Before an implant can be placed, some patients will require surgical preparation in the upper jaw to ensure there is enough bone tissue into which the implant can be secured.

When the upper jaw has had no teeth for some time, the bone and surrounding tissues begin to disappear. If this occurs, there may not be sufficient levels of dense bone to place an implant. Fortunately, science has advanced a great deal in this area and one solution is to perform a sinus lift.

A sinus lift is an oral surgical procedure that extends into the sinus cavity above the jaw and packs bone graft material into this space. This graft material will be incorporated by the surrounding bone and form a solid structure very similar to bone. After a waiting period, the site will be checked and once an adequate bone density level is achieved your implant will be ready to be placed.

If you have loose or ill-fitting dentures, your ability to eat and speak may become affected. Due to advances in dentistry, there is now a procedure whereby your denture can be fixed to your jaw with dental implants. This treatment, known as implant overdentures or denture stabilisation, offers patients with dentures a more permanent solution and can improve your quality of life significantly. You will be able to enjoy your favourite foods again and feel comfortable smiling, safe in the knowledge that your dentures are staying put.

As part of this treatment, you will require surgery to have the implants placed into your jaw. Once they have integrated with the bone and surrounding tissues for a period of time, your dentures are placed on top of the implants through a range of special fixtures. This means your dentures can still be removed for cleaning, but will stay put once in place.

Some of the other benefits that you will enjoy with this type of treatment are a natural looking smile, improved confidence, less irritation of your gums and you don’t take your teeth out at night.

If you have a few or all of your teeth missing, one solution is to have a denture. A denture is made from hard-wearing material that mimics the look of teeth and gums to give you mouth a natural appearance. Your denture will be made to fit snugly on your gums and you will be able to remove it for cleaning.

When you wear a denture for the first time it may get some getting used to when speaking or eating and chewing. It is important that you take extra care in your hygiene regime so that you can avoid bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. The hygienist will be able to show you how to best take care of your denture and gums and will tell you about specialised brushes you can use to do this.

If you require a more extensive restoration than a crown or have more than one tooth that needs to be repaired, a good solution is a bridge. Bridges are usually made of a precious metal base which gives them a solid structure and makes them hard-wearing. If you need a bridge in your smile line, porcelain is usually added to the base to make it look more like real teeth. A bridge helps to strengthen the prepared teeth and makes chewing and eating easier because they are fixed and can’t come out.

Some bridges can also be fixed to your jaw with dental implants, if you have several teeth next to each other that are missing.

Once you have a bridge fitted, you will have to take extra care of your daily hygiene regime to ensure it stays plaque free and that you can prevent bad breath.

Smile Makeover In Birmingham

Highfield Dental Clinic, Birmingham’s leading cosmetic dentist is proud to offer a wide range of cosmetic dental treatments. We believe that every patient deserves a beautiful smile, and we work with each individual patient to help them achieve the smile they have always dreamt of.

Once upon a time, cosmetic dentistry was the preserve of celebrities and film stars. However, this is no longer the case. More and more people are choosing cosmetic dental procedures to improve the look of their smile. We believe this is one of the best investments in your future that you can make, as a gorgeous smile can boost your self-confidence and with it your personal and professional interactions.

For many patients, the first step towards the smile of their dreams comes in the form of a smile makeover. We offer initial smile makeover consultations with one of our dentists, Farshid Shoja-Assadi, who is highly experienced in cosmetic dentistry.

At this consultation, we will thoroughly check your oral health to check there are no issues that need addressing before starting any cosmetic treatment. We will also find out what you would like to change about your smile and will recommend the most suitable treatments for your individual wants and needs.

Cosmetic Treatments We Offer In Our Edgbaston Dental Clinic Include:

• Teeth whitening
• Porcelain veneers
• Porcelain crowns
• Dental bridges
• White/tooth-coloured fillings
• Dentures
• Dental implants
• Teeth straightening (orthodontics)

Every patient’s needs will vary. In some cases we will recommend combining two or more of the treatment options to help you achieve the smile of your dreams. If you have questions about any of the treatments available, please do not hesitate to ask, as we want you to make an informed choice about your options.

At the end of your orthodontics consultation in our dentist in Edgbaston, Birmingham, if you decide to go ahead with treatment, we will refer you to the best dentist to carry out your treatment and will provide you with a detailed treatment plan, including estimated costs and timescales.

Inlays and onlays are two types of restorations that your dentist can suggest if you have a cavity in your tooth that needs to be filled. An inlay is a small filling that fits into the biting surface of a tooth while an onlay covers a larger area of the tooth and is better suited to bigger cavities. For many years, gold has been used to make inlays and onlays because it is a hard material and lasts for a long time. Nowadays, tooth-coloured porcelain is also used and gives the restored tooth a more natural look, which many patients prefer.

Inlays and onlays can be made in a dental laboratory by a technician, with the help of impressions taken of your teeth. While these are being made, you will wear a temporary filling. When your inlay or onlay is ready your dentist will glue it into place using a special adhesive, after removing the temporary filling.

Are your teeth stained, chipped, or not aligned on top of each other? Veneers are a good treatment option to consider because they look like natural teeth and don’t require a major procedure.

A veneer is a very thin, tooth-coloured piece of porcelain (like a false finger nail) that is bonded on top of your own tooth. Based on your needs, we can adjust the shape of your veneers to make your teeth overall look longer and or closer together. You can have just one veneer or a whole set, known as a smile makeover.

For a single stained tooth we can also match the precise shade of porcelain to give it a lighter appearance and fit in with the surrounding teeth. Veneers can also be used to close small gaps, when braces are not suitable. If one tooth is slightly out of position, a veneer can sometimes be fitted to bring it into line with the others.

One option to improve the cosmetic look of your smile is to have your metal-coloured fillings replaced with tooth-coloured or ‘white’ fillings. This is a safe procedure that entails one of our dentists removing any decay from your tooth, taking out the metal or amalgam filling and placing a tooth coloured filling instead. The new filling is made from a very hard substance and will withstand the forces in your mouth when you bite and chew over a long period of time. This will allow you to smile without a metallic glint in sight, giving your teeth a more natural appearance overall.

As dentists we believe prevention is always better than cure and will always encourage and help you to look after your teeth so you don’t develop tooth decay in the first place. If you do have decay and need a filling then we recommend white fillings as a good solution that is both aesthetic and functional.