Archives for January, 2012

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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Harley Street Dental Studio’s Richard Lee in London is an Ambassador for Crest Toothpastes

January 18th, 2012

Harley Street Dental Studio’s very own Dr Richard Lee is now the International Brand Ambassador for Crest toothpastes, one of the biggest dental companies in the US.

Richard has changed the smiles of many happy patients and from all walks of life, but he still understands that a beautiful smile must also be a healthy one. With his years of experience, training and skill, Richard has brought health and beauty to the smiles of all ages and he hopes to further his smile changing work with his new role with Crest.

If you are in the US you will be lucky enough to see Richard Lee in action promoting the Crest toothpaste range. It is a partnership we believe will work well for all of us and improve the smiles of countless individuals.

Crest have been producing dental products since the 1940s and were the first to add fluoride to their toothpastes during the 1950s, cutting the rate of dental decay in America by over 50%. By the 1960s the American Dental Association were able to confirm that Crest toothpastes successfully prevented tooth decay, and in 1976 Crest toothpaste with fluoride was listed as one of the 100 greatest discoveries within the last century by the American Chemical Society.

Crest continues to produce outstanding dental products, which now not only protect teeth and gums, but also whiten and enhance them for truly healthy, gorgeous smiles.

In his new role as International Brand Ambassador for Crest toothpastes, Richard hopes to bring beautiful smiles to people outside of the clinic, which are both beautiful and healthy, with the help of Crest’s great range of products.

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Dental check-ups with London dentists can save you money

January 17th, 2012

It can be difficult in these days of financial hardship to work out how best to spend your family’s precious money. Food has to be put on the table, bills have to be paid and it can be tempting to look upon the six-monthly dental check-up as something of a luxury. However, skipping your regular trips to the dentist could easily become a false economy, as while you save yourself a few pounds on the cost of a check-up, you could face a much larger bill when you develop serious dental health problems in the future.

Most dental check-ups these days also include a scale and polish appointment with a dental hygienist. This is a vital part of keeping your teeth healthy as possible, as there are some parts of  the mouth that are difficult to keep clean no matter how hard we try. The dentist is also a good source of information and advice, especially if you have been having problems cleaning your teeth. They may be able to suggest a particular product that can prevent problems from developing, advice that you won’t hear if you skip your six-monthly check-up to save some money.

Perhaps even more importantly, it is at regular appointments where many potentially serious dental health problems are identified. Anything from tooth decay and gum disease, which could end up with the patient losing teeth if no action is taken, to children who may need orthodontic work, to correcting crooked teeth before they become fixed in position – early identification of all of these problems means they are easier, and therefore cheaper, to fix.

Imagine that a patient decides to skip your scheduled appointment at the dentist, not realising that they are already exhibiting the early signs of gum disease, perhaps because they are not flossing correctly. Soon the problem will become more serious, but by the time there are obvious symptoms, such as pain or bleeding gums, the problem has started to attack the tooth itself. All of a sudden, the cost of the initial missed dental check-up will pale into comparison with the costs of root canal work, false teeth or dental implants to fix a damaged smile. Dental check-ups are an essential expense and appointments shouldn’t be missed if possible.

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Is it time to replace the replacement with the help of dentists in London?

January 15th, 2012

If you have ever had missing or damaged teeth replaced or repaired in the past, then you were probably warned by your dentist that different treatments have different lifespans. The fact is that if you have your teeth replaced or repaired at an early age, then you are likely to need to replace or repair the original restoration at some point. Restored teeth can also be damaged in accidents, in the same way that natural teeth may be knocked out, while poor dental hygiene can cause gum disease or cavities, creating problems for the false teeth as well as the remaining real ones.

One of the most common questions we are asked here at Harley Street Dental Studio is how long a particular procedure or treatment will last and when a restored tooth is likely to need replacing. After all, these are often expensive treatments and patients want to be sure that they are getting their money’s worth. In the same way that the early signs of tooth decay are often spotted at routine check-ups, early problems with repaired teeth, dental bridges and other restorative work can often be fixed much more easily if they are seen before the damage is irreparable. This is why it is still important to attend regular appointments with your dentist even if you have a mouth full of false teeth.

Other signs to look out for to indicate that your restored teeth may need repairing or replacing is pain or discomfort, difficulty speaking or swallowing and feeling rough edges rubbing the inside of your mouth. If the problem is a minor one, the damaged tooth can often be repaired, either in your mouth or by removing the offending item and sending it away to a specialist laboratory, although this would depend on what type of treatment you had chosen in the first place. In some cases, the restored tooth or teeth will themselves need to be replaced. You can always go with the same procedure that you initially chose, but now may be a good opportunity to explore what new treatments are available for your particular dental problem.

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