October 7th, 2010
There are several key health care professionals that is it is very important to have a good, trusting and understanding relationship with for the good of your health. Obviously, top of the list is your GP as they are concerned with the overall health of your body and the better they know you as a person they more they will be able to do to ensure your overall health. However, the same is true of your dentist. Finding a good dentist who you can trust and makes you feel relaxed and confident is very important for your oral health. All too often in this country we overlook the health of our teeth. We sometimes seem to think that if there is no immediate problem then our teeth must simply be fine and in good condition but this is simply not true.
Many dental problems happen as the result of accumulation. Small problems build up over time until finally they breach a certain point and become a serious issue. By then of course it is often too late to treat effectively without the need for complex dental restorations such as veneers, crowns or fillings. These will not only be uncomfortable but will also cost a fair bit of money. Of course the maddening thing is that these problems can usually be stopped easily and successfully in their early stages by making small adjustments to your dental hygiene routine. Better brushing and better flossing are usually all that is needed to halt most dental problems.
Of course it is also important to remember that seeing your West London dentist every six months will also help to keep dental problems under control, and the better relationship you have the more likely you will be to attend.
July 4th, 2010
City of London dentists are always looking to use new technology to improve the standard of dental treatment. New devices and tools are being developed all the time aiming to make treatment more effective and efficient, not to mention more comfortable for the patient. One of the most incredible new dentistry tools to have been developed is Cerec. This is a revolutionary new system of making dental crowns, veneers and inlays that is set to change the face of dentistry.
Cerec works by using the power of 3D imaging and digital x-rays. These allow the dentist and instant view of the patient’s teeth in three dimensions. The image can be saved and is very accurate. This allows the dentist to design a new dental restoration on the computer with a great degree of accuracy. But here comes the really clever bit. Once happy with the design, the dentist can then send this information to a milling machine that is linked to the computer. This then sculpts the new restoration from a singe piece of porcelain. This process can take as little as six minutes per tooth and the resulting crown or veneer is perfectly accurate and sized and ready to be fitted into the mouth. The dentist can then fix the crown or veneer in the normal way using dental bonding.
This whole process can be achieved in little more than an hour meaning dental restorations, which used to take up to two weeks from start to finish can now be achieved in just one appointment. As you can see this is quite an amazing advancement in the field of dentistry and one which you too can now experience at your City of London dentist.
June 6th, 2010
There are many cosmetic dentistry procedures that use complex procedures to produce stunning results. Porcelain veneers for example use ceramic caps cemented to the teeth to completely restore the appearance of worn, discoloured or uneven teeth. But one of the most widely used and most favoured cosmetic dentistry treatments is also one of the simplest.
Cosmetic bonding is made up of a composite resin that is mixed to closely resemble the colour of the existing tooth enamel. When satisfied with the colour of the resin, the dentist can then apply it to the necessary area of the teeth in a number of different ways to improve the cosmetic appearance.
One of the most common uses for cosmetic bonding is to fill dental cavities. Unlike traditional filling material, which is made of silver amalgam and is metallic in appearance, bonding looks like real tooth enamel and is much more aesthetically pleasing. Bonding can be used in a similar way to repair teeth that have been damaged by cracks or chips. The bonding is sculpted to the desired shape before it is set firm with the heat of a dental laser. This makes the bonding firm and protects the teeth from further damage while restoring its appearance.
Cosmetic bonding is also widely used in other ways, for example, as part of the veneer process to cement the veneer or dental crown into place. However, it can also be used as a substitute for veneers, being thinly applied to the surface of the teeth to cover any areas of discolouration or make the teeth appear more even. This is just as effective and also significantly cheaper than porcelain veneers. City of London dentists are widely skilled in all the areas and uses of cosmetic bonding and can advise you on how it could benefit the appearance of your teeth.
March 4th, 2010
A dental crown is a simple alternative to more complicated dental solutions, says a W1 London dentist. A crown is exactly that in every sense of the word, and we all know that a crown, like wallpaper, can cover up a multitude of sins. Problems that a crown can solve range from discoloured, chipped, cracked and misaligned teeth, although it isn’t always the answer in some extreme cases, it is in most. The procedure is as simple as the solution itself, and involves, in most cases, just 2 visits to the dentist. On the first the dentist will assess if the damaged tooth can be repaired by a crown, if it can he will then take a series of photographs and do some simple tests, all of which are completely painless. The crown is made for that specific tooth, and that specific problem whatever it is. A colouration test is done to make sure that the crown will fit in naturally with the surrounding teeth. When the crown is ready to be fitted the dentist will numb the area and the tooth, then he will grind down the front of the tooth, they will take just enough off so that the thickness of the crown will fit on perfectly to keep the height. The crown is simply then cemented to the tooth and that’s it. Maintenance is simple and you can clean the crown as you do the other teeth. A crown mustn’t be confused with a veneer which is a completely different thing altogether, a veneer is a much thinner version and is more a cosmetic device, where as a crown will solve a lot more serious problems and last a lot longer. Most dental surgeries provide this service, and some consultations are free.
