Restorative options Torquay Dentist, William Whateley a dentist in Torquay offering a confident smile. Dentist Torquay.

Restorative Options for a Great Smile
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Our aim for you is a healthy, comfortable mouth, a strong, stable bite and a radiant, confident smile.

Below is a range of aesthetic solutions for restoring individual teeth.
You should be reading this as supplementary information to your recent treatment plan. However, if you have not attended for full evaluation and treatment planning appointments, please bear in mind that single teeth should always be restored with reference to the adjacent teeth, to the dental arch that it occupies, to the bite as a whole and to the general health of the joints and muscles of the face.
It is important that you have a healthy mouth as well as a good-looking one.

What is it for? . . . Just as you would not build a house without a plan, so we do not restore your teeth without a plan. Good planning involves evaluating what’s good about your mouth and smile and what may be a problem, finding solutions to the problems (and alternatives to those solutions where they exist), and timing and costing them.
Good for . . . Long-term, good-looking, stable solutions to your dental problems. For more information: click here.
The downside . . . There is no downside to good planning, (unless patience is considered a problem).

What is it? . . . A white, plastic substance which can be stuck to teeth and shaped so that it looks exactly like your natural teeth. Lasts three to five years.
Good for . . . Repairing chipped teeth and closing up gaps. Bonding gets best results when used quite conservatively on smaller gaps. It’s reversible, so if you decide you don’t like the results you can have it removed with no damage to your teeth.
The downside . . . Can be used on larger gaps but this may make teeth appear very wide. Can discolour separately from the tooth, so careful hygiene is needed, and it’s best to avoid smoking and drinking too much red wine and coffee.

What are they? . . . Very thin porcelain facings that are stuck to the front of your own teeth — the false fingernails of dentistry. Should last from ten to 15 years.
Good for . . . Closing up gaps, evening up crooked or uneven teeth, covering discolored teeth. Can give a real ‘Hollywood smile’.
The downside . . . In order to fix veneers in place, we remove some of the enamel of your natural teeth — up to one and a half millimetres. Veneers are permanent - you can’t change your mind and have them removed. As we age, our gums often recede slightly, and you may sometimes see a telltale line between your veneer and the natural tooth

What is it? . . . We can file down and shape your natural teeth to improve shape, unevenness and line.
Good for . . . Small areas that are uneven - for example, if one tooth is larger than the others, or the teeth are particularly pointed, or jagged. It is ‘non-invasive’, meaning nothing is added, so it doesn’t affect the rest of the tooth.
The downside . . . It is limited to small areas - the amount filed away is usually less than one millimetre. Bigger problems require more invasive treatment.

What are they? . . . False teeth. They are usually made from titanium; they are fitted into the gum and fixed permanently.
Good for . . . Replacing missing teeth —single missing teeth in particular. Very strong and permanent — many last 35 years or more. They are fitted without affecting or damaging any other teeth. (They are also very good for securing full dentures).
The downside . . . Gum disease can develop at the join between the implant and gum, so good hygiene is particularly important. Fitted in a surgical procedure, so likely to be sore afterwards.
Please note: In this practice, we refer those of our patients who require implants to an implantologist, (a practitioner with a special interest in implant placement). When healing is complete, we place the implant-based crowns ourselves.

What are they? . . . False teeth, but, unlike implants, these are a row or ‘bridge’ of teeth. For a single missing tooth, you would therefore have a three-tooth bridge — one for the gap and one fixed on either side over your natural teeth, which are drilled down to a peg, like preparing for a crown. Last about 12 to 15 years.
Good for . . . A very natural look. Excellent If you have more than one tooth missing.
The downside . . . You have to pare down two healthy teeth to fill the gap.

What are they? . . . False teeth fitted over broken or damaged teeth to improve their appearance. The damaged tooth is filed down to a peg, and then a crown, made specifically for the space, is fixed over the top. Lasts 12-15 years.
Good for . . . Damaged teeth. If your tooth has been filled and refilled and is starting to break down a crown may be a good option. Also, may be necessary in root filled teeth which have large ‘access’ cavities.
The downside . . . Receding gums can produce a thin black line between crown and gum after a while. This can be reduced by using the new porcelain materials.

What are they? . . . Fillings made from a white composite instead of amalgam or gold.
Good for . . . Give a natural appearance, so teeth don’t look filled at all. Particularly good for filling small holes and holes in teeth at the front of the mouth.
The downside . . . Not as strong as gold fillings, and need replacing every five to eight years, instead of the 15-plus years that gold fillings last. Constantly drilling and filling teeth can damage them and cause extra sensitivity. May discolour after a while.

What is it? . . . Whitening can lighten tooth colour by several shades. Can be done by filling a gumshield with a whitening solution and wearing it at home for about an hour a day for two weeks. ‘In-surgery whitening’ is done at the practice and takes a minimum of two appointments of just over an hour.
Good for . . . Giving you a bright, white smile. Can lift the appearance of your face and is said to take years off. For more information: click here.
The downside . . . It doesn’t deal with topical staining, which can reappear anything from one month to a year later, depending on your lifestyle (wine, smoking, and coffee), hygiene and natural staining rate. In-surgery whitening requires more care because it uses a stronger solution which may cause sensitivity. Whitening is not recommended for people with very translucent teeth — it can just make them look grey.

What are they? . . . Braces, (Orthopaedic and Orthodontic appliances), have become increasingly popular as today’s 30-somethings did not generally have access to the same kind of orthodontics that today’s children do. Adult braces can be removable or fixed in the mouth so you can’t take them out. They are usually wom for from four to six months to up to two years. Some are fixed behind teeth so they aren’t visible, but others are increasingly trendy and come in a range of funky colours or the discreet ‘clear’ option.
Good for . . . Straightening wonky or protruding teeth or ‘thinning out’ an overcrowded mouth. For more information: click here.
The downside . . . They may make you feel self-conscious and teeth require constant brushing as food gets stuck in them.

What are they? . . . False teeth, made of acrylic (a strong form of plastic), or acrylic and metal. The latter are smaller and easier to wear because the metal can be finely shaped to follow narrow contours in your mouth.
Good for . . . Restoring spaces caused by the loss of several teeth. Especially useful where extra gumwork can be used to support cheeks and lips, (where bone augmentation surgery may not be possible).
The downside . . . They require extra care in cleaning and maintenance. They also wear over time.