Archives for October, 2010

You’re never too old for braces

October 29th, 2010

Most people associate braces with teenagers. However, in recent years the number of adults seeking orthodontic treatment has increased significantly.

Traditionally, orthodontic treatment is associated with teenage children because it is best to treat orthodontic problems as early as possible. However, many people with orthodontic problems do not receive treatment and consequently continue to suffer from orthodontic problems during adulthood. Orthodontic problems do not just go away and, although it is best to try and resolve them as early as possible, it is never too late to have treatment and many people are now wearing braces in their twenties, thirties and forties.

Image-obsessed society

Nowadays, we are more image-obsessed than ever before and an increasingly large number of people are seeking treatments and solutions to ensure they look better, younger and more aesthetically pleasing. Advances in science and technology mean that treatments are becoming increasingly effective and safe and many treatments can produce incredible results in just a matter of minutes.

Adults need braces too!

The range of orthodontic treatments on offer to patients is now vast and dental technicians and dental companies have taken adult patients into consideration when developing new products and treatments. For most adults, the most obvious disadvantage of having orthodontic treatment is having to wear braces, which can have a dramatic effect on the individual’s appearance. For many people, the mere thought of braces rules out orthodontic treatment because they still associate wearing braces with traditional, uncomfortable, bulky metal braces. However, there are now many different types of brace on the market, as well as other orthodontic devices, which are much more discreet than conventional braces.

Invisible braces

Invisalign is just one example of the new age of orthodontic treatments. Invisalign braces are actually clear plastic aligners, which are designed to be completely invisible to other people. The aligners are designed to move the teeth into the correct position without anyone else even knowing that the patient is wearing braces. Many other treatments have also become popular in recent years and the most successful products are those that have been designed to be discreet and subtle.

The celebs

Some celebrities have also inspired adults to visit their dentist for orthodontic treatment and even the most traditionally unattractive metal braces have developed a cult following the success of television programme, Ugly Betty. Most famous faces tend to go for the more modern braces, which are barely visible to other people and the straight, healthy looking smile has become something of a must-have accessory.

Numerous studies have also shown that people with an attractive, straight set of teeth are more likely to succeed in both their social and professional lives. Research has also shown that a large proportion of people also consider a nice smile to be an essential characteristic for a future partner. In light of these findings, it is unsurprising that an increasing number of adults are taking steps to improve the appearance of their smile. Nowadays, brace-wearing does not have such a stigma attached and improved treatment methods and shorter treatment times means that people are more willing to go to their dentist to discuss orthodontic treatment.

Looking for cosmetic dentistry? Talk to Harley Street Dental Studio

The Harley Street Dental Studio has a vast range of services to enhance your smile. For more information on any aspect of cosmetic dentistry contact us on 020 7636 5981.

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The life of teeth

October 27th, 2010

Humans have two sets of teeth; the first set is commonly known as milk, baby or deciduous teeth and the second set is usually referred to as permanent teeth.

Where it all begins

Milk teeth usually start to develop at the age of around six months, although some babies may start to develop them earlier and some may not have any teeth until much later. Most children have all twenty milk teeth by the age of two. Children have incisors, canines and molars; the molar are later replaced by adult premolars.

Milk teeth are smaller than adult teeth; this is to ensure that they fit in the child’s jaw, as the jaw is smaller. As the jaw grows, more teeth develop and by the time a child has all their adult teeth they will have 32 teeth.

Most children start to lose their milk teeth at the age of five or six, although there has been an increase in the number of younger children losing teeth. Some dentists have reported seeing children as young as two years old who need to have teeth extracted due to extensive decay. Most children lose all their baby teeth by the age of 13 and have all their adult teeth by the age of 14; between the ages of 6 and 14 the adult teeth start to erupt. Wisdom teeth, which are located right at the back of the mouth, do not tend to erupt until the age of at least 17. However, some people will get them much later and some people never get wisdom teeth. Often, people experience problems with wisdom teeth as there may not be much room in the jaw when they erupt; in many cases, the wisdom teeth may have to be removed.

Teeth to last you a lifetime

The permanent set of teeth is made up of 32 teeth; this includes eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars, eight molars and four wisdom teeth (also known as third molars). Each type of tooth has a different function; canine teeth are pointed and are used for shredding, cutting and tearing food, while molars are hard and flat, with a large surface area used for grinding and chewing food.

The teeth are designed primarily for breaking down and chewing food but they also have other important functions, including supporting the cheeks; if you lose teeth, you may find that your cheeks start to sag.

The teeth are very hard and should be durable if they are looked after properly; teeth need to be cleaned and polished on a regular basis and everyone should take time to fulfil a good daily oral hygiene routine. This routine should include brushing the teeth twice a day for at least two minutes each time and using mouthwash and dental floss on a regular basis. It is also important to visit the dentist for a check-up every six to twelve months.

Take care of your gnashers

Teeth can often be damaged or broken; this is usually the result of an accident on injury. If a tooth is lost, it can be salvaged if the broken piece of the tooth is found and stored in cool water or milk and the patient can see a dentist quickly. If the tooth is lost, either through injury or as a result of extensive tooth decay, it can be replaced using dentures or dental implants. It is important to replace missing teeth because gaps in the teeth can lead to problems with occlusion (also known as the ‘bite’) which may affect the ability to speak and eat. Gaps in the teeth can also make people feel unattractive and may make people look older.

Looking for cosmetic dentistry? Talk to Harley Street Dental Studio

The Harley Street Dental Studio has a vast range of services to enhance your smile. For more information on any aspect of cosmetic dentistry contact us on 020 7636 5981.

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Celebrity Smile – As seen in Gossip Mags

October 25th, 2010

If you take a look at any of the gossip magazines in the newsagents, you’ll see every celebrity actor, singer and model smiling back at you with perfect, bright white teeth. The pursuit of the perfect smile has become very common, with people of all ages having braces fitted to correct their smiles and using teeth whitening products and veneers to brighten them. There are plenty of home whitening kits on the market, but consumer tests have shown that the quality of these can vary widely and the results are unlikely to be as effective as if you have the treatment carried out by a professional at a dental surgery.

Teeth whitening systems available

Once you have decided to go ahead and get your smile brightened professionally, you still have plenty of choice as to which system to use. Each has different advantages, depending on your lifestyle and budget. The Enlighten system requires impressions to be made of your teeth so you can have special plastic trays made that fit your mouth perfectly. A small amount of the whitening gel is then placed into the tray before being put in the mouth. There are different strengths of whitening gel available, the strongest requiring only 30 minutes of application a day, which is perfect if you have a busy lifestyle. Enlighten has its own system, Ramp, which is especially suitable for people with increased sensitivity. So even if you have sensitive teeth you don’t have to miss out on the celebrity smile.

Zoom! is a whitening treatment that is carried out in the surgery in a one hour dental appointment. The gel is applied to your teeth before a heated lamp is inserted into your mouth, activating the ingredients in the gel. You’ll be able to see the amazing results of Zoom! after just one hour, though the effects last just as long, if not longer, than other treatments. Nite White, as the name suggests, is a system that is safe enough to wear overnight, for minimum inconvenience, while Smile Strips are one budget option, costing only £45 for a 14 day course of pre-prepared gel packs.

All these options will leave you with a Hollywood-bright smile, so it’s down to you whether you want to spend one hour in the chair or spend less and do most of the hard work yourself. Either way, you’ll enjoy looking at the results for many months!

Cosmetic alternatives to whitening

Veneers are another, more expensive but more permanent and effective, way to brighten up your smile. These are popular with celebrities and sports stars and can be matched to the colour of your teeth for a natural looking improvement. Once impressions have been taken and the veneers have been manufactured to fit your smile perfectly, you will attend another appointment to have them fitted. Da Vinci veneers are one of the most popular brands in the US, having been developed in the home of the perfect smile, Los Angeles. The product has even featured on makeover shows on American television. Although they cost more than whitening treatments, veneers have one major advantage; their permanence. Short of something going wrong with them, your veneers should last your whole life, giving you a perfect bright smile well into old age.

Looking for cosmetic dentistry? Talk to Harley Street Dental Studio

The Harley Street Dental Studio has a vast range of services to enhance your smile. For more information on any aspect of cosmetic dentistry contact us on 020 7636 5981.

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Implants for Greater Security

October 22nd, 2010

Finding out that you have to have dentures fitted brings all kinds of questions to mind; will they be noticeable? Can I still eat all my favourite foods? Will the dentures move around in my mouth? It’s understandable to be worried about all these things and more, especially if you are having dentures fitted to the lower jaw which usually results in more slippage and movement, making eating and speaking difficult and sometimes embarrassing. But with modern advances in dental technology there is a system that provides much more security and comfort for denture wearers.

Straumann Implant system

The Straumann Implant System is one such new method of fitting dentures. Rather than just being fitted into the mouth, or fixed in place with adhesive, using this system dentures are fixed onto titanium implants attached to the jawbone that replace the natural root of the missing tooth. It may sound a bit futuristic, but evidence has shown that the body readily accepts titanium and the metal is used frequently in repairing broken bones with no side effects. The system can be used to attach both dentures and crowns and is fitted in just one session with no further surgery required, unlike in some other implant systems.

Dental implant procedure

Fitting the implants is a simple procedure that will be carried out by a specialist prosthodontic expert. Only local anaesthetic is required while the titanium implants are being attached to the jawbone and the recovery period can be as little as six weeks. Once everything has healed up nicely, and the titanium “roots” have successfully fused with your own jawbone, then the dentures or crowns can be attached to the part of the titanium implant still visible. During the healing period, you will, of course, be provided with temporary dentures.

Often patients wanting this type of system in their mouth have to visit an oral surgeon to have the implants fitted before returning to their own dentist to get the crowns or dentures attached. These days many of the top, modern dental surgeries, like Harley Street Dental, can carry out all the steps of the treatment under one roof, making it much more convenient that travelling to different surgeries. Harley Street Dental has their own team of surgical professionals as well as an experienced prosthodontic specialist to fit the implants and dentures, all working in the same surgery in London. Not only is the treatment convenient, but it also has high approval from those who have had it done. Physiologically, these implants feel more like real teeth than removable dentures. After all, you won’t take out these dentures to clean them once they are attached, but will clean them with special toothpaste while they remain in your mouth.

Success rate

The success rate of the Straumann system has proven to be very high, and the implants still have a 95% success rate ten years after the fitting. Millions of these implants have already been fitted around the world, giving millions of people confidence in their smile even if they have to wear dentures or have crowns fitted. Unless you are unlucky, your implants should last your whole life and evidence has even shown that they can help preserve bone and gum tissue that is usually damaged by more conventional treatments. The dentures and crowns themselves will be made to blend as naturally as possible with your own teeth so no-one would be able to notice you are wearing dentures. Especially when you are still able to eat all the foods you enjoyed before having them fitted!

Looking for cosmetic dentistry? Talk to Harley Street Dental Studio

The Harley Street Dental Studio has a vast range of services to enhance your smile. For more information on any aspect of cosmetic dentistry contact us on 020 7636 5981.

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Facial aesthetics at the dentist

October 20th, 2010

Nowadays many top dental surgeries offer you even more than the perfect smile. Once you’ve had your teeth straightened and brightened for the perfect celebrity look, you can go even further by having minor cosmetic surgery procedures carried out in the dentists’ chair. Procedures like this are becoming more and more commonplace as celebrities talk more openly about the treatments they themselves have undergone to keep looking as young as possible. No-one is really ashamed to admit in magazines that they have had a boob job or Botox, so why shouldn’t the average person on the street get to enjoy the same luxuries?

Is it safe?

If a dental surgery does offer cosmetic procedures, like Harley Street Dental, they are most likely to involve the areas around the mouth, lips and face. After all, it would be a bit of a leap for dental surgeons to suddenly start offering liposuction. You shouldn’t worry about safety as every dental surgeon has had to undergo years of medical training to get to this point in their career and most of these minor treatments don’t even require anaesthetic or appointments longer than a couple of hours.

Pressure to look young

Modern life can be very stressful and there is lots of pressure put on the ordinary woman, and men, on the street to look as young as they can. Not everyone can afford or would want to have a facelift, but you can choose other treatments that aren’t as permanent but have great short-term effects. At Harley Street Dental you can have facial cosmetic treatments that are administered in just a few minutes using only a small needle and a tiny amount of purified botulinum. This substance interrupts nerve signals to the muscles in your face, helping them to relax and smoothing out the wrinkles that have started to appear. One treatment can last for as long as six months. The whole treatment is over in less than an hour and you will notice the effects in a couple of days.  The botulinum can be applied to various areas of the face and neck including your forehead and lower eyes and can smooth out crow’s feet at the corners of the eyes and any frown lines you have developed over the years.

Facial aesthetic options available

Restylane is an alternative substance to botulinum and works by stopping your skin’s natural collagen layer from thinning. This thinning, which happens with age, is what causes your skin to sag. Injections of Restylance can firm up your skin and make the ageing process appear to reverse! Injections are made into the problem area without anaesthetic  and your appointment will only last 30 minutes, meaning you can pop out on your lunch break and return to the office looking years younger. You will notice the effects of Restylane immediately and it can last up to a year if you have the recommended follow-up injection a couple of weeks later. Restylane injections are also popular with younger women who are trying to get fuller lips; gossip magazines claim celebrities like Jennifer Garner and even Britney Spears might have used Restylane to improve their looks.

Looking for cosmetic dentistry? Talk to Harley Street Dental Studio

The Harley Street Dental Studio has a vast range of services to enhance your smile. For more information on any aspect of cosmetic dentistry contact us on 020 7636 5981.

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The future for fillings

October 18th, 2010

Let us fill you in on some news

Our teeth certainly do feel the brunt of our hectic lives at times. If they’re not being looked after via brushing them twice a day, or teeth and gums are under constant attack from smoking those cigarettes, or sugary snacks are consumed far too regularly, then it it is no surprise if your teeth suffer as a result. And then, you may be in need of fillings which, quite literally, fill the gap in the tooth itself.

Drastic actions

There are many people who are scared of a visit to the dentist, and for some this can lead to them attempting to perform dental treatment on themselves. According to a survey carried out in 2009 by the consumer magazine Which? of the 2,631 adults 8% of them admitted to having carried out this DIY dentistry. That’s an amazing 210 people, with the same number knowing others who had done this to themselves. Of these people which had been involved with carrying out self-imposed dentistry, one in four said they had used pliers to remove teeth. Even though this survey sounds a bit depressing, having showed the extent as to how far people will go to resolve their dental problems, there is a way in which we can help you.

A great idea

So, what can Harley Street Dental Studio do for you and your fillings? Unlike what has been used in previous treatments, we do not use silver fillings as they could in time leak onto the tooth itself giving it that black, stained look. Instead, we use Amalgam-free fillings. Amalgam partly consists of mercury, which carries health concerns and as such we choose not to risk this treatment on our patients. Not only do the fillings we use no longer contain these harmful elements, but the new white fillings we use also blend in with your natural tooth colour. So, unlike the silver coloured traditional ones, it looks as though you have no fillings at all.

Reasons to be cheerful

But what if you have the traditional fillings? We offer a comprehensive service in replacing them with Amalgam-free fillings which will not only remove the possibility of mercury leaking onto your teeth but our staff are trained in the removal and disposal of your old fillings and, throughout all treatment procedures, follow a stringent protocol so that the safety of both our staff and patients is protected.

Looking for cosmetic dentistry? Talk to Harley Street Dental Studio

The Harley Street Dental Studio has a vast range of services to enhance your smile. For more information on any aspect of cosmetic dentistry contact us on 020 7636 5981.

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Straightening those crooked teeth

October 15th, 2010

Smile!

It seems that some people are just plain lucky. Some are good at sports which are in turn regarded as celebrities, others might be exceptionally good at fighting for their fellow human beings by righting the wrongs of society in the Houses of Parliament or maybe they might be learned folks who understand complex theories which can easily confuse many. Then there are some which are born with naturally straight teeth which have no signs of irregularity present. So, what to do?

Straight as they come

There are some members of society who often have to use some form of manmade device in order to resolve this problem. These are called braces, and it is the common belief that it is only children and young adults who are able to have this treatment. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong.

What about the rest of us?

Although it is children who are often the ones which are accredited with receiving this type of treatment, you might ask yourself what about those who aren’t in this age group? What if you had been given braces as a child and the treatment you received didn’t quite fully resolve straightening your teeth to the standard you want? Or, what about if the straight teeth you had as a child have naturally shifted so that the smile you have now no longer resembles the one you used to sport ever so proudly in school photos?

The way forward for you

Here at the Harley Street Dental Studio, there are a number of treatments which we offer. Provided for you at our London studios, Invisalign braces are not the traditional braces you remember from your childhood as they are not “train tracks”. These are braces which are invisible thanks to the use of clear aligners. Even if you’re not feeling too confident of wearing the traditional braces because they might look a bit embarrassing, Invisalign braces have proven very popular in the past with our previous customers as they have spoken of the confidence they gained when wearing them.

Further great news

Unlike traditional braces, the treatment time in which it takes for the Invisalign braces to straighten your teeth is half of what you would get from the more conventional style of treatment. On top of this, we have Invisalign certified dentists who are experts in their field which can answer any questions.

On top of this

But what if Invisalign braces are not for you and you want something different? That’s not a problem. Although not invisible, our “6 month smile” uses titanium wires which are coloured like natural teeth to move those unstraight teeth in the way you want. But, if you want your treatment to be different from the ones already described there are six other forms of treatment which we offer that strive to meet your dental expectations.

Looking for cosmetic dentistry? Talk to Harley Street Dental Studio

The Harley Street Dental Studio has a vast range of services to enhance your smile. For more information on any aspect of cosmetic dentistry contact us on 020 7636 5981.

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Choosing yourself the right dentures

October 13th, 2010

A bright smile equals a healthy mouth.

Let’s face it, our teeth are important. They break down whatever food we consume, make a winning smile what it is and it is always fun to count them with your tongue one by one. We having a loving relationship with them and can joyfully recount when we first received a visit from the tooth fairy and received a tidy sum for simply a natural process happening. Unfortunately, this admiration for one of the tiniest part of our bodies doesn’t always sink in with some people and many do not care for their teeth in the way that they should. They might have eaten one chocolate bar too many, consumed that extra can of fizzy drink or not brushed two times a day as recommended. As a result of not being looked after, this leads to many people losing one or more of their teeth.

The solution

When the unfortunate situation of your teeth falling out does happen, there are some solutions to your predicament which can be resolved with the help of the Harley Street Dental Studio. Having a single or several teeth that have succumbed to tooth decay and need to be removed can be resolved by replacing them with titanium anchors safely locking them in place to your jawbone. But what happens when you find that you no longer have any teeth in either your upper arch (aka maxillary) or lower arch (referred to as mandibular).

Getting it right with us

Long gone are the days of those unsightly dentures your grandparents or a long-distant Auntie or Uncle used to sport. Now you can have a personal set of dentures created in your own distinct style. The service of creating your own personalised dentures couldn’t be any simpler here. By working alongside computer-imaging technology, we are able to create one tooth at a time so you can view what your dentures are like before you see them in reality. If you’re worried about whether or not what you see on a computer screen is what is designed using our digital system, we at the Harley Street Dental Studio take every effort and care into making sure that the denture blueprint which you choose is followed meticulously so that what you chose is exactly what you get.

Easy as pie

So, not only do we offer the service of having an individual set of dentures created at a reasonable price but the teeth designed in a style which you might have wanted for as long as you care to remember.

Looking for cosmetic dentistry? Talk to Harley Street Dental Studio

The Harley Street Dental Studio has a vast range of services to enhance your smile. For more information on any aspect of cosmetic dentistry contact us on 020 7636 5981.

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A bright smile isn’t just for those in Hollywood

October 11th, 2010

The glitz and glamour of it all.

You have to hand it to Hollywood; they do make some great films. Not just recently, but over the past couple of decades for sure. Great fight scenes, funny dialogue and actors who many look up to are just some of the elements which make Tinsel Town the fantastic place it is. But when you look at those appearing on screen, you will notice that nearly all of them have had their teeth whitened. Over the course of the past decade or so, the smiles of A-List members of cinema found across the pond have sported this look. Even the lesser-known stars in America who appear on our television screens are seen to have had this done as well.

The importance of being tooth-friendly.

We’ve all done it at some point in our lives. Having looked in a mirror after an especially delicious meal or beverage, we see the years of wear and tear this has done on our teeth which, as a result, led to them being discoloured. This could be down to a whole host of reasons. It is recommended people keep in mind the quantity in which they consume excessive amounts of alcohol and caffeine products, such as tea and coffee, which can vastly contribute to the yellowing of teeth. But what harms the colour of your teeth the most so that they become stained is smoking. There are no health benefits to smoking and, even though various forms of cancer may take some time to form in the body, yellowing of the teeth can be the most obvious and immediate disadvantage of this activity.

Busting the myth

You might think to yourself that only the rich and famous you see on screen could afford this due to the millions of dollars they command for every picture. But, contrary to popular belief, our service is not only open to those with an unbelievable amount of numbers in their bank accounts. People all over the UK are seeing the benefits of having their teeth whitened at a reasonable price.

But is it for me?

As many countries are following Hollywood’s suit and its citizens are embarking on undertaking teeth whitening, there has never been a better opportunity to remove those stains on your teeth which you’ve never liked the look of. Here at the Harley Street Dental Studio we specialise in helping people out just like you. Through the use of Zoom! Whitening, even a quick visit of one or two hour sessions can improve the quality of the colour of your teeth by up to ten times. Or, if you’re not feeling comfortable with visiting the Studio, there is the chance to take home a kit which will enable you to do this yourself with an easy-to-follow guide allowing your teeth to look naturally brighter in seven to ten days.

Looking for cosmetic dentistry? Talk to Harley Street Dental Studio

The Harley Street Dental Studio has a vast range of services to enhance your smile. For more information on any aspect of cosmetic dentistry contact us on 020 7636 5981.

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Stem cells and dentistry

October 8th, 2010

What is stem cell research?

Stem cell research is a subject of great debate and frequently hits the front pages of the newspapers. Stem cells are found in all multi-cellular organisms. In humans, stem cells are usually taken from embryos or adults. Stem cell research enables scientists to convert stem cells into a range of different cells; stem cell research is predominantly used in medicine but it is also used in dental studies.

Stem cell research is highly contentious because it provokes a debate about tampering with nature. One of the most commonly debated subjects is that of cloning, with many people stating that they are against cloning because it contravenes natural processes. Other people are strongly in favour of stem cell research because it could lead to radical breakthroughs in the fields of medicine and dentistry and potentially many lives could be saved.

How does stem cell research affect dentistry?

One of the major research areas within the dental field is facial reconstruction. Stem cells regenerate themselves and stem cell research could therefore be used to encourage the facial tissue and bone to regenerate following an accident or injury, which damages the facial muscles and tissue. Bone regeneration could make a huge difference to dentistry in the future, as bone loss is common with ageing and certain treatments, including dental implants which require sufficient bone density to support the implant. There is also the potential to restore dental tissue, including dental pulp, cementum and periodontal ligaments, which could help to restore a damaged tooth and prevent the spread of decay.

Here at the Harley Street Dental Studio, we like to keep abreast of recent research studies and will always endeavour to provide our clients with the newest products and treatments.

Looking for cosmetic dentistry? Talk to Harley Street Dental Studio

The Harley Street Dental Studio has a vast range of services to enhance your smile. For more information on any aspect of cosmetic dentistry contact us on 020 7636 5981.

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Posted in Cosmetic dentistry, Dental implants, General dentistry | No Comments »
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