Quality Care Initiative and Warranties

The Quality Care Initiative aims to provide a written appraisal of equipment and procedures to reassure patients that the care you receive is up-to-date and appropriate. Here are some of the standard achievements and aims at this practice:

Equipment
• Modern fibre optic operating equipment, surgery fittings and diagnostic X-ray facilities

Sterilisation
• Highest standard of sterilisation protocol
• All plastic instruments, gloves, polishing brushes and root-filling instruments are one patient disposable
• All other instruments are heat and steam sterilised after every use
• Staff receive regular updates and training in procedures

Diagnosis
• Check-ups include full mouth examination and periodontal (gum) charting plus oral cancer screening

Materials
• All materials used in fillings are high durability, high quality and, where appropriate, blend with natural tooth colour
• Confidence in our choice of materials is backed by the two-year warranty (see below)

Cosmetic dentistry
Tooth whitening, tooth straightening, veneers and dental implants are all available on the premises

Adhesive dentistry
The last few years have seen revolutionary improvements in dental materials, particularly the adhesives that can be used to stick fillings directly to teeth. These materials are tooth coloured and blend invisibly with the tooth. Your dentist will be pleased to discuss the options whenever an old filling needs replacing.

Specialist services
We now offer in-house access to the following dental specialists:
• Periodontist (gum specialist) ­ for diagnosis and treatment of gum disease
• Oral Surgeon ­ for assessment and extraction of wisdom teeth and broken roots
  
• Implantologist ­ for the replacement of missing teeth with dental implants. For more information go to www.newteeth.co.uk
• Orthodontic screening ­ for teeth straightening and braces

WARRANTY
Fillings are covered by a two year warranty providing you attend for routine check-ups and maintenance (this usually means every six months). The warranty allows replacement free of charge if the filling itself has failed i.e. the material has broken. The warranty does not cover failure of the tooth either due to stress or impact fracture or due to secondary dental decay or the onset of root infection. Crowns are also covered automatically for two years and for five years if you choose a premium quality crown. You may be asked to pay a supplement if a new design or more durable material is chosen for the replacement crown. Failure of the tooth underneath the crown or onset of root infection is not covered by the warranty. Root fillings and non standard treatments are not covered.