Tooth decay detection

Our expertise in cosmetic dentistry will make your smile beautiful, whilst our proficiency in the field of general dentistry will also ensure that your teeth remain strong and healthy.

Taking good care of your teeth through good oral hygiene practices including regular brushing and flossing at home will minimise your risk of developing tooth decay. Even so, harmful bacteria that can develop into plaque and tartar can still build up in areas of your mouth that are tricky to reach and, if left untreated, can cause cavities.

By choosing Bow House General Dentistry to carry out your annual or bi-annual check-up you can be certain that your dentist will spot any early signs of decay and remedy them with the least invasive course of treatment possible. That may mean that your dentist recommends a scale and polish, to remove plaque and tartar, or (where a cavity has developed) a filling.

Early detection of decay through careful examination and X-rays ensures that any treatment will be as minor and as inexpensive as it can be. Left untreated, tooth decay will cause pain and damage to your teeth that will require more extensive and expensive treatments to rectify.

To arrange a check-up, or to ask us about any concerns you may have about your teeth, contact us to arrange a free initial consultation for general dentistry today.

 

Extractions and Oral Surgery

Our aim is to help you to maintain a beautiful, healthy smile and wherever possible we will work hard to preserve your natural teeth. Sometimes, though, treatments aimed at saving a tooth are simply not viable or appropriate and an extraction may be necessary.

Similarly, whilst wisdom teeth can grow without causing any problems, sometimes they can develop at an awkward angle or there may not be enough room for them to emerge fully. Impacted wisdom teeth can be very painful and extraction is the only way to resolve this issue.

The dental surgeons at Bow House have many years’ experience in carrying out oral surgery including extractions. If an extraction is deemed to be the most appropriate treatment for you, your dentist will explain the procedure and discuss sedation options with you.

Extractions are minor operations and as such we take great care to ensure that the risk of infection is kept as low as possible, and your dentist will give you plenty of information and advice about how to recover as quickly as possible.

Our general advice to patients who have had an extraction at Bow House is as follows:

 

  • Avoid alcohol, smoking and hot food for the first 24 hours after surgery;
  • Do not rinse your mouth or disturb any clot that may have formed, for the first 24 hours;
  • Clean your teeth as normal (taking care to be gentle in the area of your healing wound) to minimise the risk of infection;
  • Some swelling and discomfort is normal in the first two or three days. Ibuprofen, aspirin and paracetamol can help.
  • It is normal for small pieces of bone to emerge from the socket.
  • If you experience pain after a few days, it may be that the blood clot has been dislodged and created a ‘dry socket’, which will need to be looked at by your dentist. Arrange an appointment for your wound to be packed to ease any discomfort.
  • If you have been advised to put gauze onto your wound following your treatment, place the gauze onto your wound and bite down on carefully to apply firm pressure for 10 – 15 minutes. If your bleeding has stopped then you need take no further action; if fresh blood appears then contact your dentist.