Dental veneers work in much the same way as a false nail works on your fingernails, but they are much longer lasting, staying in place for years rather than days! They are wafer thin shells that fit to the front of a tooth to give it a false, flawless appearance. We can use dental veneers to mask a discoloured tooth, hide a chip or crack, to close small gaps, or even to change the shape of a tooth so that it blends in better with the rest of your smile. We can colour-match veneers so that they look completely natural.

Dental crowns or caps are tooth-shaped restorations that we can fit on top of a damaged tooth to build it back up to its previous shape, size and function. Crowns can be a good option for teeth that are heavily filled, as they can help to strengthen and protect what’s left of the natural tooth.

A dental bridge is a restoration that can be used to replace a missing tooth or a cluster of a few missing teeth. It is attached to teeth on either side of the gap using dental crowns and then features the necessary number of false teeth, all designed to perfectly blend in with your natural teeth. A dental bridge can help restore your confidence about your smile but also stop your remaining teeth from drifting or rotating, plus there’s no need for plastic denture.

Your teeth are made up of several layers: the enamel on the outside, a softer layer of dentine underneath, and dental pulp in the middle. Dental pulp is made up of nerves, blood vessels and soft tissue that runs down to the root of your tooth. If your dental pulp gets infected, it can cause abscesses, pain and even tooth loss.

With root canal treatment, we take away the infected pulp and fill the inner chamber of your tooth to prevent any further infection from entering or exiting your tooth. While dental pulp is essential to a growing tooth, your adult teeth can get everything they need from the surrounding soft tissues of your mouth, so a tooth can continue to be perfectly healthy after root canal treatment.

While many restorative dental treatments are available through the NHS – particularly fillings, dental crowns and bridges – patients don’t get the same choice of materials and approaches. This is because restorative dentistry on the NHS tends to concentrate solely on restoring the function of a tooth and is less concerned with the appearance.

A private dentist is able to offer veneers, white fillings, and other restorations that balance function with a better appearance, recognising that how our teeth look can affect us as positively or negatively as how our teeth work.

People sometimes ask whether it’s worth spending money on restorative dentistry, rather than just opting to have a damaged tooth removed. We will always recommend the option that can best help us preserve your natural teeth – they play an essential role in supporting your facial structure, your speech, and your nutrition. Restorative dental treatments typically cost less than treatments to replace teeth, such as dentures or dental implants. Before we carry out any treatment, we’ll always give you a clear breakdown of the costs and your different options so that you can make an informed decision.