General Dentistry in our Northwood & Bank Practice

Name: L&Y Dental
Address: 46 Green Lane, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2QB
Telephone: 0203 325 4581
Price range: £

At L&Y Dental we will provide you with all sort of dental treatments, from a dental hygiene to the most sophisticated procedures such as sedation, dental implants and facial aesthetics.

Examination

On the first visit, patient will always have a full dental examination with oral-cancer screening, diagnostic tests, initial photos taken and a treatment plan created all in the same appointment. All the possibilities of treatments will be explained in detail with all the pros and cons of each one of them.

Like with any other medical specialties, to provide best of the services, the patient will have his own General Dental Practitioner who will provide all the general dentistry treatments and if patient needs a treatment that requires some expertise (such as implants, root canal treatments, orthodontic treatments, etc.,) the patient will be seen by an expert in that field in the same practice as we will have those experts/specialists coming on a regular basis.

Dental Hygiene

With a dental professional hygiene, we will remove the buildup of tartar that grows on the surface of your teeth. Leaving it can cause gum disease, decay, bone loss and even tooth loss. Most mouth conditions are completely avoidable, so it’s better to have the treatment as advised.

We will also provide you with oral hygiene instructions in order for you to improve your home oral hygiene.

Dental Hygiene: Before and After

Fillings

When a cavity appears on a tooth, unless it reaches the nerve, it is very superficial and you may require a filling. Composite fillings also known as ‘White Fillings’ strengthen and protect teeth with cavities. Although tooth decay is preventable, cavities are one of the most common health problems. If left untreated, cavities can lead to infection, pain and even tooth loose.

Fillings: Before and After

Extractions

When a tooth cannot be saved, it may need to be removed. At L&Y Dental we provide all kind of extractions from simple to surgical ones including wisdom teeth extractions and non-erupted teeth.

Root canal treatments

Root canal therapy is the immediate and definitive solution to the painful discomfort caused by an affected and/or infected nerve.

When is a root canal performed?

We will perform a root canal treatment when the nerve of a tooth is affected due to several reasons:

Infection
Trauma
The abrasion, erosion or wear and tear of the teeth due to them rubbing against each other

This nerve injury, according to its degree of complexity and scope, can lead to the need for a root canal treatment.

One of the cases that leads to endodontic (root canal) treatment is acute and chronic irreversible pulpitis, an inflammatory process that affects the pulp of the tooth, where therapy is used as a palliative treatment for pain and also as a preventive measure when the restorative treatment on its own is not expected to ensure the optimal health of the tooth in question.

On other occasions root canals are to be performed on teeth with chronic pulpitis, that is, teeth in which the nerve has already been lost due to an infection, however it doesn’t hurt. In these cases, sometimes an abscess appears – a small lump that occasionally protrudes to 10 mm above the crown of the affected tooth, root canals are to be performed.

However, the vast majority of root canals are performed on infections caused by extensive decay that reaches the nerve and produces severe pain.

Is a root canal painful?

The root canal treatment is done under local anesthesia. You will not feel any pain during the procedure.

Only in some cases, when the anesthesia effect has worn off, there may be a slight sensation of discomfort in the area, which goes away after 4 or 5 days.

How does it work?

This treatment consists of removing the neurovascular bundle that is inside the tooth and is the cause of the toothache.

At L&Y Dental, in order to treat a root canal, the first thing we will do is use specialised instruments to clean the inside of the tooth, leaving it free of infection.

Once the root canal is completed and successful, then the tooth will need to be restored depending on how much tooth structure has lost and the coverage needed.

Periodontal treatment

When the disease is in an advanced stage and a lot of bone support has already been lost, the most that can be done is to stop the progression of the disease so that it doesn’t get any worse. The lost bone is difficult to recover. However, there are regenerative techniques that can sometimes give very good results.

The basic treatment consists of eliminating the existing infection by thoroughly cleansing the gums, under local anesthesia.

If the condition is very advanced or requires regeneration, a small surgical intervention will be necessary, also under local anesthesia. Antibiotics can be used to complement the treatment.

What’s most important is that the patient is aware of their problem and accepts that, after the initial treatment, they will need to go to their dentist at least once a year to have an annual cleaning, for the rest of their life. Oral hygiene is essential in order to treat these types of problems. Only in this way can an effective therapy be achieved.

Basic step-by-step treatment

The basic treatment consists of a thorough cleaning by scaling the gum using an ultrasonic device, root scalers and polishers, in order to remove all the bacterial plaque that is causing the problem. After cleaning, the inflammation decreases and the gum once again adheres to the tooth, forming a barrier that will prevent bacteria from passing through.

The basic treatment is done in parts. The mouth is divided into 4 quadrants, each of which is treated in different sessions. Each cleaning session is done under local anesthesia, meaning it is pain-free. It lasts for about 45-60 minutes. At the end of the session and once the anesthetic effect has worn off, the patient reports very slight discomfort and, in 3 or 4 days, the condition of the gums shows very significant improvements.

Regenerative treatment

In severe cases of periodontitis, when the condition is very pronounced, it has existed for an extended period of time and the patient has already experienced a considerable amount of bone loss.

In these cases, before any restorative treatment, it is necessary to replace the lost structures to the greatest extent possible. To do so, various biomaterials are used: membranes, amelogenin, bone, etc. All this is effectively combined to restore the lost anatomy.

Crowns, inlays and bridges

A dental crown is a cap that covers your tooth if is very damaged or had a root canal treatment done. If you are missing some of your teeth, besides of implants, there is another permanent solution using a fixed dental bridge. This type of dental prosthesis is the ideal solution in terms of chewing and should be taken care of and cleaned as if it were our own teeth.

Nowadays, in some cases there is a more conservative treatment instead of crowns which are the porcelain or composite inlays, just restoring the missing part of the damaged tooth.

Removable Dentures

Removable dentures made by resin or metal will restore your missing teeth. They will bring back the function and aesthetics of your mouth.

Video Testimonials From Our Patients