ABOUT CROSSROADS DENTAL
Welcome to our practice situated in the centre of our beautiful town, Nelspruit.
We are two female dentists who have worked together many years and during our post-graduate study sessions in Pretoria, the thought of opening our own practice crossed our minds.
Today we are living that dream. At Crossroads Dental, we strive to provide excellent dental, aesthetic and orthodontic care in a comfortable environment that makes each visit as pleasant as possible. We have invested in state-of-the-art dental equipment for your comfort and superior quality dental care. Our clients can now look forward to their dentist appointments instead of dreading it.
OUR SERVICES
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RESTORATIVE
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IMPLANTS
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CONSCIOUS SEDATION OR IN-HOSPITAL TREATMENT
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ROOT CANAL TREATMENT
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DENTAL AESTHETICS
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OCCLUSAL GUARDS
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COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL EXAMINATION
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DENTURES
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MOUTH-GUARDS
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FISSURE SEALANTS
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BOTOX
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EXTRACTIONS
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ORTHODONTICS
Should there be cavities, we will remove all decayed areas of the tooth and fill them using composite (white) filling material. If, however, the tooth is severely decayed and/or broken, a porcelain crown will be made to fit over this tooth in order to restore it to its original shape and function. In situations where there is a tooth missing, and an implant cannot be done, we can also replace the missing tooth with a bridge. This is where crowns are done on the adjacent teeth with a false tooth connected in between them.
Implants have been used for many years to replace one or more missing teeth. Currently, it is the closest treatment option to having your own teeth, without sacrificing adjacent teeth, for example, with a bridge. When doing an implant, we drill a small hole into the bone and place a dental implant, much like fitting a screw in the wall. This implant will then function as an artificial root and a porcelain crown is then fitted onto it.
Should you or your child have an extreme fear of dental procedures or should there be just too much treatment needed for your little one, or your child is five years old or younger, we have the option of doing this treatment either in hospital under general anaesthetics, or doing it in our rooms under conscious sedation. Conscious sedation is performed by a trained medical doctor, who will administer a combination of medicines to relax the patient and block pain. Enabling the dentist to perform the treatment with no, or minimal psychological trauma to the patient.
Sometimes a tooth can be so decayed or broken, that the nerve of the tooth is affected. This causes serious pain and/or infection in the bone. For these cases, we will perform a root canal treatment. This involves removing all the decay as well as the nerve of the tooth and placing medicine inside the tooth to clear the infection. Once the infection is cleared, the canals in the root of the tooth are shaped using special files and filling material, followed by either a filling or crown.
Should you want to change your smile, and braces are not for you, we can manufacture porcelain crowns or veneers for the front teeth. Where we can, in essence, hide the position, change the colour and shape of your natural teeth.
This is for our patients who grind or clench their teeth or have pain in the jaw. We custom manufacture an acrylic plate, to be worn at night, in order to help prevent the grinding and relieve the pain.
A full examination of the teeth, mouth and jaws are done. This is done visually and with the help of various X-rays. By doing this we can identify possible problems and suggest treatment options. During this visit, we may also do a cleaning of the teeth, which involves removing plaque and tartar, as well as polishing the teeth and administering topical fluoride treatment.
Where we cannot do implants or bridges to replace missing teeth, dentures or “false teeth” is our last option. This is a removable plate with teeth attached and can be used to replace one tooth or all teeth, if needed.
For our patients who enjoy doing contact sports, we can take a mould and manufacture a custom-fit mouthguard. This will protect the teeth, should he/she get a knock on them.
These are a non-invasive protective layer that is placed on the molar teeth of children to help prevent cavities.
Ageing and wrinkles are inevitable. Botox is a drug prepared from Botulin, used medically to treat certain muscular conditions and cosmetically to remove wrinkles by temporarily paralysing facial muscles. Depending on the muscle activity of each individual patient, the effect of Botox can last for 3-6 months. We treat fine lines and wrinkles, as well as hyperactivity of the jaw muscles.
In cases where the tooth is too damaged to restore, we will remove the tooth. We will discuss possible options in replacing it. Teeth are also removed for orthodontic purposes, where there is not enough space to align all the teeth, and the orthodontist needs this extra space in order to achieve a good smile. Wisdom teeth sometimes get impacted (stuck) because of too little space or simply the way they have developed. We will remove simple cases of impacted wisdom teeth; more advanced cases will be referred to a Maxillofacial Surgeon (specialist).
Orthodontics is a way of moving teeth into their proper place. Either to improve your smile or to achieve a better bite. This is usually done with metal blocks on the teeth and various wires combined with elastic. We can also replace the metal blocks with ceramic (tooth coloured) blocks for a more aesthetically pleasing look. Where there are only small changes that need to be done, we have a technologically advanced method to move the teeth using removable transparent trays. In these cases, a series of trays (clear aligners) are made and worn for a prescribed time, in a specific order. Enabling the teeth to move, as traditional braces would. This option provides the patient with the comfort of being able to remove the trays when eating, doing sports or attending functions.
MEET THE TEAM
Dr Suzanne Engelbrecht
Suzanne was born and bred in Durbanville, in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town. She graduated from Stellenbosch/UWC and qualified as a dentist in 2007.
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Dr Liana van Heerden
A smile can tell so much about a person. And a beautiful smile and a healthy mouth will not only bring happiness to the person but will also boost their confidence.
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