A complete range of care, explained plainly

With over 20 years' experience in implant surgery, Alex is probably the most experienced implant dental surgeon on the coast. Using a minimally invasive technique, almost all implants are placed with no surgery and no pain.

The implant is placed quickly under normal local anaesthetic — no worse than having a filling. Subsequent steps (impressions, fitting the post and crown) need no anaesthetic at all. In most cases there is no need to build new bone; where bone augmentation is required, it can almost always be done without cutting the gum.

With over 25 years' experience in fixed-brace orthodontics, we can straighten teeth at almost any age, as long as the gums are healthy — closing gaps, relieving crowding and creating a regular, natural smile.

If you are considering veneers or crowns, we will often suggest orthodontics instead: it doesn't destroy tooth structure, looks and feels more natural, and costs significantly less. Most adult cases finish within a year, some in as little as six months. Children are best treated once all the milk teeth have gone, usually at age 10–12.

It can also be combined with implants or crown and bridgework — we are uniquely placed to offer such combinations.

A crown is a hollow cap that fits over a tooth to give it strength and/or improve its appearance. Crowns are used where a tooth is too decayed, damaged or discoloured to treat another way, or to improve aesthetics.

Preparing a tooth for a crown is normally done under local anaesthetic and takes about 15–45 minutes per tooth. An impression is sent to the laboratory and a temporary crown fitted; at the next visit the new crown is checked for fit, shape, appearance and bite, then cemented.

A bridge replaces a missing tooth by placing crowns on the teeth either side of the gap. A well-designed bridge still allows effective daily cleaning.

Modern dentures are unobtrusive, easily tolerated and good value. They can replace not only missing teeth but also lost gum tissue — a real problem in the smile line — and we match both tooth shade and realistic gum shading.

Options range from the simple emergency replacement of a single tooth to implant-retained dentures on 2 or 4 implants, costing less than half the price of a fixed ceramic bridge. At the try-in stage you decide on the shape, size and colour of your teeth, guided by the dentist, and you're always welcome back for any small adjustment.

When a tooth becomes infected or inflamed — sensitive to temperature, painful to bite on, or with swelling nearby — the choice is to extract it or to save it with root canal (endodontic) treatment.

The dentist cleans out the infected pulp, shapes the fine root canals, and seals them with a root filling, checking the result with x-rays. Straightforward cases take from half an hour to an hour; teeth with several roots may need two visits. With local anaesthetic the procedure is usually painless, though slight discomfort for 2–3 days afterwards is normal.

A root-filled tooth is more brittle than a live one, so a strengthening restoration should be placed soon afterwards.

Have your teeth checked by a dentist before any whitening. We take a health and dental history, check the soft and hard tissues and existing restorations, and record the starting shade — results typically improve by two to seven shades.

Home whitening needs no heat or light and lets you monitor your own progress. Custom-fitted trays are worn about an hour a day; results show within the first few days and build over up to two weeks. Because the trays are yours, you can top up the treatment after a couple of years if needed. Effects last months to years depending on lifestyle.

Regular professional cleaning is a core part of prevention. Even with good habits, some areas are hard to reach and plaque hardens into deposits that brushing can't remove. A trace of bleeding when you brush or floss means the gums are inflamed.

Brush twice a day for two minutes with a small head, paying most attention to where the gum meets the tooth, and clean between the teeth daily — with floss, super floss (for bridges and braces) or interdental brushes, whichever suits the spaces you have. If you're among the roughly 30% of people with periodontitis, we may want to see you every three months.

Bleeding gums are not, in themselves, a sign of gum disease — in 99% of cases they're caused by plaque built up over a few days, and clear up within days of brushing properly.

Periodontitis is a hereditary condition affecting about a third of people. It's slow, usually appearing later in life, and it destroys the bone and tissue that support the teeth. It is preventable with excellent oral hygiene from an early age, and in more advanced cases many teeth can still be saved with a hygiene programme of three-monthly visits. Smoking, poorly fitting crowns or dentures and heavy clenching all make it worse.

Treatment starts with a thorough clean (under local anaesthetic if needed) with an ultrasonic scaler, polishing with a salt-and-water spray, and coaching on home care — then review visits at one to three months and maintenance every three months.

The American Medical Association estimates that two thirds of all migraines are caused by teeth clenching, usually at night during deep sleep. Clenching is natural and affects everyone to some degree, but a significant number of people develop symptoms — short episodes under about 35, often chronic and disabling after 45.

Problems attributed to clenching include tooth wear, headaches (especially on waking), neck, shoulder and upper-back pain, sinusitis, earache, jaw and jaw-joint pain, toothache, tongue pain and cracked teeth. These can all be relieved — a visit is the place to start.

The most important part of our approach is prevention — of gum disease, decay, and clenching problems such as headaches, abrasion and erosion. Regular visits are what make that possible.

If you're young and healthy you may only need a yearly check-up; adults under 25, children, and anyone with gum disease, heavy grinding or acid erosion should come more often. Prevention saves money in the long term.