When we talk of short fixes in dentistry in the city of London, they don’t come much quicker than a revolutionary system called CEREC. Normal visits to the dentist for crowns, veneers bridges or inlays can often take weeks. With CEREC, the work is complete in one visit! Yep, your back on the stockmarket in an hour and still smiling about that earlier deal! The process uses digital images, not ‘old fashioned’ mouldings, to take impressions, that are then fed into a computer at the dentists, to develop a 3D image of the work required. Now your dentist turns engineer. The information is fed into a machine which will fabricate your crown or veneer, on site, in around thirty minutes, depending on your requirements, during which, the dentist can analyse the correct colour or staining required of the new work to match your mouth. Another great advantage is that any problems that arise can be corrected immediately, without sending the the new moulding back to the lab. It’s not an expensive treatment either. Prices are comparable to that of traditional treatments and let’s not forget the greatest advantage of CEREC- one visit!

There are many dental procedures that exist to treat dental conditions. Modern day dentistry has come a long way in the last twenty years and modern technological equipment has helped to make many procedures more efficient and more comfortable for patients. Some of the most common dental procedures are fillings, dental veneers and teeth whitening.

Fillings are needed when tooth enamel has eroded due to the effects of bacterial acid and plaque. This is the sticky, filmy substance that clings to the teeth after eating and gradually causes a break down of tooth enamel. Once the protective layer of enamel has been penetrated, the bacteria is free to erode the softer dentin and pulp that lies underneath. This is more prone to attack and will eventually lead to the development of an infection, pain and ultimately tooth loss. A filling will replace the lost tooth enamel and seal any cavities that may have formed. Fillings are made from composite resin, which is tooth-coloured and is more aesthetically pleasing than the old-style silver-amalgam fillings.

Veneers are used when teeth have been affected by discolouration or eroded enamel. Veneers are thin ceramic caps that are cemented over the top of the existing teeth. Veneers will make the teeth look whiter, more evenly sized and more uniform. They will last for about fifteen to twenty years if they are well maintained and can be replaced once the initial set have come to the end of their life.

Teeth whitening is a cosmetic procedure that aims to improve the appearance of the teeth by making them look whiter and healthier. Teeth whitening is one of the most popular dental procedures carried out by London dentists because it is both affordable and very effective. Make an appointment to find out more.

Taking good care of your teeth is a simple and effective way of looking after them and keeping them healthy for life. By following just a few simple rules you can keep your teeth free of decay and gum disease and keep your breath fresh. But it is amazing how many people are unaware of how to clean their teeth properly and the trouble this can cause.

Dentists recommend brushing your teeth twice a day for at least three minutes using a brush with appropriate bristles (too hard can be damaging, too soft can be ineffectual) and suitable toothpaste. A City of London dentist can recommend both of these products at a routine check up. By brushing at a forty-five degree angle to the teeth you are also cleaning the gums helping to keep them healthy. Again, a dentist can show you the best way to brush.

It is also crucial that you use dental floss on a daily basis. Not flossing is like having a shower and only washing two thirds of your body. Because food and bacteria can get stuck in hard to reach places and between teeth this often means that decay starts in places you cannot see. That is why it is crucial to floss everyday to remove this matter from difficult to reach places. Decaying food mater caught between teeth is also responsible for 90 per cent of cases of bad breath, which can be prevented with flossing.

Other cleaning tools such as tongue scrapers and inter-dental brushes, as well as mouthwashes, can be recommended by your dentist at your next six-monthly appointment, which is the most fundamental way of keeping your mouth healthy.

Your London dentist is very well trained at recognizing and treating dental diseases. The most common dental diseases are dental caries and gum disease(s). These occur due to build-up of oral bacteria in the mouth that is not regularly and properly removed using good oral hygiene practices. When dental caries occurs, it is commonly due to bacteria and plaque that build-up on the tooth surfaces and creates acids after sugar is introduced from the diet. The result is the demineralization of the tooth surface enamel and the beginning of dental caries. When these acids are formed in the mouth, it becomes difficult for the saliva to maintain its pH level, which also rapidly becomes acidic allowing for further demineralization of the teeth surfaces. After about an hour your saliva will attempt to resupply minerals to your teeth. However, if you keep introducing sugars from your diet, this does not occur and the saliva will remain acidic, and more tooth minerals are lost. Gum disease (gingivitis) occurs when bacteria and dental plaque create inflammation in the gum tissue which overwhelms the body’s defence mechanisms. Bleeding gums are a tell tale sign of gingivitis. If your teeth are not cleaned properly by you twice daily, and you do not visit your London dentist for regular checkups and professional teeth and gum cleanings, your gingivitis may go unnoticed until it is too late. If not properly treated, periodontal disease can result, which can lead to permanent oral bone loss. So, visit your London dentist regularly for checkups and professional cleanings.

A new study has found out that metal accessories such as ear rings that are a rage in London and dental fillings made of metal can cause chronic back pain in susceptible people. The study discovered that any piece of metal that pierces or even touches the skin could cause a chain reaction throughout the body and affect the alignment of hundreds of muscles. Tooth fillings, though extremely small in size, have been found to cause aches and pains located far away from the mouth and jaw. According to experts, the body instinctively tries to move away any body parts that come in touch with metal as they cause discomfort to the skin. The muscles that correspond to that particular movement will then place more strain on the larger muscles supporting them in their effort to constantly create a distance between them and the metal objects. London experts suggest that the result of this is the creation of entire body stresses that are incurable by any amount of rest, nutrition or exercise.
Dental work or metal accessories are capable of irritating the nerve endings which in turn alters the way muscles function inside the body, leaving people susceptible to injury and prone to recurrent pain. It was found that metal fillings and other metal accessories are a common cause of back aches, neck pain and even arthritis.
But, the experts have good news too. Something as simple as removing metal accessories such as ear rings from the body can alleviate you from your misery. For dental fillings, it’s best to choose acrylic filling over the metal fillings.

I have been approached several times by people who merely want to inquire about a possible dental treatment. One topic that is usually brought up is the number of sessions it will take before they complete treatment. Although they do not mention their reasons for asking about these things, I can tell that they are concerned about the inconvenience of returning to a dentist’s clinic and the cost of subsequent treatments.The potential for a more permanent establishment of the cosmetic dentistry industry in London is massive! One possible reason is the increasing awareness of the benefits. Going around the city and meeting new people, I frequently get introduced as a dentist and people surprisingly become very interested in what I do. It is quite disconcerting to be bombarded by so many questions, but I can tell that genuine interest is present. The concept of cosmetic dentistry is still new to some, as most still have lasting memories of getting dental fillings composed of amalgam or gold. Whilst these materials are effective in treating decayed teeth, they do not contribute much to the over-all aesthetics of a person’s teeth because of their unattractive colour.

There are some one-session, relatively inexpensive dental treatments that people can avail of, including composite resin bonding, which is recommended for stained or decayed teeth. This procedure takes approximately 45 minutes to one hour, and is quite long lasting. The patient does have to visit again for maintenance, preferably at six-month intervals.

Dental sealants can be placed during the early phases of tooth decay, or for preventing further decay. Treatment takes approximately 15 minutes and the sealant could last up to ten years. For stains or teeth discolouration, I recommend whitening or bleaching. Tooth contouring and reshaping are also permanent treatments that a patient can avail off in just one session.

I’ve got over 5 silver amalgam fillings in my mouth done in London and they’ve never given me a moment’s trouble. But the current news about the ill effects of silver amalgam filling is beginning to worry me and I decided to do a little further research.Silver amalgam fillings have been the mainstay of dentistry for over several years. Even today several people get regular dental fillings done in silver amalgam .So why the hoo-hah about something which is pretty routine for every one?
Even though silver amalgam fillings were introduced over 150 years ago the material has constantly been under a cloud of doubt. Recent claims by a new breed of holistic dentists have really scared everyone to the safety of silver amalgam fillings. Holistic dentistry claims that the mercury on silver amalgam is very dangerous and the older the filling the worse it is. They advise complete removal of old mercury fillings and replacement with newer white colored restorations

There are a whole group of patients who claim that mercury is hazardous and can cause a whole range of dangerous defects like brain damage, birth problems, multiple sclerosis, allergies, Alzheimer’s , as well as many chronic diseases. But the American Dental Association has vigorously supported the use of mercury amalgam fillings as secure. In fact it has advised against the removal of old amalgam fillings if the patient is not having any problems!

I just hope some one would clarify the problem for me!

Are you worried about your kids’ health risk from amalgam fillings? Then, stop worrying and relax!!! Children are not adversely affected by the amalgam fillings, according to a recent trial, the New England Children’s Amalgam Trial that compared the neuro physical outcomes of children whose caries were filled with amalgam with those who had composite resin filling, which is free of mercury compounds. This study was conducted on 534 children aged between 6 and 10. They did psychological tests including full-scale IQ score on Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Third edition, wide range assessment of memory and learning, wide range assessment of visual motor abilities etc. The researchers evaluated the association between primary and secondary outcomes and potential exposure, surface years of amalgam, and urinary mercury excretion (U-Hg), which is the biomarker used to determine mercury exposure from dental amalgam fillings (restorations). The researchers couldn’t find any association or any neuropsychological adverse effects with amalgam fillings over the five-year trial period and no change or increase in the risk of children developing neuropsychological dysfunctions.  And in another related study conducted by a team of researchers from Universities of Portugal, Lisbon, and Washington also got similar results bringing a sigh of relief to parents and dentists of UK and US who were reluctant to have their kids teeth restored with amalgams, which is generally thought to be stronger than the composite resin fillings. The major factors included in the study were hard and soft neurological signs and also presence or absence of tremors. The soft neurological signs such as learning disabilities refers to a lag in the child’s gross and fine motor development or only minimal functional disturbance. They do not show any structural damage to brain. While hard neurological signs point to a brain injury or damage to nervous tissue that manifest as seizures, cerebral palsy, or deafness or blindness due to cranial nerve injury, etc.  After 7 years of exhaustive study, the researchers could not find any change in the status of the hard or soft neurological signs in between the two groups of children that received amalgam fillings and those who received composite resin fillings.