Clinical and radiological diagnostics deal with dentistry which focusses on carrying out and interpreting  diagnostic imaging used for examining craniofacial, dental and adjacent structures.

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The clinical and radiological diagnostics offered include dental panoramic radiology and intra-oral imaging. Patients may be referred for a cone beam CT scan and cephalometric imaging, which may assist with diagnosis, treatment planning and evaluation of certain conditions.

Preventive dental treatment involves the prevention of the development of oral problems such as cavities, gingivitis, enamel loss and periodontitis in patients. These preventative dental treatments are beneficial to everyone, however, children particularly have significantly more to gain through them, as it allows for newly developed permanent teeth to grow strong and healthy. Dental sealants and topical fluoride treatments, aid in the prevention of decay in the teeth of children. Preventative dentistry in adults allows for the maintenance of oral health as well as keeping their natural teeth for as long as they possibly can. 

Oral health is linked with a persons overall health, as the mouth can be a site where harmful bacteria breed. Preventive dentistry thus allows for greatly decreasing the risk of developing oral problems, which in turn increases ones chances of living a healthy life.

Found in our mouths are many soft and hard tissues. Soft tissue is made up of the inner cheeks, tongue, gums and lips. Hard tissue, on the other hand, is made up of the jawbone and the teeth. The mouths structure is held together by a vast expanse of connective tissues as well as nerves and blood vessels. The health of the mouth is dependent and reliant on these systems functionality and in the case of a failure of these systems to work together ones oral health becomes compromised. The various procedures which deal with repairing damaged teeth, replacing missing teeth, correcting faulty bites and misaligned teeth, replacing worn-out dental work, dealing with jawbone and gum damage and treating diseases of the mouth are known as restorative and reconstructive dentistry. These procedures may be performed independently, however, should there be multiple oral health problems, then full mouth reconstruction may be required and advised.

The pulp, which is a soft tissue, is located beneath the enamel of the tooth, within the hard layer of dentin. The pulp aids the growth of the root of your tooth whilst your teeth are still growing. It contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue. Once your teeth have developed completely, they are able to survive without the pulp, as the tissue surrounding the teeth continues to provide the required nourishment. Should a tooth become infected due to damage caused then the pulp is destroyed by the infection and if this goes untreated, the infection can be spread to the bone around the tooth, which leads to swelling and severe pain. Often times, patients only seek dental assistance at the point of having unbearable pain, which leads to endodontic treatment, which is often referred to as Root Canal Therapy, is required to be performed in order for the tooth to be saved. 

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Endodontic treatment is performed by using tiny canals to open the tooth, then removing the damaged pulp, cleaning, shaping, filling and then sealing the tooth up once more. 

Minor oral surgery procedures include the following:

• Simple extractions of the root or teeth as a whole. This does not involve the removal of soft tissue or bone.

• Surgical extractions of the root or the whole tooth. This involves the need for the removal of only soft tissue or soft tissue with bone in order for access to the root or tooth to be gained.

• Operculectomy which refers to the surgical removal of the gingival flap overlaying a partially erupted tooth.

• Gingivectomy which refers to periodontal soft tissue surgery, and is designed to adjust the shape of the gingivae, which then aids in oral hygiene measures.

All other minor surgeries are referred out to specialists. 

These include, to name but a few: Alveolectomy, gingivoplasty, periodontal flap surgery, soft tissue biopsies, difficult surgical extractions and impacted wisdom teeth.

Most patients find these surgical procedures to be worrying or unnerving. That is because these types of procedures tend to involve bleeding and possible postoperative pain. 

The intent of conscious sedation is not to put the patient to sleep, it is more used as a tool for helping the patient to feel more comfortable and at ease during dental procedures. The patient remains able to communicate with the dentist. 

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Conscious sedation involves the use of medications and where necessary local anaesthesia to induce relaxation in the patient and is commonly used in dentistry for people who feel anxious or panicked during dental procedures. This process of conscious sedation helps reduce anxiety, discomfort, and pain during certain procedures.

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A specialist GP or an anaesthetist performs the process of conscious sedation in the dental surgery when it is required. 

Tooth whitening, which is one of the most popular cosmetic dental procedures, is the practice of lightening as well as brightening teeth, whilst also removing discolouration and stains from teeth. It is such a popular form of cosmetic dentistry as it improves the appearance of your teeth.  

Tooth whitening is not a once off procedure, but rather requires repetition from time to time in order to ensure a whiter, brighter smile is maintained.

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Light being reflected and scattered off of the tooth creates the enamel, which is the outer layer of the tooth’s colour, in combination with the dentins colour, which is located beneath the enamel. The enamel’s thickness and smoothness is affected by your genes and lifestyle, a thinner enamel allows for the dentins colour to shine through, which in turn causes the teeth to appear darker. 

Dentures:

Dentures are replacements for missing teeth and the surrounding tissues, which can be removed. There are complete dentures, which are used for replacing all the teeth in the mouth and partial dentures, which are only used when a few of the natural teeth remain intact. There is no noticeably change in appearance when you get dentures as they are designed to replicate natural teeth. 

Mouth Guards:

Mouth guards are made of a flexible plastic which allows for them to be moulded to the shape of a patients teeth and designed to fit the mouth. Mouth guards were created to provide protection to the teeth and jaw in any activity where there is the possibility of being hit in the mouth. 

Night Guards:

Night guards are also made of a flexible plastic which is moulded to the shape of the patients teeth and designed to fit the mouth. Night guards are recommended in patients where teeth clenching or grinding occurs at night during sleep. The aim here is to protect the teeth from any damage which may be caused by the clenching or grinding. The tongue, cheek lining and soft tissue of the lips are also protected by the guards.  

Dental implants are a popular way of replacing missing teeth. Dental implants are made of metal posts or frames, which are surgically implanted onto the jawbones beneath your gums. This allows for them to provide stability as well as support for the artificial tooth. 

A single tooth, dental bridges and dentures can be mounted to the implants, which thus ensures stability and that they won’t slip or move around in the patients mouth, which is very important when it comes to speaking and eating. Dentures and bridges are not comfortable or possible for some patients as a result of sore spots or gagging. With dental implants, no other teeth are required to be prepared in order for the replacement to be fitted.

Healthy gums and a strong jawbone are required in order to be eligible for dental implants as these provide the required support to the implants. Commitment to maintaining healthy structures inside your mouth is also required, which means that meticulous oral hygiene and regular dental visits are vital to the dental implants success and longevity. 

Patients are referred to a specialist for the placement of implants. The restoration of the implants is done in house, post osteointegration.