At Braid Dental, we aim to provide high quality, affordable dental care for all ages in a relaxed, friendly and caring environment.

We believe the age-old saying that “prevention is better than cure” and base our practice around the principles of preventive dentistry.

We want our youngest patients to grow up with a positive approach to dental health and minimise their need for dental intervention as they grow old! We also acknowledge that many of the older patients we see may have had more significant dental experiences and find dentistry challenging.

We believe that we can come together with our patients to promote total oral health by advising that they attend for regular oral screening at suggested intervals and work hard on the individualised preventive plans recommended.

Hygiene visits including direct access to our dental hygienist

Dental hygienists focus on preventive dental healthcare including fluoride applications, fissure sealant placement and diet advice. However, in most practices much of their time is spent on the prevention and treatment of gum disease. This involves professional cleaning of the teeth in the surgery and, most importantly, ensuring that you know how to keep your mouth clean at home by following a tailored daily cleaning regimen.

Healthy gums and teeth not only look and feel better, but they really are better for your general health. Research continues to explore the link between unhealthy gums and a range of serious health conditions including heart and respiratory disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia and delivery of preterm, low birthweight babies. Regular appointments with our dental hygienist are recommended to keep your gums as healthy as possible.

The team at Braid Dental are committed to preventive practice and extend the offer of our hygienist services to all patients even those who are not registered with us. In 2013, the GDC removed its barrier to Direct Access for dental hygienists who can now carry out their full scope of practice without prescription and without the patient having to see a dentist first. We welcome all patients who wish to see our dental hygienist.

Airflow Jet polish

Diet, smoking, age and injury can darken the colour of your teeth. A bright white smile can make you look younger and will make you feel happier.

If your teeth are stained by the food and/or drinks in your diet or from smoking, we can achieve excellent results when we clean your teeth with our Airflow jet polish system. This involves applying a gentle air-jet which contains small particles to the teeth.

The result is a smooth stain-free tooth surface after a treatment which is simple and painless and can be carried out by both your dentist and dental hygienist.

Fissure sealants

Fissure sealants are a preventive treatment which can be used to protect your children’s teeth from decay.

A sealant is a protective plastic coating, which is applied to the biting surfaces of the teeth. The sealant forms a hard shield that keeps food and bacteria from getting into the tiny grooves in the teeth and causing decay. This smooth sealed surface is also easier to keep clean with normal toothbrushing.

The process is usually quick and straightforward taking only a few minutes per tooth. The tooth is thoroughly cleaned, prepared with a special solution, and dried. The liquid sealant is then applied and allowed to set hard – usually by shining a bright blue light onto it. The treatment is safe and painless.

Sealants usually last for many years, but your dentist will want to check them regularly to make sure that the seal is still intact. They can wear over time, and sometimes the dentist needs to add or replace some sealant to be sure that no decay can start underneath them. It is important that your child continues to clean their teeth everyday as instructed by their dentist or hygienist.

Fissure sealants are not required for all children’s teeth, but is dependent on previous decay history. Sealants are often applied as soon as the permanent teeth start to come through. If you would like to know more about the treatment, ask your dentist or hygienist. They will tell you if fissure sealing is appropriate for your child’s teeth and if it is the right time to do it.

Tooth whitening

Teeth are stained by the foods and drinks we consume. Smoking further stains teeth and the natural bright, white shade becomes darkened.

Teeth whitening is a simple and successful method of lightening the colour of the teeth that produces consistently excellent results for most patients. The degree of whiteness achieved will vary from patient to patient and with the type of bleaching system chosen.

Whitening can be carried out in the surgery or you may be able to whiten your teeth at home using a kit recommended by your dentist.

Home whitening involves placing a whitening gel in a custom-made tray which you wear whilst asleep or for short periods during the day.

Results are normally seen in a few weeks from starting treatment.

White fillings

At Braid Dental we are advocates of white fillings and are very keen to avoid placing silver-coloured amalgam fillings wherever possible. In most cases we aim to place strong, durable tooth coloured restorations in all front and back teeth.

For those patients who already have silver coloured amalgam fillings, we can usually safely replace these with aesthetic white tooth coloured fillings.

Adult orthodontics

We understand that often adult patients don’t want to straighten their teeth with traditional metal braces. At Braid Dental we offer an alternative, cost-effective and more user-friendly way to straighten teeth.

Inman Aligner

It is a simple removable appliance which gently guides your front teeth into position in a matter of weeks. For more information, click the logo provided on the right:

Clear Smile aligners

Clear Smile aligners consist of a series of discreet clear aligners that gradually move your teeth into position. They need changed every two weeks and the number of aligners required depends on the amount of tooth movement necessary for the desired result. For more information please click the link provided on the right:

Veneers, crowns and bridges

At Braid Dental we work hard to ensure that the veneers, crowns and bridges we place look as natural as possible.

Veneers are wafer-thin shells of tooth-coloured material which are fitted to the front surfaces of stained, damaged or spaced teeth to improve their appearance. Dental veneers for the teeth are similar in principle to false nails for the fingernails.

Crowns protect heavily filled, cracked or extensively damaged teeth.

Dental bridges are used to replace 1 or more missing teeth by anchoring replacement teeth to the teeth beside the space(s).

Dentures

Tooth loss can happen for many reasons including dental decay, gum disease and trauma. Tooth loss affects our ability to speak, chew and our appearance. Dentures are an option for the replacement of missing teeth. A denture may be fixed or removable and can replace a single tooth, multiple missing teeth or a full arch of teeth. At Braid Dental we believe that dentures are not simply false teeth and endeavour to ensure our dentures are well designed to ensure replacement of lost bony and soft tissue support and restore natural facial contours as far as possible.

Sports mouth guards

A mouth guard is a device worn over the front teeth to protect them from damage, usually during sporting activities. Mouth guards are made from a flexible material designed to cover the upper teeth and protect against the effects of a blow to the face.

A properly designed mouth guard will also minimise the damage to the soft tissues.

At Braid Dental you can choose how your mouth guard will look and even have it made in the colours of your team!

Facial aesthetics

Fine lines and wrinkles on our face can make us look older than we might like or feel. Many factors such as age, sun exposure, smoking and indeed facial expressions all contribute to lines and wrinkles.

Anti-wrinkle injections, using a diluted form of botulinum toxin type A, can help to smooth out or soften lines without the need for invasive surgery.

By injecting very small amounts of the botulinum toxin at targeted sites, the facial muscles causing expression lines can be temporarily relaxed, leading to a smoother appearance.

This treatment works most effectively on frown lines, crow’s feet and laughter lines which are mainly caused by our facial muscles contracting.

As very fine needles are used, the treatment is gentle and painless. The treatment gradually takes effect over 7-10 days and lasts on average 3-4 months.

At Braid Dental, we offer a FREE consultation to discuss how we can help give your skin a more youthful appearance.

Areas that we commonly treat can be seen opposite.

Botulinum toxin type A to treat excessive sweating

Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) is a common problem which can cause embarrassment and distress.

Certain medical conditions can cause hyperhidrosis but often there is no obvious cause as to why the sweat glands are overactive.

The sweating can affect the whole body or it may only affect certain areas - most commonly the armpits.

It can have a negative impact on quality of life, often making sufferers very self-conscious and even affecting the type and colour of clothes they wear.

Botulinum toxin type A may be a possible treatment option for patients unable to obtain relief using antiperspirants.

Botulinum toxin is a natural, purified protein which temporarily blocks the chemical signals that stimulate the sweat glands. Through blocking this chemical messenger, the production of excessive sweat in the treated area is stopped. The effects usually last from 6-9 months.

If you are affected by excessive sweating, why not make an appointment today for a consultation with us at Braid Dental?

Useful Links

Introduction

Children's teeth - www.dentalhealth.org/tell-me-a...

Teen's teeth - www.dentalhealth.org/tell-me-a...

Dental care for older people - www.dentalhealth.org/tell-me-a...

Treatments

Hygiene visits including direct access to our dental hygienist - www.bsperio.org/uk www.bsperio.org/uk

Fissure sealants - www.dentalhealth.org/tell-me-a...

Tooth whitening - www.dentalhealth.org/tell-me-a...

Veneers, crowns and bridges - www.dentalhealth.org/tell-me-a... www.dentalhealth.org/tell-me-a... www.dentalhealth.org/tell-me-a...

Dentures - www.dentalhealth.org/tell-me-a...

Bridges-and-partial-dentures - https://www.dentalhealth.org/t...

Mouth Guard Link - https://www.dentalhealth.org/t...