Mrs L first came to Elmsleigh House over 10 years ago as she was looking for a local dentist she could trust. She was looking for a clinic with modern equipment and protocols for treatment, and didn’t want a dentist selling her unnecessary treatment.
Cathleen Perrin listened to her concerns, took x-ray images and performed a thorough dental assessment.
She determined that first Mrs L’s gum health needed to be improved, as there was some inflammation where the gums bleed on touching them. She recommended a course of hygiene appointments to improve gum health, remove some staining and tartar (scale) that had built up on her teeth and refine techniques to clean her teeth at home.
Mrs L did not need any new fillings, and her old, large silver amalgam fillings did not need to be replaced at that time. It was decided to keep these under review and when they showed significant deterioration they would be replaced with tooth-coloured composite filling material.
After three years of routine dental check-ups and hygiene appointments, some of the old amalgam fillings in Mrs L’s teeth had started to chip and break, and might start to leak, meaning they required further treatment.
Cathleen determined the priority of filling replacement. The priority was Mrs L’s lower right first molar, which was particularly at risk of rapid deterioration, and the adjacent fillings were beginning to wear; if left untreated, this can lead to further problems and even affect the survival of the teeth.
The long-term solution was to restore these teeth with high-quality tooth-coloured restorations. Cathleen removed the silver fillings and restored the teeth with cosmetic bonding material, which would strengthen the teeth and improve their appearance.
She then determined that the next area requiring treatment was the upper left side, followed by the lower left, and finally the upper right side. Each area was kept under review, and depending on symptoms and the level of wear evident, were replaced in a timely fashion.
A year later the last remaining filling on the lower left side eventually showed deterioration. The old filling was removed and the tooth restored with composite bonding to strengthen and improve appearance.
Mrs L’s old amalgam fillings were all restored over four years as they showed deterioration, meaning no unnecessary treatment. She continues to see Cathleen for regular check-ups as well as seeing our dental hygiene team regularly for a professional clean.
