Archive for January, 2010

Complete smile makeover from Bootle dentist

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Smiling is one of the most important methods we have of communicating with each other. A beautiful and genuine smile can break down barriers and put people at ease. For people with less than perfect teeth smiling can be the cause of great embarrassment and the source of self-confidence and esteem issues.

A smile makeover is a complete dental overhaul of your teeth aimed to give you the beaming, confident smile you’ve always wanted. Utilising a variety of dental procedures, a Bootle dentist will be able to radically transform your smile into one that will be the envy of everyone.

There are many options for the dentist to improve your smile. Firstly, they will take into account your features such as skin and hair colour, size and shape of teeth and your profile. They will be able to create a natural and appropriate looking smile according to your existing features. With the advances made in dental technology in the last twenty years there is very little the dentist will not be bale to do with your teeth.

Any existing damage can be repaired with composite bonding, crowns or veneers, Size and spacing issues can be addressed using a process of bonding and the latest in ultra-thin, computer manufactured veneers. Worn down or discoloured teeth can also be treated with the latest porcelain veneers.

Your dentist will be able to discuss any work with you beforehand when you construct your smile blueprint using the latest 3D imaging and digital x-rays. This digital information can also be used to create microscopically accurate repairs, so you can be assured total satisfaction with the results. Once straightened and prepared, the dentist will be able to apply a variety of whitening techniques to improve the colour of your teeth and produce the winning smile you’ve always wanted.

Smile makeovers can include as little or as much work as you require, and there are few limits to what modern dentistry is able to achieve with your teeth. Ask your Bootle dentist about smile makeovers at your nest check up.

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Teeth straightening from Wirral dentist makes patient smile

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Everybody wants to have a beautiful smile and straight teeth but for those of us not naturally blessed there is the option to have our teeth straightened by orthodontic procedures. Twenty years ago this would have meant having an uncomfortable and ugly metal brace fitted for the best part of two years. But treatments have come along way thanks to advances in dental technology. There is now a whole host of alternative straightening methods on the market, ranging from the very fast to the very discreet. Even metal braces have come along way and do have the advantage of being very effective.

For patients looking for the most discreet straightening possible there is the Invisalign retainer form Align technologies. Introduced in 1999 it was the first plastic brace to be really effective. By using a series of computer designed and manufactured retainers, teeth are gradually moved into the desired position. Invisalign retainers are made form one millimetre thick clear plastic that is almost invisible unless up very close to the patient’s mouth. On average about twenty sets of retainers are needed to complete the treatment, each worn for two to three weeks, although it does vary on a patient to patient basis. The retainers also have the advantage of being completely removable, so no foods are off limits during treatment.

Although very discreet, Invisalign retainers can take a long time to be fully effective. For the patient less concerned with discretion than speed of treatment there is the Inman aligner or Six-Month Smile treatments. Six-Month Smile braces achieve results in, you’ve guessed it, six months, by only focussing on the teeth that can be seen when smiling. This increased focus makes these braces ideal for quick ‘finishing touch’ type straightening. Also fast working, the Inman aligner works by using a coiled spring to push the side teeth out and the front teeth forward while encouraging them to straighten. Achieving visible results after only six weeks, the Inman aligner is effective but also expensive.

In the world of metal braces, The Damon system has created a revolutionary slide mechanism that removes the need for painful and regular tightening. Incredibly strong, and far more discreet than old-fashioned metal braces, the Damon brace creates very straight teeth.

Straight teeth can give you the confidence to smile as well as limiting the chance of developing painful complications with bite. They can encourage good profiles and most importantly, give you a reason to smile. A Wirral dentist will be able to discuss with you which system would be most appropriate to straighten your teeth.

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Porcelain veneers from Toxteth dentist replace worn down teeth

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

The most common kind of dental injuries occur from head traumas, often from playing sports or car accidents, when teeth are cracked, chipped or broken. In these circumstances the dentist will first attempt to mend the tooth using composite dental bonding made form tooth coloured resin. In some case however, the tooth is so badly damaged that bonding alone is not enough to preserve its integrity. In these cases the dentist will need to cap the tooth with a veneer to ensure that no further damage is possible and that the tooth can maintain its functionality.

Veneers are not just used for dental repairs and are more and more becoming the option of choice for cosmetic dental procedures. With the advances in dental technology, veneers are no longer the unrealistic, clunky artificial teeth they were in the past. Today’s incredibly thin translucent veneers resemble real teeth more than ever before and can be used to improve the appearance of several dental conditions.

Patients who suffer from worn down, discoloured or unevenly spaced teeth can have veneers fitted to restore the appearance of a bright, healthy and even looking smile.

Modern veneers are manufactured from porcelain using the very latest in computer

-aided technology. Dentists are able to construct a 3D image of the patient’s teeth on a computer using the latest digital x-rays and 3D imaging. Using this recreation, they can design veneers to remarkable degrees of accuracy. This has removed the need for uncomfortable and time-consuming dental moulds and x-rays. When satisfied with the results, the dentist can use the computer to manufacture the veneer using a milling device. A single piece of porcelain is milled to the exact specifications of the 3D replication. This can then be fitted into the patient’s teeth with minimal fuss. This whole process can take as little as two hours, which is a vast improvement on the old manufacturing process which could take weeks.

Modern porcelain veneers are very thin, some as thin as a contact lens, which means only minimal enamel removal is needed in order to fit them. In fact some veneers are so thin they can be placed over existing dental work with minimal preparation of the tooth.

Porcelain veneers are a strong, versatile and lifelike substitute for real teeth that if properly cared for can last as much as ten years. If you are suffering from damaged teeth, or could do with your discoloured teeth being brightened, ask a Toxteth dentist about porcelain veneers.

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Brighter smile with teeth whitening from Merseyside dentist

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

Just as going grey as we get older is a fact of life, so is loosing the natural colour of your teeth. As time passes our teeth gradually become stained form the food and drink we ingest which diminishes their white appearance. This loss of colour affects some people more than others and can often be dependant on lifestyle. People who drink coffee and red wine are more likely to have stained teeth, as are people who use tobacco products of any sort.

Just like dying hair to restore its original colour, it is also possible to return teeth to their original colour, or at least slow down the rate of discolouration. There are many teeth whitening procedures available to patients of various quality and strength. Teeth whitening involves bleaching the stained teeth to break down the stains and make them appear whiter. The process is relatively simple and is offered by most dentists as a basic cosmetic procedure. Most treatments take place in-surgery but dentist can also offer prepared trays to use at home.

The active ingredient in dental bleaching is a form of peroxide that varies in strength in the gels from three to 30 per cent depending on requirements and who is performing the procedure. Higher strength gels can cause damage to soft tissue such as lips and gums, so should only be used by a dentist with the appropriate safety equipment. Patients are advised to exercise great caution when using whitening kits bought from the internet as they can often be of a higher strength than is safe. It is always best to get whitening treatment form a dentist.

Some patients’ teeth respond better to whitening treatments better than others’. Some patients notice marked improvements after one treatment where as others may need several treatments to notice any discernable whitening. However, with the correct treatment it is possible to lighten teeth by up to ten shades, but this depends on your teeth and the type of gel used.

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Kirby dentist uses white fillings to fill dental cavities

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Dental bonding is one of the most commonly used dental procedures and owing to its simplicity can transform your teeth and smile in just a single visit. The composite resin can be mixed to closely match the colour of each individual patient’s teeth and can be used of a variety of dental processes. It can be used to repair chipped and cracked teeth, close gaps between teeth and reshape teeth.

More commonly though, dental bonding is used to fill dental cavities and replace existing amalgam fillings. Dental bonding is a popular choice for fillings because the versatile paste can be made to match the colour and consistency of each patient’s teeth. This natural colour provides much more aesthetically pleasing results than the old amalgam fillings, which can look unseemly in the mouth, especially when smiling or laughing. Many dentists replace amalgam fillings as a matter of course due to the controversy over mercury vapours entering the body. When old fillings are removed, dentists use a rubber dam to isolate the other teeth because of the levels of mercury agitated during removal.

White fillings are ideal for small cavities but lack the integral strength to fill large cavities. In these cases dentists are turning more and more to CEREC technology, where ceramic filling inlays can be manufactured to microscopic levels of accuracy.

The process of using a white filling for a cavity may require anaesthetic, depending on the circumstances some procedures will not. Making sure the area is clear from all tartar and debris for adhesion purposes, the dentist will roughen the surface of the tooth with acid-gel to allow for added grip. The bonding is then applied to the tooth and moulded to the desired shape. The resin is then hardened using the intense heat of a laser before being polished smooth to match the rest of the tooth. For larger cavities, several thin layers of bonding are applied to make sure it has all hardened correctly.

White fillings may not be as durable as amalgam fillings, but require far less structural damage to the tooth to fit and produce a much aesthetic appearance. A Kirby dentist will be able to further explain the benefits of white fillings and carry out any work you may require. You will also be able to talk to them about the dangers of amalgam fillings and the possibility of replacing any you may have.

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