Restorative treatments available to our Chelmsford patients

As we finally start to enter the post lockdown period where dentists, amongst other businesses, are allowed to open again, many of you will be looking to catch up on some of the things that were part of your normal life before lockdown such as haircuts, clothes shopping and also, of course, getting your Teeth checked.

As we gradually open Blue Sky Dental, we will be attempting to see all of you who have already had problems with your teeth. We will do our best to see the most urgent cases first, before working our way through the backlog as quickly as possible.

It is very likely that some of you will need to have treatment, however minor. An extended period away from having your teeth checked, along with the other stresses and strains that we have mentioned in recent blogs, are likely to have had a detrimental effect on your Oral Health.

In today’s blog, we will take a look at some of the most likely dental issues that may have arisen during lockdown, and the treatments available to restore them.

Tooth decay

As it is likely to have been longer than usual since you last saw a dentist, any small cavity that has formed in your teeth will probably have become larger than would normally have been the case. This is unfortunate but hopefully the tooth can still be restored with a regular filling. For those of you who prefer your smile to look as natural as possible, we also offer white tooth fillings that can be made to match the colour of your teeth.

Where the cavity is too large or where the tooth has broken away, it may be necessary to have a crown fitted to restore the tooth so that it not only looks natural but is strong enough for your normal daily use.

Temporary filling replacements

There is some concern that quite a number of people will have been advised to use a DIY dental filling material that you can buy at chemists if a cavity formed or an old filling fell out whilst we were closed. It is important to remember that whilst these offer a good ‘stop gap’ solution, the matter should not be considered closed and you should still see your dentist about it. It is virtually impossible for a patient to put these temporary fillings in sufficiently well themselves and it is almost certain that there will be gaps between the filling material and the natural tooth. Bacteria can easily become trapped in these gaps and further decay is likely. We advise that you see your dentist if you have had to do this and they will remove the temporary filling and restore the tooth professionally for you.

Gum disease

Another common oral health problem that tends to occur over a period of time is gum disease, but hopefully you have been able to look after your teeth well enough to prevent this from becoming a major issue. If not, we can certainly help.

Any tartar that has built up over time will increase the chances of surface staining and the build-up of bacterial and mineral deposits. This can be removed by our dental hygienist using a ‘scale and polish’ procedure which is an essential starting point to returning your teeth and gums to good health. You may also be offered advice on maintaining your gums with better home care. Providing that you do this diligently, gum disease should be avoidable.

Oral check ups

Whilst the problems discussed above are almost inevitable for some of our patients, fortunately many of you will not have suffered any major problems with your teeth and gums. The reality though is that you still need to have your check ups as soon as you can.  Your oral health is important to us and, in addition to checking your teeth and gums, we also examine the soft tissues of your mouth during check ups. This allows us to spot potential ‘warning signs’ for soft tissue  problems such as mouth cancer and other oral infections that require further investigation.

Hopefully you managed to navigate lockdown the lock-down without any serious oral health issues, but this may not always be the case. If you neglect to have your mouth checked on an ongoing  six monthly basis, problems are almost certain to follow.

Once again the time has come to re-establish regular dental inspections and we are working as quickly as possible to reach the stage where routine appointments can be scheduled with confidence. If you do have any dental problems that are causing you discomfort or concern, or you wish to check availabilty for a routine appointment, please call Blue Sky Dental on 01245 211070.