Regular routine dental examinations will allow your dentist to assess the health of your teeth, gums and other areas of your mouth and throat and identify any problems which require further investigation and/or treatment.

White fillings and inlays look more natural and attractive than silver (amalgam) fillings. They are also safer than amalgam fillings which can damage your health. Click here if you want to read more about the potential dangers of amalgam fillings and how to overcome them.

Tooth whitening is a way of lightening the natural colour of your teeth without removing any of the surface of the tooth. Find out more about the benefits of tooth whitening from the British Dental Health Foundation.

Having veneers fitted can greatly improve the look of your teeth. A veneer is a very natural looking thin layer of porcelain or composite material which is fitted to the front of a tooth with a strong bonding agent. Find out more about veneers from the British Dental Health Foundation.

Crowns can be made and fitted to improve the appearance of a heavily filled tooth; to restore a tooth which has little remaining tooth following extensive filling; to avoid fracture of a tooth after a Root Canal Treatment; to treat a persistently sensitive tooth; or to stop the crack in a tooth spreading. Crowns can be made of a variety of materials e.g. porcelain or porcelain bonded to metal. Crowns are made at a laboratory to match your existing teeth. A temporary crown can be fitted while the permanent crown is being made. Find out more about crowns from the British Dental Health Foundation.

Bridges and partial dentures can replace gaps left by missing teeth. In addition to spoiling your appearance, missing teeth can cause problems. The teeth on either side of a gap are put under greater strain; food can get caught in a gap and cause decay and gum disease; and your 'bite', that is the way your upper and lower teeth come together, can also be affected Find out more about why it is a good idea to replace missing teeth with bridges and partial dentures from the British Dental Health Foundation.

A denture is an appliance which can replace lost or missing teeth and improve your appearance, enable you to enjoy a healthy diet, and allow you to smile with confidence. A complete or full denture is one which replaces all of the natural teeth in either the upper or lower jaws. The base of a denture, which is called a plate, can be made of either acrylic (plastic) or metal. The teeth are normally made of acrylic. Find out more about dentures from the British Dental Health Foundation.

Orthodontic treatment can be used to straighten or move teeth to improve the appearance of the teeth and the way they work and to improve teeth which do not meet correctly. Teeth which do not come together properly can cause strain on the muscles of the jaw which can in turn lead to a myriad of health problems such as headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears, jaw joint problems, and neck, shoulder and back pain. You can read all about such problems and how orthodontic treatment can help in our online leaflet - The Hows & Whys of Orthodontics and Dental Orthopaedics.

If one or more teeth are very decayed or badly affected by gum disease, or if they do not have room to grow properly (most common in children) they may need to be extracted i.e. removed. Some teeth are more difficult to remove than others. Your dentist will discuss with you the best method for removing the tooth or teeth in question. Find out what you should do following an extraction from the Dental Health Foundation.