London cosmetic dentistry

Archive for May, 2009

Want to Have a Sparkling Empress Veneers Smile? Consult Your London Dentist

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Want to have dazzling, natural-looking teeth without any downtime? Ask your London dentist about Empress Veneers and how they can give you the sparkling smile you have been longing all your life.
Aside from providing a fantastic smile, Empress Veneers have several advantages over other types of dental veneers:
• Optimum porcelain fit
• Enamel-like wear
• Whitens teeth
• Closes gaps between teeth
• Straightens crooked teeth
• Durable
• Biocompatible
• Resistance to stain
Empress Veneers are made of thin ceramic porcelain. Your London dentist can place Empress Veneers on the front of your tooth by using quality esthetic cement. The effect is natural-looking teeth that will not irritate or affect your gums.
This type of veneer is stain-resistant and makes teeth appear whiter. Your teeth with Empress Veneers appear so natural that no one will notice that they have been treated.
Additionally, Empress Veneers are ideal substitute to metallic restorations. The veneer’s natural look is achieved by the use of ceramic materials. Using these ceramic materials, restored teeth are made similar to the shape and colour of the original teeth.
Furthermore, Empress Veneers are individually fabricated, thus providing the patient a perfect fit and characteristics of natural teeth. Empress Veneers teeth are modeled in wax and pressed in ceramic porcelain inside a furnace. The custom-manufacturing of Empress Veneers are completed by using layering and staining techniques.
There is no doubt that Empress Veneers are good choice for individuals who want to have impressive smiles.

Sedation: A Way to Maximize London Dental Care

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Undergoing dental care does not have to be scary, stressful or painful. Your London dentist can perform sedation to help you overcome dental phobias and make your dental visit anxiety- and stress-free.
Many dental problems remained unattended because people refused to visit their dentists due to dental phobias. Most often, they will have to wait until their teeth problems worsened before they go and see their dentists.
Through sedation, a patient may undergo dental care or treatment without feeling fear or anxiety. The sedation dentistry procedure involves:
• The use of sedatives to make the patient relax and allow the dentist to perform dental care and treatment.
• Sedatives, such as anxiolytics and tranquilizers, are administered on patients and affect their central nervous system (CNS).
There are various types of sedation that may aid dental procedures:
• Oral conscious – this type of sedation involves giving oral sedatives to patients before they undergo dental treatment.
• Inhalation – a sedation process that makes use of nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, to eliminate pain and produce a desirable and warm feeling on dental patients.
• Intravenous – involves administering of a drug that will make the dental patient relax through an injection.
• Intramuscular – injection of a sedative drug into the upper arm or upper thigh muscles.
• Local anaesthesia – it lessens the pain but does not deaden the patient’s awareness of his surroundings.
Patients who have allergic reactions to medications should inform their London dentists beforehand to avoid any complication.

An Overview of Oral Surgery in London

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Oral surgery is a field of London dentistry that involves diagnosis, treatment and surgery of injuries, diseases and defects of both esthetic and functional aspects of the soft and hard tissues of the mouth, head, gums, jaws, neck, teeth and jaws.
There are several dental conditions that may need oral surgery, including:
• Impacted wisdom teeth. Known as third molars, wisdom teeth sometime fail to develop properly or to fully come out through the patient’s gum line. This may cause the patient’s molar to be entrapped between his gum tissue and jawbone. An impacted third molar can result in pain, infection and swelling of the gum tissue. An impacted problem may also cause damage to other teeth, bone and gums. Sometimes the problem may lead to cyst or tumor formation and may destroy parts of the jaw.

• Tooth loss. Dental implant surgery is an option to restore missing teeth. The dental implants are surgically placed in the patient’s jawbone to stabilize the artificial tooth. Patients who are suitable to undergo dental implant surgery are those who have enough bone density, not prone to infection and are willing to maintain regular and proper oral hygiene regimen.

• Correcting jaw irregularity. Oral surgery may be needed to improve denture fit.

• Correcting unequal jaw growth. For those who have unequal lower and upper jaw growth, oral surgery may be needed to correct these problems. Unequal jaw growth may cause difficulty in eating, speaking, breathing and swallowing. London oral surgery will move part of the lower jaw or upper jaw into a balanced, healthy and functional position.

Bring Back That Confident Smile with London Dental Implants

Sunday, May 10th, 2009

Is your missing tooth affecting your lifestyle? Are you ashamed of smiling or talking because of your missing tooth? Bring back the tooth that you lost and flash that confident smile again with dental implants.
There are many ways to restore missing teeth. But London dentists consider dental implants as the most durable and functionally effective among other restorative options.
Known as artificial tooth replacements, dental implants are used to counter missing tooth or tooth loss to give you a natural-looking smile.
There are several reasons why you may lose your teeth and need dental implants:
Gum disease or periodontitis
• Tooth decay
• Excessive tear and wear
Root canal failure
• Congenital defects
Tooth loss may result to biting irregularities which can affect a person’s eating habits and may lead to health problems such as malnutrition. Dental implants are a way to remedy problems created by tooth loss.
Several advantages of dental implants over other restorative dental options such as bridges and dentures include:
• Permanent solutions to tooth loss – dental implants can be used together with other restorative options for maximum effectiveness.
• Stronger and durable – dental implants are proven to be stronger and durable than other restorative options.
• Use to support dental bridges for multiple missing teeth replacement
• Use to strengthen dentures and lessen gum tissue irritation.
Advancement in London cosmetic dentistry has made dental implants identical from other teeth. This natural appearance of dental implants is due in part to the functional and structural connection between the living bone and dental implants.

Reshape or Sculpt Your Teeth with the Help of London Dentists

Sunday, May 10th, 2009

Advances in cosmetic dentistry have allowed London dentists to reshape or remold your problem teeth. A dental procedure touted to change the appearance of a person’s problem tooth, teeth contouring is regarded as a quick and painless dental cosmetic treatment.
Teeth’s contouring is the solution to several dental problems, including:
• Cracked or chipped teeth
• Crooked teeth
• Overlapping teeth
• Teeth with holes or grooves
Not all individuals are suitable candidate for teeth contouring. Your London dentist will determine if you are a suitable candidate by evaluating the health of your teeth and if your bone and tissue are strong enough to support a tooth contouring treatment.
The step by step teeth contouring process follows:
• X-ray examination to determine the strength of your tissue, bone and teeth.
• If you are a suitable candidate, your London dentist will make a computer image to show how you will look after the teeth contouring process.
• Your teeth will be marked with a pen in preparation for the sculpting. Some of the materials that will be used are lasers, sanding drills and abrasive strips.
• Material bonding will be made to the tooth to fill cracks and chips, change the tooth’s colour and cover blemishes.
• The final step of the teeth contouring process is the polishing and smoothing.
With teeth contouring, it takes only two dental visits for you to have that smile that you have always dream of.

White Fillings: An Alternative to Silver Fillings

Sunday, May 10th, 2009

Does your silver amalgam fillings make you feel self-conscious every time you smile or talk? Ask your London dentist and he will tell you about the alternative to silver fillings: white composite fillings.
White composite fillings are popular alternative to amalgam fillings. Made of strong resin materials, white composite fillings are made to match the colour of your surrounding teeth. They can be placed on the front or back of your teeth.
There are several reasons why a patient may need white composite fillings, including:
• Repair amalgam or metal fillings
• Repair cracked or chipped teeth
• Sensitivity to cold or heat – this is because the composite resin material used in white fillings does not conduct changes in temperature, not as fast as gold or silver.
• Mercury-free – white fillings are ideal for patients who want mercury-free fillings.
• Reshape teeth
Many London patients prefer white fillings because they can match the translucency, texture and shade of their own natural teeth, thus eliminating the unsightly silver colour of amalgam fillings every time they smile.
Other advantages of white fillings over silver fillings are:
• Restoration of your tooth’s original strength. This is because composite fillings are bonded to the tooth, thus restoring the original durability of your teeth.
• Restoration of your tooth’s natural appearance.
• Minimal removal of tooth surface. With white composite, the size of the hole your dentist will make in your tooth for the filling is smaller as compared to that with the amalgam filling preparation.
• Less sensitivity to cold or heat.
• Lastly, white fillings are safe because they do not contain mercury.

The Role of a London Hygienist in Dental Care

Sunday, May 10th, 2009

A hygienist plays a crucial role in the field of London dental care. He helps educate patients on how to care for their teeth and gums. He may also provide advice and tips on proper diet and their effects on dental health.
A dental hygienist may work for a professional dentist, with some licensed to dispense and administer local anaesthesia. Some of the dental-related procedures performed by hygienists are:
• Cleaning
• Root planning
• Scaling
• Dental sealing
• Providing advice on proper dental care
• Taking prescribed radiographs
A London hygienist, to be able to work in all fields of dentistry, must be enrolled and qualified with the General Dental Council (GDC). He can work in hospitals, specialist dental practices, general dental practices and the salaried dental services of the National Health Service (NHS).
Most hygienists have previous experience as dental nurses or dental surgery assistants. Their familiarity in dental procedures gives them an advantage among other dental care professionals.
A hygienist performs various dental hygiene care procedures. They include:
• Patient assessment – this includes review of patients’ medical history, x-ray results, periodontal assessment and clinical examination.
• Creating a treatment plan – the treatment plan varies based on the immediate needs of the patient
• Dental hygiene diagnoses – this pertains to the assessment of data of the condition of the patient to expedite the identification of health problems and the creation of possible treatment plan.
• Implementation – this mainly includes the implementation of the treatment plan
• Evaluation – assessing the effectiveness of the procedure that was performed

Advantages of London Lumineers Over Traditional Porcelain Veneers

Sunday, May 10th, 2009

Do you have gaps on your teeth that have made you self-conscious all these years? Does the discoloration on your teeth ruining your self-esteem? Fret no more because London Lumineers can help you improve your smile and boost your sagging self-esteem.
Made with a special type of porcelain veneer, Lumineers are ultra-thin, similar to that of a contact lens. Some advantages of Lumineers over traditional porcelain veneers are:
• Wafer thin
• Durable
• It is used to repair crooked or chipped teeth
• It can hide stain on teeth
• It closes gaps between teeth
• It can last for more than 20 years
• It whitens teeth
• It contours and elongate teeth
• Natural in appearance
• Stain-proof
• Highly resilient
London dentists can place Lumineers over existing crowns or bridgework without shots or drilling. Because Lumineers are so thin, placing it on your tooth requires only minor removal of the tooth structure, thus, it is reversible because your tooth will still retain its natural structure.
The procedure of placing Lumineers on your teeth can be completed in just 2 to 3 visits to your dentists. The first visit involves precision molding of your teeth. Your dentist can help you choose the shade that is right for you. By your second visit, Lumineers will be fitted on your teeth.
The procedure is easy, fast and painless that it requires no downtime. So why spend the rest of your life being self-conscious about your crooked and chipped tooth. Go out and find yourself a certified cosmetic dentist who will help you achieve a beguiling smile with Lumineers.

Get That Perfect Smile from London Teeth Whitening Techniques

Sunday, May 10th, 2009

Nowadays, people who want to whiten their teeth to enhance their looks have a lot of options to choose from, ranging from the minimally effective but cheaper whitening gels to the more expensive but quick-result laser teeth whitening procedure.

But to get the best results and to prevent any damage to your teeth, you should get advice from professionals, such as London dentists.

Your dentists, who are trained and experienced in all teeth whitening products and techniques, can help you choose the best teeth whitening method that fits your available time, budget and personal preferences.

Teeth whitening techniques can be generally grouped into three:

• At-home teeth whitening
This refers to home whitening products that can be purchased over the counter or can be bought from dentists who prepare their own teeth whitening products.

• In-office teeth bleaching
Dentists can prepare bleaching gels at various teeth whitening degrees depending on the needs of the patients. Some dentists use hydrogen peroxide; others combine their own whitening materials with hydrogen peroxide.

• In-office laser teeth whitening
This is the fastest way to have glistening white teeth, up to 10 shades whiter than the original shade in just one hour. The dentist applies a gel mixture on the teeth and then uses laser to heat up the gel to whiten the teeth.

For some people, the choice depends on the cost; for others, the choice depends on the degree of whiteness achieved in a short period of time.

As you choose the best teeth whitening method best for you, remember the following:

• Many cheap products advertised as teeth whiteners are just toothpaste products.
• Many whitening gels and strips take a long time to effect even just a little glint of change in shade.

To have that glistening smile you have been raring to have, visit your London dentist and ask the best teeth whitening option for you.

Enhance Your Looks with 21st-Century London Orthodontics

Sunday, May 10th, 2009

London dentists have all the modern orthodontics technology to align your teeth and give you that perfect smile without the pain, discomfort and long periods of adjustments associated with traditional braces.

Nowadays they have at least four kinds of contemporary orthodontics techniques to align your teeth to enhance your looks and solve functional problems. These modern orthodontics techniques include the following:

Invisalign braces. These are almost invisible aligners that painlessly move the teeth to their right position as you wear them week by week. As these braces are designed with 3D computer-aided design, they fit perfectly over the teeth. Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign braces can be taken out when eating or brushing.

• Damon braces. These are fixed light braces that use low friction mechanics to reduce the number of months and number of clinic visits a patient needs to get treated.

• Lingual braces. These give the best option for people who want to get their teeth aligned but could not sacrifice periods of brace-strained appearance. These braces are completely invisible because they are fitted snugly to the hidden side of the teeth.

• Cosmetic braces. These clear aesthetic braces are good for teenagers who may be unable to comply with brace care instructions. They are bonded and fixed onto the teeth to do away with problems associated with conventional braces.

• Tooth-coloured braces. These are custom-made braces that are made almost invisible because they are stained to take the colour of the patient’s teeth.

Your London dentists can perform any one of these braces that you select and any one of these can give you that perfectly aligned set of teeth, enabling you to give glistening smiles.