You may have noticed on our website that we provide minimally invasive dentistry.
To many patients, this may seem a strange term as a large number of procedures do indeed require invasive dental surgery to be carried out in order to restore a tooth.
At the Lighthouse Dental Practice, we believe in offering the best treatment possible to all of our Ipswich patients, and minimally invasive dentistry has an important role to play in this.
What is it?
While some treatments, such as a scale and polish, require no surgery at all, most do. If we take the well-known dental filling as a common example; every patient understands that we need to drill into the tooth to remove any decaying material before it can be filled. Minimally invasive treatment, in this case, simply means that our dentists will do all that they can to preserve as much of the healthy natural tooth as is practically possible.
In addition to drilling away the minimum amount of natural tooth, we will also discuss with our patients alternative options that might help to preserve even more natural tooth. Again, we can use a filling as an example.
Amalgam vs White Fillings
When decay is removed from a tooth, ready for a filling, the type of filling used can determine how much natural tooth can be saved. Where amalgam is to be used for the filling material, the cavity needs to be shaped in such a way that the amalgam will be retained effectively. This cavity is generally larger than when a white dental filling is used. This is because the glass particle/resin composite used in a white dental filling will bond much better to the tooth and less ‘shaping’ of the cavity is needed. As a side benefit, white fillings are less prone to future decay around the edges of the fillings.
Prevention
Another important role of any dental practice is to encourage patients to take responsibility to look after their teeth well. Good quality care at home plays a key role in reducing the likelihood of problems such as fillings. Where these do occur, the problem is usually far less severe than if the patient had neglected their teeth, and therefore, less of the tooth will need to be removed.
As part of our preventative care, we also recommend that our Ipswich patients see the hygienist at our practice every six months or so. Combined with your regular checkups, this gives you every chance of avoiding the need for treatment, or at the very least, reducing the extent of any treatment that may be necessary.
Good regular dental care is important and our gentle Ipswich dentists will always take good care of you! To make an appointment at the Lighthouse Dental Practice, please call us on 01473 257379.
We are here to help you.
If you would like to speak to a member of our friendly team about any of the issues in this article please visit our contact page or call us on 01473 257379.