Increase Your Dental Options By ‘Going Private’

Private dental care and the additional benefits it can bring for our Burton patients.

Dental care on the NHS was first introduced in this country in 1948. This must have been fantastic news for those who either had to endure pain, pull a tooth out themselves or pay a small fortune to have it done. There is little doubt that the nation’s oral health is all the better for it. As NHS dental care is funded by the taxpayer though, this has become more of a challenge for successive governments as people now expect more from a dental service than just the ‘basics’, important though they are.

Modern dentistry now offers not only solutions to painful teeth, but also the option to have a much improved smile too. In today’s blog, we are going to take a look at some treatments that we offer privately at the SG Dental and Implant Centre, and how you can benefit from them.

But first …..

Enhancements on NHS treatments

Before we look at the treatments that are simply not available through the NHS, let us take a look at a couple of things that are offered on the NHS but which you can have enhanced versions of if you go privately.

Fillings

You can have a tooth filled on the NHS of course, but in most cases this will be the older amalgam material that is used. This has been around for a very long time and is an excellent material as far as strength goes. Unfortunately though, it is also a very dark colour and this means that people can see your fillings when you smile, laugh or yawn. By going private, you can take advantage of the natural tooth coloured fillings that are available. These can be made in a shade that matches the rest of your natural tooth and makes the fillings almost invisible to others, while providing a strong filling material for your cavities.

Teeth straightening

Most people are familiar with traditional braces that are made from metal wiring and brackets. It is probably this familiarity that puts many people off having their teeth straightened. Braces often have to be worn for a long period of time to adjust the position of the crooked teeth and their high visibility is often a strong deterrent to having this done.

If you have private dental care, you can now take advantage of improved orthodontics in the form of the Invisalign teeth straightening method. This does away with the metal wiring and brackets and uses instead a series of transparent trays that are made to fit over your teeth. Each tray works to move your teeth a little towards their desired position before being replaced by the next in the series. Not only are these trays almost invisible but you can also remove them while eating and when cleaning your teeth, making them very convenient indeed.

Treatments unavailable on the NHS

Let us now take a look at some of the treatments that you can’t get unless you go private. Many of these are cosmetic treatments that help to give your smile a boost. The first though, also offers a very practical solution to replacing any missing teeth that you might have.

Dental implants

Dentures have long been the mainstay for replacing any missing teeth. While improvements have been made to their comfort and aesthetics, the fact remains that they only replace the crown part of the tooth. These are attached to artificial gums which are attached to your natural gums and rely on suction, adhesive or clips to keep them in place. As our face shape can change through bone loss caused by losing a tooth or through gradual face changes as we become older, it is not surprising that some people find that they move around in the mouth.

Dental implants, on the other hand, consist of an artificial tooth root which is placed into the jawbone and allowed to fuse together with it. This provides a strong and stable base onto which a crown can then be attached. It is generally accepted that this is currently the nearest thing to a natural tooth that you can have to replace a missing one.

Porcelain veneers

Veneers can have a number of purposes. They can be used to whiten teeth that are too badly stained for the treatment below to be fully effective. They can ‘cover up’ minor damage to the teeth in the form of chips and cracks in the teeth. They can also sometimes be used for minor aesthetic correction such as closing of the gap between the front teeth (diastema) which can be prominent in some people. These often do require an invasive treatment but produce excellent and long lasting results.

Teeth whitening

The teeth whitening procedure is probably the best known cosmetic dental treatment around and is being increasingly used by both young and those approaching the later years of their life. This affordable and effective treatment can really change your life and give a boost to your smile and your confidence levels.

As you can see then, having private dental care really does open up new options for you and your teeth. You can not only have a healthy set of teeth, but also a brand new smile if you so wish. If you would like to discover more about what private care can offer you and you live in the Burton area, please call the SG Dental and Implant Centre on 01283 845345 to see how we can help.