How do Invisible Brace in London Work for the Masses?

February 3rd, 2012

It is common for adults to be unhappy with the alignment of their teeth, but many may feel embarrassed about getting braces. Bulky metal braces are associated with childhood orthodontics and some people would feel embarrassed to wear them. However, help is at hand from dentists in London with numerous invisible braces now available.

What are the advantages of invisible braces?

• Most importantly they are, well, invisible! In the case of Invisalign braces, they look like a clear retainer brace, but actively straighten your teeth.
• You can take them out. It is recommended that you wear your aligner around 20 hours per day, but if there is a special occasion, such as a meal or a job interview, you can remove them easily.
• There is no “idle” time where your braces are ineffective. Normal braces require tightening every so often, but unless it is timed properly there can be periods of time where your teeth are not being affected by the brace. Invisalign invisible braces are replaced every two weeks and are carefully crafted to continually adjust your teeth.
• They are gentler than conventional braces and, interestingly, more effective. In the case of the Inman Aligner, they are much more precise, because coiled springs push teeth from the back, while a clear wire over the front of the teeth provides an opposing force. This lessens the tooth’s natural resistance to being moved.
• The Inman Aligner often costs less than other kinds of braces at around £1,500.
• It takes much less time to push teeth into their desired position, usually between four and sixteen weeks, whereas a standard brace can take up to two years.

Any disadvantages?

There are a few minor disadvantages to invisible braces. As with all braces, there may be some discomfort at first as your teeth begin to move. Due to the retainer style of the brace you may develop a slight lisp and you may also notice increased levels of salivation at first, which isn’t the most attractive look! However, you will soon become accustomed to these initial problems. These braces are only suitable for fully-grown teeth and therefore should not be used by children.

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Wedding Smile are a Thing of Beauty at London Dentists

February 2nd, 2012

When quizzed about the most important and memorable day of their lives, most people say their wedding day, so it’s no surprise that the number of people having dental treatment prior to their wedding day is increasing year on year. After months of planning and eager anticipation, it’s understandable to want to look and feel your best on your big day and your smile can have a huge impact on how you feel. If you’re not happy with your smile, this will affect your confidence when the main event comes around.

Most people treasure the photos of their wedding day and it would be awful to banish them to a forgotten shelf or feel upset when you browse through them years later, as a result of being unhappy with your smile. Thankfully, there are many dental treatments that can transform your smile and ensure you look and feel a million dollars on your special day.

Smile makeovers

A smile makeover in London is the ultimate cosmetic treatment and is guaranteed to give you a stunning smile, which you won’t be able to resist showing off on your big day. A smile makeover includes a series of treatments and you can choose the treatments you want, to match the look you wish to achieve. Treatments available include tooth whitening, orthodontic treatment, veneers, cosmetic bonding and dental implants.

Tooth whitening

Tooth whitening is a brilliant treatment for any bride or groom who wants to give their smile an instant boost. The treatment works quickly and brightens the teeth by up to 7 shades, giving your smile a natural, healthy glow. There are various treatments available, including Zoom! and Enlighten, which are popular with the A-listers and home whitening kits, which lighten the teeth over a period of time, usually two weeks.

Veneers

Veneers are responsible for many of the dazzling, flawless smiles you see on film stars and models. Veneers are very fine sheets of laminate porcelain, which are placed over the top of the natural teeth and can be used to hide problems, such as stained and crooked teeth.

You deserve to feel your best on your wedding day and a trip to the dentist could ensure that you have the smile of your dreams, to match your perfect wedding day.

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All on 4 versus Dental Implants: Which is Best for Me in London?

February 1st, 2012

Tooth loss can occur for a multitude of reasons and can be a massive blow to your confidence. Luckily there are many options available when it comes to replacing lost teeth.
Having dental implants is one of the best, most permanent ways to restore your teeth to their former glory. Six to ten implants are usually required to support a full arch of teeth, but with All on 4 in London you only need 4 implants to do the same job.

How does All on 4 work?

The procedure is very similar to having dental implants fitted. After your mouth has been checked for suitability, small hollows are drilled into your jawbone, which the implants are then fitted into. Two implants are placed at the front of the mouth, because the bone there is generally stronger and denser. The two implants at the back are placed at a forty-five degree angle, because the bone at the back of the mouth is not as stable and therefore more support is needed from the front of the mouth. A dental bridge or dentures bearing a set of replacement teeth can then be attached to the implants on the same day.

What are the advantages?

The biggest advantage of the All on 4 procedure is that it is quick. Most people can walk out of the surgery with a full set of functional teeth on the same day, whereas several weeks are usually required for regular dental implants to heal. There is also less surgery involved.

Bone grafting is sometimes required when fitting normal dental implants, because the bone density needs to be consistent throughout the mouth. This can be a lengthy and costly process. The All on 4 treatment takes advantage of the natural layout of the mouth, and therefore no bone grafts are required.

What about the disadvantages?

One obvious disadvantage is the cost, with the average price of £20,000 for dental implants and restorations to replace a full set of teeth.

There is also some speculation that four implants are not enough to support a whole mouth of teeth and may cause a lot of strain on the jaw, which could cause the implants to fail. It is therefore important that your dentist fully checks your suitability for this procedure before you undergo the All on 4 treatment.

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What facial cosmetic treatments in London can transform your look?

January 31st, 2012

As record numbers of us strive to look healthier and younger, the number of facial cosmetic treatments undertaken in the UK continues to increase ­– but is it clear exactly what types of results these procedures can have? Each facial cosmetic treatment has a clear purpose with a specific end goal and, depending on the results you’d like to achieve, there is a specific treatment suited for your needs.

Off the cuff, the types of problem areas facial cosmetic treatments can fix include unsightly lines and wrinkles. The correct combination of treatments can truly transform your look – from helping to eliminate the appearance of crow’s feet around the eyes to smoothing out wrinkled foreheads.

Other areas of the face that cosmetic treatments can correct include the sides of the nose, as well as the lower eyelids and upper lip. Facial cosmetic treatment isn’t exclusive to tackling problems on the face alone, however, as there are treatment options for restoring the neck as well.

While the physical benefits of undergoing facial cosmetic treatment are clear and obvious, the emotional benefits are sometimes masked. There’s power to be found in feeling comfortable and confident in one’s own skin. This comfort and confidence can be discovered with the help of cosmetic treatments. When you look your best you feel your best, causing your self-confidence to skyrocket. What’s more, many cosmetic treatment patients report being more outgoing, confident and personable following their procedure. While having cosmetic treatments won’t necessarily solve self-esteem problems, medical professionals acknowledge that improved self-esteem can be beneficial for improving peoples’ health.

A list of facial cosmetic treatments that can transform your look includes Botox injections around the eyes, the forehead and the upper lip, rhinoplasty, the removal of bags beneath the eyes, canthoplasty, cheek and chin implants and face lifts.

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Give your smile a sporting chance with the help of dentists in London

January 28th, 2012

At Harley Street Dental Studio we see a few people every now and then who have suffered an injury to their mouths, which has in turn either damaged or even knocked out some of their teeth. Dentists usually don’t get to see the patient until several days after the incident, once they have been to hospital and the swelling has died down. The dental clinic’s job is to try and fix the damage, either with crowns on broken teeth or with false teeth and dental bridges when the accident has knocked them out altogether. Sometimes, these injuries are caused by genuine accidents – a fall in the street or a car crash – but more often than not, the injured party has been taking part in some kind of sporting activity.

Sport dental injuries more often than not occur if the person hasn’t been wearing the right kind of mouthguard equipment. If you take part in any sport where you could end up getting hit in the mouth, either by a ball, a bat or even a fellow competitor, then you should take steps to protect your teeth. Boxers aren’t the only sportsmen who wear mouthguards and you can see them in games of hockey, ice hockey and rugby too.

Sportsmen and women who dismiss dental protection as only for wimps should try saying that to a strapping rugby league player! Although dentists are able to fix any oral problems caused by sporting injuries, it is much better if the injury either never takes place or if the damage can be limited by wearing the proper protection. If you’re not sure what kind of equipment you should be wearing, a dentist will be able to give you some advice and you can also speak to your coach or teacher if you’re still at school.

Of course, accidents do happen and even with mouthguards sportsmen and women may lose teeth or have them broken during the course of a game or sporting event. The important thing is to be seen by a doctor as soon as possible to check that there is no serious injury before making an emergency appointment with your dental clinic.

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How important is your six month check-up with London dentists?

January 27th, 2012

Well all know the importance of regularly visiting the dentist and – whether those visits are scheduled biannually or a bit more frequently – it’s imperative that we have routine check-ups. Your dentist can speak with you and determine if you would need to visit more often than just twice a year.

Typically, a dentist will make this assessment based on your oral health and any risk you may have for future problems. As a general rule of thumb the healthier your gums, teeth and mouth are the longer you can go between visits to the dentist, but this is a decision that should be made by a dental professional.

Although they may seem like pointless activities, six-month check-ups provide an opportunity for your dentist to examine your mouth, teeth and gums, and provide you with appropriate advice and/or instructions should you have any concerns. For instance, your dentist can advise on the effects your diet, smoking and alcohol use may be having on your teeth.

Another benefit of attending frequent dental check-ups is the opportunity for monitoring your teeth and preventing potentially serious problems from developing. Often, many dental ailments can be stopped before they progress into being something that requires loads of treatment. By visiting regularly, your dentist can keep an eye on problem areas, including checks for problems that you may not feel or see. For example, cavities, gum disease and oral cancer are often painless until they have progressed into the more advanced stages, but can be prevented with thorough, routine checking.

In addition to check ups, some dentists suggest that their patients have regular visits with a hygienist as well. This is another preventative method that could save you from unnecessary pain and problems. During a routine check up, a hygienist would be able to look for clues that could lead to the prevention of oral cancer and gum disease. Regular hygienist appointments will benefit patients because it ensures teeth, gums and mouth are maintained and in good physical health.

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Improve your smile with a gum lift at dentists in London

January 25th, 2012

Everyone has heard of a facelift before but how many of you have heard of a gum lift? The gum lift is a cosmetic dentistry treatment that “lifts” or removes excessive gum tissue from people who feel they show a little too much gum when they smile. The treatment isn’t just cosmetic, as levelling the gums can also help you to keep them clean, reducing the risk of gum disease in the future. Most patients considering a gum lift, though, are not thinking about oral hygiene but about how embarrassed they are by their “gummy” smile, especially, if the gums are uneven or receding. Luckily, the gum lift is a straightforward procedure that can help you smile with confidence again.

After your initial consultation, you can decide whether to go ahead with the treatment or not. In some cases, a gum lift may not be enough to create the effect the patient is looking for and the dentist may also need to shorten or file down troublesome teeth that are getting in the way of the perfect smile. This is not a common occurrence, however, and most of the time both dentist and patient will be happy with the results achieved by the gum lift.

Unlike a facelift, the gum lift is not an invasive procedure and you will only need a local anaesthetic. A special laser is used to trim the areas of gum that the patient or dentist are unhappy with, either because of their aesthetic effects or because the gums have already been damaged by gum disease. The patient may notice some slight discomfort once the anaesthetic has worn off and the gums will be a little swollen for a few days. Once this has subsided, you will be able to see the difference in your smile immediately.

If you decide that a gum lift is the best way for you to be able to smile with confidence then you are in good company. Celebrities such as Demi Moore and Ben Affleck are reported to have had the procedure done when it first became popular in Hollywood.

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Straighten up your smile with the help of London dentists

January 22nd, 2012

Japan, often home to some of the weirdest and wackiest crazes, has come up with the strangest one yet – young women who clip on false “crooked” teeth in an effort to look younger. Or, at least that’s why some of them have signed up for the “Yaeba” or “Double-tooth” procedure, in which non-permanent false teeth are stuck to the patient’s real smile. Others have elected to have vampire-style fangs made for them, in reference to the popular Twilight series!

In the UK, however, straight teeth are still very much in demand and vampire fangs are for Halloween only. Patients at Harley Street Dental Studio are much more likely to be asking what we can do to straighten up their crooked smile rather than asking us to mess up a perfect set of teeth! At least “Yaeba” is only temporary and no one yet seems to have undergone dental treatment to make their natural teeth permanently crooked. Any dentist who agreed to a treatment like that would be very irresponsible, as a straight smile isn’t just for cosmetic reasons, but can actually help improve your oral hygiene.

Most people with crooked smiles or gaps in their natural teeth undergo orthodontic treatment while they’re teenagers, but braces are becoming a more common sight in adult mouths. Perhaps the patient didn’t want to have ugly metal braces when they were younger and have now decided to treat themselves to some of the innovative new kinds of orthodontic treatment on the market. Maybe their past orthodontic work wasn’t very successful and they have decided to have another try. Often, women come to us for orthodontic consultations a few months before their wedding day, determined that they are going to look their absolute best on the most important day of their lives.

Braces and aligners have come a long way in recent years, with the most modern designs proving a big hit with patients of all ages. Most aligners these days are practically invisible, are much more comfortable than the old “train tracks” and can even be temporarily removed by the patient for cleaning and the odd important social occasion. And all to create a perfect, straight smile – much more attractive than a crooked grin or vampire fangs!

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Futuristic treatments used by dentists in London today

January 21st, 2012

Using lasers in the dental clinic may sound like some far-fetched futuristic prediction, but lasers are actually already widely used by dentists in the UK and researchers are always coming up with new uses for these clever gadgets in all areas of medicine. Some patients have expressed their concern about the safety of laser dentistry, but there really is nothing to worry about. The lasers used in dental treatments are very safe and are controlled at all times by the dentists themselves. It is just another tool that your dentist can use, in the same way that he would use a scaler to clean your teeth or a drill to fix your cavities.

The most common use of lasers in dentistry is during teeth whitening procedures. The teeth are coated with a special whitening substance, which reacts when it is exposed to a laser. This leads to quicker results than the usual teeth whitening treatments and it is also much more effective than previous products used in dental clinics. This is quite a superficial use of lasers compared to some of the new dentistry techniques that are being developed.

Gum lifts may be one of the newest cosmetic dentistry procedures available, but as more and more clinics invest in their own laser it is a procedure that is likely to gain popularity. If you feel that your smile is too gummy or you are suffering from a ‘gummy smile’, the laser can be used to “cut” away the unwanted areas of gum, leading to a more confident smile. Gum lifts are already common in Hollywood and as lasers become an accepted part of dentistry in the UK, they will become as normal as teeth whitening or braces.

Lasers can also be used in the preparation of teeth fillings, in place of the dreaded drill. Instead of needing a local anaesthetic in order to drill the affected tooth, a laser can be used to cut away the damaged parts, leaving the cavity ready for filling. A much quicker, cleaner and less painful way of getting a filling than the old-fashioned method!

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How dentists in London can replace missing teeth and save your smile

January 20th, 2012

People can lose teeth for all kinds of reasons, such as injury or tooth decay. Of course, some patients who come to Harley Street Dental Studio have had missing teeth for many years and only recently decided to take action. Perhaps they have an important upcoming event and they are starting to feel self-conscious about the gaps in their grin. Whatever the reason, if you have decided to do something about your missing teeth there are various options to choose from, depending on how much you are able to spend and how long you want to expend undergoing treatment.

In the past, the only way to deal with missing teeth was with a set of dentures, which are false teeth attached to a plate and slotted into place in your mouth. Dentures are still available today, though they have been improved to look more natural and provide a more comfortable fit. There are several negatives to dentures, however, as they can become loose over time, pieces of food can become trapped under the plate causing gum disease and it is fairly easy to break a set during cleaning or eating.

Dentures can be used to replace a whole set of missing teeth, while it is more common to use bridges instead if you are only missing one or maybe two teeth. Bridges also use a manufactured false tooth, but instead of being held in place using a plate, it is secured using the two natural teeth either side of the gap.

A relatively new development, and one that has been improved in the last few years, are dental implants. In this treatment, the false teeth are secured in place permanently with the use of metal screws that are anchored in the jawbone. This may sound like quite a serious and invasive process, but the screws can be attached while the patient is under a local anaesthetic and once fitted dental implants are much more secure and hygienic than dentures. By acting like man-made tooth roots, the screws can even help keep your jawbone strong into old age, rather than allowing it to deteriorate, which is what usually happens when someone loses a number of teeth.

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