How to find a good dentist near you

With lockdown restrictions easing across England, more of us are thinking about returning to hairdressers, hospitality venues – and the dentist.

If, after the long months of closures, you need to find a new dentist, you may be wondering ‘How do I find a good dentist near me?’ Here, we go through the things you need to take into account before booking your first appointment as a new patient.

Check out the check-up

Your initial assessment should include X-rays on both sides of your mouth as a minimum – you may also need more specific images of particular sections of your jaw.

Meanwhile, a basic periodontal evaluation (BPE) divides the mouth into six areas to check the levels of bone density and ensure that the teeth are stable, and held in place with plenty of healthy bone.

An initial visit should also involve soft-tissue screening to inspect your mouth for any lesions and, more importantly, as an initial form of screening for oral cancer. (If necessary, your dentist may need to refer you for a biopsy.)

The dentist should also assess the muscles and jaw joints in your throat and neck by opening and closing your mouth and getting you to stick your tongue out while also gently feeling your glands and neck.

Finally, a good dentist will test your occlusion, or bite, to be sure there are no signs of grinding and that all teeth meet evenly.

Does the place have the right professional accreditations?

Look for the BDA Good Practice member logo on any potential new practice. This shows the practice can prove a tangible commitment to quality with good team work, efficient practice symptoms and assurance of a good patient experience.

It’s also a good idea to look at the credentials of your chosen potential dentist on the General Dental Council website.

There should be no pressure

You shouldn’t have to pay a deposit before you book an appointment, and you are not bound to a particular catchment area in the same way as you would be when registering with a GP. Your practice simply has to be convenient for you, whether that’s because it’s near your home or workplace. So you just need to call up and see whether the practice is taking new patients, and whether they have any available appointments.

Of course, the choice is yours – you can always choose to attend somewhere further away if you really like the practice.

Anxious patient?

If you become particularly anxious at the dentist, or have any other special requirements, such as needing wheelchair access, find out what the practice offers ahead of your first visit. A good dentist should do everything they can to assure you that you will be looked after.

Ask around

As with anything else, it’s always worth asking your friends, family, colleagues and other contacts for recommendations, especially if you are new to an area. It’s also worth looking at patient recommendations for dental practices on the NHS Choices website.

Another idea is to ask for recommendations via a local patient website.

Others who may be able to advise include your GP or pharmacist. Equally, if you are moving, you could ask your current dentist to recommend a new practice.

Understand pricing

Again, as with anything else, understand pricing structure in advance. Charges should be clear and transparent; equally it should be easy to understand exactly what you are getting for your money. And there should, of course, be no unpleasant surprises when it comes to paying your bill.

Take the tour

Most dental practices will let you have a quick look round the surgery and allow you to meet team members to say a quick hello before your first appointment if you ask for this in advance. This could do a lot to put your mind at rest if you are feeling nervous ahead of treatment. You should also be able to gauge the team’s willingness to answer your questions and provide information.

This way, you’ll have the chance to learn whether the opening hours suit you, the procedure for emergency dental work, and ask about the on-site hygienist or anything else you may feel uncertain about. Additionally, you can check the place is clean and tidy, that staff wear gloves and other protective gear when treating patients, and that the treatment room is hygienic and properly lit.

Finally, if you’re wondering how to find a good dentist near you, there may be more things to take into account than you realised. But, using the criteria mentioned, it’s perfectly possible to find one that fits the bill perfectly.

A new option for braces

Are you looking for clear braces in Basingstoke? Maybe you should consider Six Month Smiles at Bounty Road Dental. As with traditional fixed braces, they can be used to correct crooked teeth, gapped or widely-spaced teeth, protruding teeth and many other common dental conditions.

Clear-Braces-in-Basingstoke However, unlike orthodox braces treatments, its approach is more focused on moving and improving the alignment of only the teeth that can be seen when you smile, rather than all of your teeth. Because of this difference in emphasis, Six Month Smiles clear braces in Basingstoke can be completed in a shorter time and at a lower cost than traditional braces treatments.

At Bounty Dental Care, Six Month Smiles braces treatment time will fall within 4-9 months depending on the gravity of your dental condition to be corrected. On average, it will usually take just about six months, hence the name. In contrast, treatment with fixed traditional metal braces can take as long as 2-4 years before the desired results can be seen.

What to expect at your first visit

During your first visit for your clear braces in Basingstoke you will be given a full dental check-up. We will take photographs, X-rays and otherwise examine and evaluate the condition of your smile. Based on our assessment, we will also give you an indication as to whether or not the Six Month Smiles procedure is suitable for you. If it is, we will inform you of the likely treatment time and costs involved. If you decide this is the right procedure for you, we can begin by fitting you with the Six Month Smiles clear brackets and barely visible tooth-coloured wires.

What next?

After the fitting, you will be asked to come back around twice a month until the end of your treatment for regular adjustments of your clear braces in Basingstoke. As with any braces treatment, there may be some discomfort experienced during the first few weeks following the fitting.

Initially, your speech may be affected. Don’t worry though, you will get used to the braces. In certain cases, we may advise you to take some mild over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol during this adjustment period.

What, you mean it’s not too late to get my teeth straightened?

No, it’s not! Contrary to popular belief, age is no barrier to a beautiful smile even if you have been over 18 long enough to have kids who are over 18 too.

Clear braces in Basingstoke are being worn by more and more adults as word spreads that teeth straightening has no age limits.

This is because, although they may feel like they are immovably fixed into the jawbone, your teeth can shift around throughout your entire life. It just takes some pressure to get them to move.

How do clear braces in Basingstoke work?

After braces are put on and start pushing or pulling the teeth, it takes around 72 hours for the nerves of the teeth to begin to respond. They tell the bone around the tooth to shift in order to reduce the pressure. The bone in front of the direction of the tooth’s pressure starts to break down, while, at the same time, the bone behind it begins to build up. Thus, the tooth moves very slowly without ever becoming loose in its socket.

What are the benefits of clear braces in Basingstoke?

People experience both physical and mental benefits after their get their teeth straightened.

Physically, the teeth are easier to keep clean. Cleaner teeth develop fewer cavities and infections, which in turn means fewer fillings and extractions.

Mentally, having their teeth straightened has been shown to greatly increase people’s self-confidence. You’ll find you’ve lost that embarrassment that came when you showed your teeth by speaking, laughing or smiling. Also, you’ll find you actually smile more and this act increases serotonin production, and more of this feel-good chemical in the body leads to more smiling: it’s a smiling virtuous circle!

Six Month Smiles is used to straighten the six front teeth with brackets made of tooth-coloured ceramic, and tooth-coloured nickel-titanium wire. Treatment takes from 4-9 months.

Invisalign uses a series of thin transparent acrylic trays that fit over your teeth rather than brackets and wires.

Your dentist can advise you as to which system will work best for your teeth and is best suited to your needs during an initial consultation.

You don’t have to wait for years for a beautiful smile

How long do you think braces take to straighten out wonky teeth? Three years? Two years? Surely, it’s never less than one?

Well, think again, because with the right kind of braces, it can take as little as four months to realign them.

Clear Braces in Basingstoke Here at the Bounty Road Dental Practice in Basingstoke, clear braces are at the heart of modern dental technology, and that means speed in resolving wonky teeth.

We offer a braces system that can take as little as four months to resolve minor alignment issues. Six Month Smiles is possibly the world’s most well-known braces system designed for simple realignment problems.

Six Month Smiles braces in Basingstoke take only 4-9 to reposition teeth, hence the name. Although this is a bracket and wire system of braces, in Basingstoke, this does not mean that you will have to be wearing heavy, obvious and uncomfortable metal ‘train-track’ braces in order to achieve that lovely smile you want. Six Month Smiles have been designed to be comfortable as well as discreet. The brackets are made of clear ceramic, and the wires are tooth-coloured. Together they produce outstanding and predictable results.

Six Month Smiles braces in Basingstoke are only suitable for certain kinds of simple realignments involving the front six teeth. So, your first appointment with us is all determining whether this is the right course of action for your issues. If it is, then we can go ahead and take impressions and photos of your teeth.

We send these off to the Six Month Smiles laboratory in the United States. They shape the wires and calculate the angle and position of each bracket on your teeth in order to gently pull them into proper alignment. We bond the brackets to your teeth, and fit the wires, and then your braces in Basingstoke are good to go. You will need to drop into to see us every four to five weeks for a check-in and possible adjustments. Once your braces treatment is complete, we will bond a retainer to the back of your teeth, out of sight, to stop them returning to their former position.

How Missing Teeth Lead to Gum Disease

Many people try to live with their missing teeth, especially if the gap is not that noticeable. However, a more beautiful smile is not the only reason to get dental implants. One thing that patients need to learn is that without treatment, tooth loss can have a significant negative effect on the teeth left behind.

One of the most likely complications is gum disease. After some years with missing teeth, many people find that they have developed gingivitis or periodontitis. What caused this?

A Devastating Chain Reaction

The link between gum disease and tooth loss is simple: when there are large gaps between your teeth, oral hygiene becomes significantly more difficult to maintain. It is much easier for food debris to become stuck in that space, which creates a breeding ground for bacteria. Plaque and tartar gradually build up, compromising the health of your teeth and encouraging infections.

As your immune system attacks the infection, your gums become inflamed. Over time, this wears away at your gums (a process called gum recession), and exposes both the roots of your teeth and the jawbone to bacteria. This severe form of gum disease is called periodontitis, and it can lead to further tooth loss and a host of other health problems.

Other Consequences of Missing Teeth

Proper oral hygiene can help prevent gum disease from developing. But this is not the only potential consequence of tooth loss. Missing teeth can also:

• Result in serious bite problems as the remaining teeth shift to ‘close the gap’.

• Affect the overall structure of the mouth.

• Cause speech problems and difficulty in chewing certain foods.

• Lead to significant jawbone deterioration and facial collapse over the years.

As you can see, the issue goes beyond aesthetics. Replacing your missing teeth on a timely basis with dental implants is important for your oral health as a whole. Our practice can help with this; call us today, and schedule your appointment. We would be glad to help you regain your smile and confidence.

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