. A quote will be done based on these results and discussed before commencement of treatment.

VENEERS

If your front teeth are stained, chipped, or misaligned, veneers will give you a good life-like appearance with minimum tooth adjustment. A veneer is a facing on the front of your teeth usually your top teeth, it is just like a false fingernail. Veneers are made from porcelain and are used mainly for aesthetic reasons.

WHITENING/BLEACHING

At Bergvliet dental we make use of the Opalescence® whitening system offeringboth in office and home bleaching options. We all know that whitening works but the question most people as is “How Does Teeth Whitening Work ?” Discoloured teeth can either be due to internal (intrinsic)or external(extrinsic) staining. The stains we find on the outside of the teeth are called extrinsic stains and can be removed by surface cleaning such as tooth brushing,whitening toothpastes, mouth rinses or specialised cleaning by your oral hygienist.

The stains on the inside of your teeth are intrinsic stains and these stains are found deep within the dentine and small cracks in the enamel. These stains can only be removed by using a whitening agent. The active molecules in these gels are either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. On application they penetrate the enamel and bind with the discoloured molecules. The oxyen (from the peroxide) reacts with the discoloured molecule and breaks the chemical bonds which in turn helps the tooth to return to its original white colour.

A normal extraction is the removal of a tooth which is still visible above gum level. We start by numbing the tooth and gum and then carefully loosen the tooth and remove the entire tooth by making use of a dental forceps or a dental elevator.

We work in close association with two specialists to whom we will refer you if it is found that you are a possible candidate for an implant. They will do thorough examination of the area as well as to take a Computed Tomography (CT) scan. This will help them to identify areas of bone loss and carefully see the shape of your sinuses and nerve location to make accurate assessments for your treatment. A quote will be done based on these results and discussed before commencement of treatment.