Saving your natural teeth, if possible, is always the best option.

Even the most identical replacement will never be as good as keeping your original tooth. Endodontic treatment, along with restoration if needed, is a cost-effective way to treat teeth with damaged pulp and is usually less expensive than extraction and placement of a bridge or an implant.

A bridge or an implant will require significantly more time in treatment and may result in further procedures to adjacent teeth and supporting tissues.

Endodontic treatment also has a very high success rate. Many root-canal-treated teeth last a lifetime. Those healthy teeth are helping patients chew efficiently, maintain the natural appearance of their smiles, and enhance their enjoyment of life. Through endodontic treatment at Portman, you can keep your natural teeth for a lifetime.

The root canal system inside your tooth has been thoroughly cleaned during your treatment, and any irritated tissue and bacteria are gone.

It’s normal to feel some tenderness in the area over the next few days as your mouth heals. You may also feel some tenderness in your jaw from keeping it open during the treatment.

These symptoms are temporary and usually respond well to over-the-counter pain medications, such as paracetamol. It’s important for you to follow the instructions on how to take these medications. Remember that narcotic medications, if prescribed, may make you drowsy, and you should avoid operating machinery or driving a car after taking them.

Root canal treatment is only the first step in returning your tooth, and the rest of your mouth, to full function. You’ll need a proper final restoration of the tooth to ensure long-term success.

Contact your Portman dentist within two weeks of treatment to arrange your next appointment. If your tooth is being treated in more than one visit by an endodontist, wait until the root canal treatment is completed before returning.

You can search for your endodontist on the specialist register on the General Dental Council website.

All AAE member endodontists are licensed by the country in which they practice. Some endodontists have chosen to become Diplomates of the American Board of Endodontics and are board-certified. You can search for an endodontist who has achieved Diplomate status through the American Board of Endodontics website.

A natural smile and a healthy mouth are important for your confidence, but it is important to replace missing teeth for health reasons as well.

Some of the health reasons to replace missing teeth are:

1. If you have missing teeth, the way your jaw opens and closes can be affected. This can result in a condition called TMJ dysfunction (or TMD), which is extremely painful and requires surgery in extreme cases.
2. Gaps between the teeth can allow the movement of other teeth into these spaces. These surrounding teeth become increasingly susceptible to decay and gum disease, which can result in them being lost as well.
3. Once teeth have gone, it results in bone loss. This not only shortens your face and ages it, but can cause other teeth to become loose which are then at risk of falling out. Your features droop and can appear prematurely aged.

When a tooth falls out, the root which normally holds it in place is lost as well. This means there is then nothing to hold a replacement tooth in place. A dental implant solves this problem by using a titanium fixture to replicate the function of the tooth’s natural root.

The implant is placed into the jaw where it fuses with the bone. Like your natural root, it then provides a foundation. This provides a secure point onto which a crown can be placed, replacing the missing tooth.

Dental implants have been used for over 30 years to replace missing teeth. As with natural teeth, they can be damaged by trauma and affected by gum disease and poor oral hygiene. However, if they are looked after like normal teeth, they can last a lifetime.

Most healthy people, who regularly brush their teeth and visit the dentist, are suitable for implants. Dental implants can be a great solution for people of any age.

While implants are suitable for most people, there are circumstances where implants may not be suitable. It’s important that you speak to your Portman dentist if you’re concerned about any of the below.

1. Heavy smoking, which slows down and hinders the healing process.
2. Excessive alcohol intake, which can disrupt healing of the gums.
3. Those with a weak bones, as the implant needs to fuse with the bone in the jaw.
4. Severe gum disease. Tooth decay and/or gum disease needs to be treated before proceeding with a dental implant. Gum disease is a major cause of bone loss, which would hinder the success of any implant procedure.
5. People with compromised immune systems.
6. People who suffer from teeth grinding (bruxism).

Immediate Loading is when a dental implant and crown are fitted at the same time. This is as opposed to a Delayed Loading implant, which is a two-stage process, separated by a period of up to six months.

The main advantage of Immediate Loading is convenience. The procedure can be done in the same day, which is why it’s sometimes known as ‘the same day smile’.

Other advantages are that it’s a quicker procedure, there’s no need to wait for the bone and implant to fuse, and you don’t need to wear a temporary bridge or dentures.

However, the main disadvantage with Immediate Loading is that there’s an increased risk of loss of the implant, due to a failure of the bone to fuse sufficiently to the implant.

Your Portman dentist will advise you on which technique will be the most beneficial for you.

Delayed Loading is a two-stage process in which the implant is inserted, followed by a period of healing before the replacement teeth are fitted.

The benefits of this procedure are that there is less risk of implant failure, fewer implants are required, and the fusion between implant and jaw will have taken place, providing a firm base for your replacement teeth.

The main disadvantage to this procedure is the time you have to wait while the bone fuses. Speak to your Portman dentist about which procedure is the best for you.

For many people there is a period of adjustment when you first get your dentures fitted, in which speaking may be more difficult than before. But this is normally a case of getting used to the feel of them, and you’ll soon be back to speaking normally with a little practise. Your Portman dentist will be able to help you with this.

Eating may be difficult at first. Eating with dentures is slightly different to eating with natural teeth as they are not rooted as deep in your mouth. You will be used to a biting and tearing method but this will need to be adapted to focus more on biting. It can take some getting used to.

Dentures must be cleaned as plaque can still build up on them. While brushing after meals is recommended, the most practical way of cleaning dentures is to take them out and carefully brush them over the sink with a special denture brush. Be sure to rinse them well afterwards.

This may not be compulsory but it is highly recommended. If you soak them overnight in an approved denture cleaner, they will be clean and fresh the next day.

Teeth lose their natural colour for many reasons, but the main causes of teeth looking yellow are food and drink, oral hygiene and age.

Drinks such as tea, coffee, red wine and certain fruits, such as blueberries, stain teeth quite badly. Smoking is another common culprit.

Before treatment you will always be seen by one of our dentists to make sure that having your teeth whitened is right for you.

It is not a good idea to have your teeth whitened if you have existing dental problems, as the whitening agent can aggravate any cavity or gum problems.

The treatment has a long-term impact on the colour of your teeth, but they will not be immune to the same discolouring as they previously suffered. Stains build up on your teeth from everyday living.

Tea, coffee, red wine, tobacco and spicy foods can all dull the natural colour of your teeth. To maintain the impact of the treatment it is advisable to brush your teeth more frequently. Your Portman dentist will explain the procedure and aftercare at your first appointment.

As long as you have healthy teeth and gums, teeth whitening is perfectly safe. One factor to look out for is the peroxide concentration in the whitening agent, as it may weaken the tooth enamel.

At Portman, we have treated thousands of patients, aged from eight to 88 years old. There is never a point in life where we cannot move healthy crooked teeth into their ideal positions.

There are many causes of overcrowding, gaps and crooked teeth. For some people it can be inherited or possibly acquired, either due to a habit (sucking of the thumb, prolonged use of a dummy), or because of the premature loss of milk teeth or adult teeth.

Orthodontic treatments have evolved enormously over the last 20 years. Now problems such as gaps between the teeth, crowded teeth, overbite (upper teeth covering the majority of the lower ones), open bite (upper and lower teeth almost don’t touch) and cross bites can all be treated.

Orthodontic problems can have a profound impact on a person and their social and professional life. Depending on the extent of a problem, you might even be too self-conscious to smile. Effective orthodontic treatment not only improves your appearance, but also goes a long way to improving your self-confidence.

The correction of poor dental positioning also improves oral hygiene, as crowded or crooked teeth are often hard to clean properly. With such an improvement, the risk of gum disease for example – which can result in loss of teeth in extreme cases – is prevented.

Orthodontic treatment improves chewing efficiency by re-establishing the correct relationship between lower and upper teeth, removing the difficulty you may have when chewing certain kinds of food, and so providing better nutrition.

Snoring is caused by the vibration of soft tissues in the throat and behind the tongue. Studies indicate that at least 30 percent of adults snore. Snoring can be a major factor in sleep disturbance and result in stress, leading to lack of energy, poor concentration, mood swings and irritability. In the long term, snoring can also lead to high blood pressure and heart problems.

With Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), an increase in weight or a reduction in muscle tone can trigger the change from a partially blocked airway (snoring) to a fully blocked airway, causing sufferers to stop breathing for periods of time while sleeping. Many people with OSA are completely unaware of the disorder, and remain undiagnosed for several years. OSA has been linked to an increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.

We want to represent great dentistry. We want Portman to be known for its clinical standards and its ability to look after people, and it’s about having the internal culture that represents that.

Corporate dentistry has previously struggled to build a good reputation, and Portman aspire to be the group that better represents corporate and clinical governance, supporting its clinicians to deliver great dentistry.

It’s not about being big; it’s about being the best. We’re successful, but we’re growing at a pace that enables us to continue to recruit the right people, and stay true to our vision and values.

We want our practices to grow. We don’t set out to cut costs, we look to grow turnover while managing fixed costs. We want to grow your revenue significantly ahead of inflation to drive profit.

However, if you just focus on profitability, you might use cheaper materials or reduce staff, and that’s not how Portman works. We focus on growing the success of your existing business, working around a model that already works well for you.