Pain-free caries treatment for a healthy smile
We’re delighted to offer caries treatment for existing and new patients in our dental clinic, located a couple of minutes walk from King’s Cross station.
The best way to find out that you may need caries treatment is by attending a dental check-up every six months. If you fail to visit your dentist regularly enough and caries manifests itself in the form of toothache, you may find out that the treatment is more complex and costly than it would have been had you had it detected early.
Caries treatment explained
In its initial stage, the caries is simply a softened patch of tooth enamel. Your dentist can identify it during a check-up by touching it with a dental instrument, or by the slight change in colour. Due to the shift in the enamel structure, caries is also visible on an X-ray.
We strongly urge you to book your caries treatment as soon as possible. During the appointment, your dentist will first review the tooth and if necessary, isolate it. Sedation will be administered to ensure you feel comfortable and at ease during the procedure, after which the dentist will gently clean the tooth decay. There’s no need to worry – you will not feel a thing.
Once decay has been completely removed your dentist will sanitise the tooth, and apply composite resin, building it layer by layer for best results. Final touches may be needed to perfect the shape and polish the surface of the tooth.
TIP: Developing caries on one tooth increases the possibility of developing caries on the rest of your teeth.
White filling vs. amalgam filling
Despite recent media publications claiming that amalgam fillings have been related to cancer, no substantial evidence was ever discovered. Nevertheless, out of an abundance of caution and care for our patients, our clinic only uses the highest quality of composite resin for the fillings we provide.
In addition to being confirmed safe for our patient’s health, composite resin provides preferable visual appearance. The shade of the composite can be matched to colour very similar to the natural appearance of the patient and be particularly useful for filling on the front teeth.
Considering replacing your silver fillings with white ones?
Replacing your amalgam fillings (if they’re more than five years old) is generally a good idea. Not only will you achieve a brighter looking smile, but will also ensure there is no additional infection developing under your current filling.
Replacing a filling: when and why?
When?
During your regular dental check-up, our dentists will examine all of your fillings to ensure they haven’t been worn out. If there’s a crack in a filling, the dentist will likely recommend a replacement as soon as possible.
There’s no one-answer-fits-all scenario when it comes to dental fillings. It will depend on diet and lifestyle choices, teeth alignment, teeth grinding, habits, and stress levels. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend replacing your existing fillings every 8 to 10 years at most.
Why?
While surface caries may be visible even to an untrained eye, caries located under a filling remains hidden. This allows it to develop undisturbed and if left untreated, to reach the pulp of the tooth and permanently damage it.
Request a callback
If you’d like to book your appointment directly online, please use the link below. Please note that we require a deposit to secure your appointment.
We accept walk-in patients and emergency appointments. To ensure we’re able to see you immediately, please book your appointment online when you’re on your way, or give us a call on 020 7278 6362.
We’re available Monday to Saturday, 9am until 5pm.