September 3rd, 2010
Braces. Just the word itself is enough to fill the hearts of many teenagers with dread. No one wants to stand out at that age and braces can make just that happen. Obviously everyone would like to have straight teeth but the thought of sacrificing up to three years of your most difficult teenage years to the metal brackets and wires of braces can be difficult to stomach.
However, it doesn’t have to be that way, as brace technology has advanced so much over the last ten years that now the options for straighter teeth are much greater than they once were. The traditional fixed metal brace is just one of many options that teenage patients can choose from.
Amongst others, braces and straighteners that have revolutionised the world of braces include the Inman aligner, Six Month Smile braces and Damon braces. Each of these has their own distinct advantages over traditional braces and very often involve treatments that last just a fraction of the time.
For example, the Inman aligner is capable of straightening teeth in as little as three or four months, although most commonly treatment lasts about six months. This is about a quarter of the time of conventional treatment and produces results equally as impressive. Other brace systems such as Invisalign offer treatments that are much more discreet. The plastic retainers of this system are almost impossible to spot when in the mouth and can be removed for cleaning, reducing the long-term impact of braces on the colour of the teeth.
To find out more about the possibility of braces you should make an appointment with a City of London dentist. They can advise you on which brace option is most suitable for your teeth and give you more information about cost and lengthy of treatment.
September 2nd, 2010
Chewing gum has made the jump in recent years from confectionary to boosting your dental health through cavity control and plaque protection. A number of high profile dental health agencies including the American Dental association have recognised the benefits of chewing gum. This has meant that chewing gum has enjoyed spectacular growths in sales over the last few years. But just what is it about gum that makes it so good for your teeth?
There are many benefits associated with stimulating saliva through the chewing of gum. It is the simple motion of chewing that stimulates the salivary glands and produces more saliva. In theory you could chew anything but gum is convenient and can be made to taste in many flavours.
Research indicates that there are further health benefits from chewing gum that include keeping plaque at bay, strengthening enamel and cleaning the teeth. Chewing gum can also help to reduce gum disease and bleeding gums. There are also some studies that show that chewing gum can have wider health benefits including helping weight loss and improving short-term memory.
However, there are a few things that you need to bear in mind when you decide to start chewing gum. One of them of course is that the gum needs to be sugar free in order to have the beneficial qualities. Obviously, chewing gum with a high sugar quotient will not be good for the teeth and could even damage them further. Low-sugar gum is widely available from most shops and newsagents, as well as specialist dental gum from chemists and your Central London dentist.
September 1st, 2010
Bleeding gums can be quite a nasty surprise and the cause of great concern. However, the causes of the bleeding are varied in both severity and frequency. If you notice that your gums are bleeding then it is always advised that you pay a visit to a City of London dentist who will be able to discover the cause of the bleeding.
One of the main causes of bleeding gums is, naturally, gum disease. This is caused a by a lack of dental hygiene, by insufficient brushing or flossing. This allows plaque and bacteria to build up around the gums and eventually causes irritation that leads to infection. Gum disease is easily treatable if caught in the early stages but if left can become very serious and even has links to heart disease. Small bleeding is often a sign of the onset of gum disease so you may need to receive some treatment.
More seriously, bleeding gums can also be the sign of oral cancer. This is obviously a very serious matter and the reason that you should always see a dentist if your gums are bleeding to be on the safe side.
However, it is also true that many cases of bleeding gums are just caused by an increase in the standard of oral hygiene. Someone who starts flossing after a long time of not doing it may experience some bleeding but this will usually stop after the first few days. It is simply a sign that the gums have been over stimulated and were probably in need of a good clean. However, as with all illness and conditions, it is always better to be safe than sorry, so make an appointment if you are concerned about your gums.
August 21st, 2010
We have all seen what happens to a smile when a tooth is missing. A gap in the dental arc is pretty much the first thing that you notice when somebody smiles at you, but it is not just the aesthetic damage that is cause for concern. Missing teeth leave hollows in the gums that provide the perfect place for bacteria and plaque to build up. This hollow area is very difficult to clean with a conventional brush and can lead to damage occurring to other teeth in the dental arc. This process will repeat itself over and over until ultimately the teeth are all under threat.
Like any solid defence, your teeth need to be at maximum strength to successfully battle dental disease and decay. This is why your City of London dentist will always recommend that you try and replace missing teeth as soon as possible.
One of the most effective ways of doing this is to have a dental bridge designed and fitted. Just like it sounds, a dental bridge spans the gap created by the lost tooth with an artificial tooth. This tooth, known as the pontic, will be very realistic and match the other teeth for maximum cosmetic effect.
The pontic is normally held in place by dental crowns on either side of the gap. Small resin strips attach the pontic to the crowns to restore both the appearance and functionality of the tooth. Dental bridges are very effective and also the most affordable of all the dental substitutes. If properly maintained, a dental bridge from a City of London dentist can last as long as twenty years, although the average lifespan is between ten and fifteen years.
August 20th, 2010
Losing a tooth at any stage of your life is a traumatic experience but few people realise the long-lasting consequences of a missing tooth. A hollow left by a missing tooth will be very susceptible to a build up of bacteria which will in turn affect the other teeth. In this way, losing one tooth can begin a chain reaction that leads to losing many more.
This is why Central London dentists always recommend that you have your missing tooth replaced. This can be with one of a number of dental substitutes such as dental bridges, dental implants and partial dentures. Dental bridges are probably the most cost-effective way of replacing teeth and can last for up to twenty years. However, they are prone to breaking and can limit what kind of food you can eat.
Partial dentures are slightly clumsy and bulky and often used for replacing more than one missing tooth. There is no question which is the most lifelike and sturdy form of dental replacement. Dental implants replace the whole tooth from the root up and are very secure. They do not limit what you an eat as they are almost as strong as a real tooth. And for the biggest bonus of all, they last a lifetime. This means that although you may have to pay slightly more now, there will be no replacements needed ten years down the line and you can continue your life safe in the knowledge that your teeth are protected.
It is also possible to have a series of mini implants that act as a permanent support for your dentures. Ask for more information from your Central London dentist at your next appointment.
August 18th, 2010
When it comes to dental health and dental treatments, the US is always way ahead of the rest of the world. They pioneer the latest treatments and invest millions in the latest innovation. But the UK is close behind and frequently looking across the Atlantic for the next big thing in dental treatment. This is how we come to know about the latest orthodontic treatment that has been very successful in the US.
The Six Month Smile brace is a new system that allows for effective straightening of the teeth without the discomfort and pain associated with traditional braces. In a world where straighter teeth is becoming a more important quality, a system that delivers straighter teeth without the drawbacks is very important and this is the main reason for the success of the Six Month Smile.
The other major advantage of the Six Month is that treatment only lasts an average of six months, hence the clever name. This is on average about 75 per cent faster than the old style braces, which can make a significant difference to people’s lives, especially for younger patients not so keen on the idea of braces.
The treatment is also more discreet, using tooth-coloured wires and clear plastic brackets to minimise the aesthetic impact of the brace. Although there may be some initial discomfort when the brace has just been fitted, common to all orthodontic treatments, the Six Month is general much more comfortable than other braces and requires fewer check up appointments. A fifteen-minute appointment with a Central London dentist every five to six weeks is all that is needed during the course of treatment.
August 17th, 2010
You have probably all heard of dental crowns but you may not know exactly what they are and what they can do for your teeth. Our teeth are constantly under attack from plaque and acid and bacteria that lives in the mouth. The mouth and surfaces of the teeth are the perfect warm and moist place for bacteria to thrive and the acid they release will eventually begin to erode the teeth. This will cause cavities that can lead to the development of an infection on the inside of the tooth. If the dentist catches this decay early enough it may be possible to fill the cavity with dental bonding in a procedure called a filling. However, if the tooth is damaged beyond this state you may need a root canal treatment to remove the infection from the sensitive area at the centre of the tooth.
After this treatment has been carried out, the tooth will then need a dental crown to protect it from further damage. A crown is a specially designed cap, made of porcelain or porcelain and metal, that is cemented over the top of the tooth covering all the area exposed above the gum. This will then act as barrier to further decay and allow the tooth to function as normal.
Dental crowns are also used to repair teeth that have been damaged during an accident. Dental trauma such as breaks and chips can be very serious and a dental crown may be the only option to prevent a great deal of further pain and treatment. Dental crowns from London W1 dentists are also used in cosmetic repair work such as dental bridges.
August 16th, 2010
Just as in other fields of healthcare and the wider world, technology is having an incredible effect on the world of dentistry. A new technology called Cerec is revolutionising the way dental treatments are being carried out and offer a glimpse into the future of dentistry.
Cerec utilises CAD/CAM technology, which stands for computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacture and is vastly improving both the speed and quality of dental treatment. Cerec technology has been made possible by the development in other areas, such as digital x-rays and three-dimensional imaging. This allows dentists to create an exact image of the patient’s teeth, which they can see instantly on their computer screen. Using this image, they can then design veneers, crowns and inlays that can then be manufactured in a fraction of the time.
The manufacturing process also utilises the incredible powers of computer technology. Whereas in the past a crown would need to be manufactured in the lab by building up layer upon layer of enamel, a Cerec crown can be milled form a single block in as little as six minutes. This incredibly means that you can go into a West London dentist’s surgery and have a crown designed, manufactured and installed in the same appointment. For a procedure that could take as long as a month from start to finish in the past, this chair-side surgery represents a huge leap forward.
It is also possible to use Cerec technology to create a whole row of dental veneers that can completely transform a smile. Your West London dentist is now using Cerec technology to treat patients. Make an appointment to find out if you can benefit from the new technology.
August 15th, 2010
Being a teenager is never easy, and gets even less easy when you are told that you have to wear braces. Of course this will benefit you in the long run, but it is often very difficult to see the big picture when you are young and struggling to deal with hormones and emotions. This is why dentists have been striving for years to make orthodontic treatment as low impact as possible. It seems like they have finally struck upon the answer.
Invisalign Teen braces are specially designed braces for teenage patients that not only straighten the teeth on average six-months faster than normal braces, but also offer a treatment that is almost completely invisible. The retainer type braces are made from one millimetre thick clear plastic, which is very difficult to spot unless you know it is there or are very close to the patients mouth, and even then it may not be noticeable.
Invisalign Teen braces also come with some special features just for younger patients. They are designed to allow late developing molar teeth to emerge unimpeded and also have blue tabs that change colour when they have been worn for sufficiently long. Ok, in all honesty this last feature is probably more for the parents but if they are paying for it they probably want to know that their child is sticking to the West London dentist’s advice about how long the retainers need to be worn for.
As well as these features, and the obvious discretion of treatment, the other major benefit is that Invisalign braces are completely removable. This means that Invisalign braces will not interrupt the cleaning of teeth, which could happen when using the traditional bracket braces.
August 14th, 2010
Imagine the situation. You are about three months away from your wedding day, the most important day of your life by a long way. You have the dress, the church and reception are booked and paid for, but there is still one thing missing. Your smile. For years you have been self-conscious about your teeth. Maybe they are crooked, have unseemly gaps or are even overlapping. In everyday life you can live with this as no one will really notice but on your wedding day everyone will be looking and you just know they’ll be looking at your teeth. But there is just nothing you can do about it. There isn’t a brace that works that quickly right? Wrong.
The Inman aligner is the new orthodontic straightener that has been sweeping the US over the last decade and it is now available for use in the UK. The Inman aligner promises amazing results, capable of straightening teeth visibly in as little as six weeks. It works by using the power of a coiled spring, set on the tongue side of the teeth. This pushes out the lateral teeth creating room for the front teeth to straighten. By focusing only on the teeth that show when smiling, the aligner is able to be far more effective.
The other major benefits of the Inman aligner are the fact that it is completely removable and still effective if only worn for about twenty hours a day. But the best is yet to come. The Inman aligner is significantly cheaper than most other straightening devices. You simply can’t lose. Ask your London W1 dentist for more information
