Cap/crown: this is when the sides of the natural tooth are reduced down and a lab-constructed covering is made. This sits over the top of the tooth to help provide strength when a lot of the tooth has been replaced by a filling.

Bridge: this is a lab-constructed false tooth used to fill a gap. The bridge might be stuck to one or both of the neighbouring teeth, sometimes with the use of crowns. Bridges are not removable, they remain fixed in the mouth.

Denture/plate: a removable device usually made of acrylic to replace multiple teeth. They are taken out at night.

Implant: this is a titanium screw, with a false tooth over the top of it, which is placed into the jaw bone to replace a missing tooth. If they are replacing a single tooth they are sometimes called “implant-retained crowns” and if they are replacing multiple teeth they are called “implant-retained bridges”. Sometimes they are placed alongside a denture to help make it more retentive, known as an “implant-retained denture”.

Root canal treatment/therapy: a procedure where the nerve inside a natural tooth is removed, usually to eradicate a dental infection and the middle of the tooth is sealed with a rubbery material. The dentine, enamel and tooth roots are still left in the mouth.

Fissure sealant: a protective covering placed over the top of a natural tooth to prevent it from developing decay.

All of this treatment can be provided at Beech House Dental Practice. All of our dentists will talk you through the advantages and disadvantages of each option which is relevant to you, and give you a cost estimate before treatment is started.