Category “Cosmetic dentistry”

Selecting the Best Cosmetic Dentist for Patients from London

February 20th, 2012

Tomorrow, the 21st of February, is Shrove or Pancake Tuesday, which is the last day before Lent, when many people give up sweets, chocolates or crisps. This is very good for your teeth, as sweets, chocolate and crisps often give you cavities and dental decay. However, if you have unfortunately suffered from the effects of too much sugar and need cosmetic treatment to reinvigorate your smile you can find a cosmetic dentist serving patients from London to help you restore your smile.

Cosmetic dentistry has become incredibly popular in the last few years and the number of dental practices offering cosmetic services and procedures has increased enormously. This is beneficial for clients, as there is a greater choice and you can access services on your doorstep, but it can also be problematic trying to choose the best cosmetic dentist for you.

If you type the word cosmetic dentist into an Internet search engine, it is likely that hundreds of results will come back and you will be faced with the dilemma of trying to choose which one is best for you. When looking for a dentist, there are some key things to look out for:

Treatment list

Some dental practices in London offer more treatments than others, so if you want a specific treatment, ensure that the dentist you are considering offers that service. You can find out this information by visiting the practice website or giving them a call.

Consultation

Many dental practices offer free consultations, which enables you to talk to a dentist about the treatments on offer, what the procedures involve and what kind of results you can expect once treatment is complete. Your dentist will examine your mouth and they may also take photographs and create impressions of your teeth to check that you are a suitable candidate for the treatment.

Reputation

With so much choice around, it can be difficult to select a dentist, so look for patient reviews, positive feedback and awards and take a look at the dentists’ website to see what kind of experience and expertise they have. Dental treatment can be daunting for some and if you suffer from dental anxiety the prospect of a session in the dental chair may be particularly worrying, so look out for a dentist with experience in treating patients with dental phobia, as they will help to make you feel at ease.

Payment options

If you are desperate for treatment but you don’t have a large amount of cash up front, many practices allow you to pay for your treatment in instalments, so you can spread the cost. You will need to investigate the payment plans offered by the practice before you agree to have the treatment to make sure that the terms suit you.

What Will A Smile Makeover for Patients from London Include?

February 17th, 2012

Have you ever felt like your smile isn’t reaching its full potential? There are so many treatments available that it’s hard to know where to start on the quest for perfect teeth. If you feel this way, then a good option is to get a smile makeover.

What does a smile makeover involve?

You may be unhappy about many different aspects of your teeth and if your teeth are crooked, discoloured, worn down or broken you could benefit from a smile makeover. A smile makeover consists of many different treatments that can be tailored to your unique needs. These include:

• Teeth whitening procedures, which can consist of in office and at home treatments.
• Porcelain veneers over teeth, which improve the shape and whiteness of your smile.
• Dental bonding, where resin is used to fill in cracks and conceal stains on the teeth.
• Porcelain crowns to restore damaged teeth.
• Dental implants to replace lost teeth.
• Braces, including invisible braces, to straighten your teeth.
• Amalgam free fillings that blend with your natural tooth colour.
• Custom designed dentures that look like your real teeth.

A good smile makeover for patients from London will involve a consultation with your dentist, where you will discuss your expectations for the treatment and plan your smile makeover in detail. Some smile makeovers can be completed in one day so you can walk away with your new smile.

The cost of a smile makeover varies wildly depending on how many treatments you choose to have. Your makeover will last for many years depending on how well you look after your new teeth. Veneers can last up to fifteen years and implants can last up to thirty, so it may be well worth making an investment. After all, who can put a price on the self esteem boost you will achieve with a mouth full of flawless nashers?

Dental Procedures Roll Back the Years at Dentists serving patients from London

February 15th, 2012

In the last decade or so there has been an increased focus on beauty and looking healthy, youthful and attractive in the media, which has promoted many people to have cosmetic treatments to enhance their natural features and preserve their youthful looks. Most people associate treatments such as Botox, face-lifts and fillers with rolling back the years, but a trip to the dentist could be as equally effective.

The range of cosmetic dental procedures has increased significantly in recent years and you can now have a treatment to fix almost any problem across the Commonwealth and the world. Getting older can be hard to handle and you may be dismayed when you notice fine lines or wrinkles appearing, but your teeth can make a real difference to your appearance and a simple cosmetic dental treatment could have a huge impact.

Tooth whitening

Tooth whitening for patients from London is an amazing treatment because it produces incredible results in a very short space of time. The procedure is very simple and safe, there is no need for injections or drills and you will feel different the moment you step out of the surgery. There are different whitening methods available, from in-chair treatments, which can lighten the teeth by numerous shades in under an hour, to home whitening kits, which restore the natural whiteness of the teeth and give them a healthy glow over a longer period of treatment time, usually around two weeks.

White teeth have long been associated with good health and beauty, but as you age, your teeth are likely to become discoloured as a result of general wear and tear and drinking strongly-coloured liquids such as coffee and red wine. Whitening treatments help to roll back the years, banish the stains and give you a gorgeous, fresh set of pearly whites.

Veneers

If you have chipped, discoloured or crooked teeth or gaps between your teeth, this can make you look older than you are, affecting your confidence and making you feel uncomfortable smiling in public. Veneers are an effective solution for all those problems and they can literally transform your smile in just a couple of sessions. Veneers are very thin sheets, made from specially formulated ceramic materials, such as porcelain, which are applied over the top of the existing teeth to create a perfect smile. Veneers give you a healthy, young smile while still looking natural and could make feel 10 years younger, as well as looking 10 years younger!

Are Patients from London ever too Old for Cosmetic Dentistry?

February 8th, 2012

Cosmetic dentistry has boomed in recent years, thanks to the increased availability of treatment, competitive prices and a growing pressure to look good, but cosmetic treatments are not just for upcoming A-list actors, singers and models and these treatments are accessible to everyone, regardless of your age.

If you have been pouring over pictures of people flashing beautiful, healthy-looking smiles, thinking that you would love to have the same smile, but feel that you are too old, this is not the case.

Orthodontic treatment

Most people still associate braces with teenagers and envisage bulky, train-tracks when they think about orthodontic treatment. However, a lot has changed and adult orthodontic treatments are becoming increasingly popular. Gone are the days when treatment meant being lumbered with an unsightly metal brace, now you have the option of a myriad of treatments, including removable appliances, discreet fixed braces and invisible aligners.

Orthodontic problems are very common in London and they do not heal themselves, so if you often regret not having treatment during your teenage years and constantly feel that your smile is letting you down, it’s never too late to have treatment, as long as your teeth are healthy and strong.

Tooth whitening

Tooth whitening is one of the most popular cosmetic dental treatments and it’s not hard to see why. The procedure takes less than an hour in most cases and the results are incredible and instantaneous. As you age, your teeth can become discoloured, especially if you smoke or are partial to a coffee in the morning and a glass of red wine in the evening. Whitening treatments are suitable for most people and they give your smile an instant healthy glow, which will make you feel great and look younger.

How do I find out more?

Having dental treatment can be a daunting prospect, especially if you suffer from dental anxiety or haven’t been to a dentist in a long time. If you want to find out more about how a cosmetic dentist could help you transform your smile, call the practice for a consultation. During the consultation, you can ask as many questions as you want and get an idea of the difference a session in the dental chair could make to your appearance and confidence.

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.

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.

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!

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.

The causes and treatment of worn teeth by London dentists

January 12th, 2012

Worn teeth occur when the shape and function of the teeth changes because of friction to the teeth, which causes loss of tooth enamel or loss of the tooth surface.

Causes of worn teeth

There are many affects that occur on a daily basis that can cause worn teeth. Causes include:

  • Teeth grinding or “Bruxism,” which usually occurs when people sleep, wearing the teeth down.
  • Tooth decay caused by improper dental care and poor oral hygiene, causing periodontal disease or gingivitis.
  • Improper bite, which can result from malocclusion, irregular jaw shape or overcrowded teeth.
  • Genetic/hereditary factors resulting in abnormal facial and jaw formation, resulting in friction on the teeth.
  • Injury to your jaw and teeth, which can cause teeth not only to break but also to become worn.
  • Diet containing certain acidic foods and substances, which can damage the enamel of teeth over time.
  • Excessive teeth whitening that is unmonitored by a dental care professional.

Allowing a dentist to evaluate the condition of your teeth and discuss your oral health will enable you to understand what may be the cause of your worn teeth and how best to treat the condition.

Treatment for worn teeth

Depending on what causes worn teeth, treatment options may vary depending on the appropriate treatment for your needs:

  • Dental mouthguard to prevent teeth grinding.
  • Teeth replacement – Teeth contouring or dental implants, bridges or crowns.
  • Veneers, such as porcelain veneers or lumineers, where teeth are etched and re-shaped.
  • Composite bonding to build up worn teeth.
  • Orthodontic treatments, such as braces – Invisalign, Inman Aligner, or Damon – to improve bite and prevent worn teeth.
  • Facial or jaw reconstruction to correct jaw and mouth form and function, so the teeth do not become worn when you bite.
  • Diet awareness with the help of a dietician, to prevent an imbalanced diet with excess substances that can cause tooth erosion.

Causes and treatment of crowded teeth by dentists in London

January 10th, 2012

Overcrowded teeth occur during childhood when the gums and teeth are developing and can continue into adulthood if not treated. The teeth can form too close together and, in some cases, additional teeth grow through, which results in crooked or skewed smile and an abnormal bite when your upper and lower teeth come together.

Causes of Overcrowded Teeth

There can be a number of reasons for overcrowded teeth, such as:

  • Genetics/hereditary traits – The DNA of parents contributes to the formation and function of the jaw and teeth, which if incorrect can lead to crowding and other orthodontic problems.
  • Too small upper or lower jaw – When the teeth appear too large, as if there are too many to fit into the gums.
  • Cleft lip and palate – This occurs when a baby is born with a gap in its top lip or when the two plates of the palate forming the mouth do not join properly.
  • Excess tooth development –This occurs when an unusual amount of teeth grow.
  • Mouth tumours – These can affect the formation and function of the jaw, including tooth development.
  • Injury – Fracturing the jaw and re-healing can result in overcrowded teeth.

A medical practitioner can diagnoses the cause of overcrowded teeth and recommend appropriate treatment solutions.

Treatment for Overcrowded Teeth

A number of treatment options exist to correct the causes of overcrowded teeth. These include:

  • Facial or jaw reconstruction or plastic surgery to correct and re-model the facial form and function, such as cleft lip or reforming the jaw to correct bite.
  • Teeth removal and gum re-shaping combined with Orthodontic treatment.
  • Orthodontic treatment, such as braces – Invisalign, Damon, Inman Aligner – and other Orthodontic appliances.
  • Porcelain Veneers can be placed over the surface of teeth to give them a straight appearance, and may be used to treat overcrowded teeth when combined with other Orthodontic treatment.

Orthodontics is used for teeth overcrowding caused by a misaligned jaw position or jaw joint, over or underbite and malocclusion. If you have overcrowded teeth that appear skewed or crooked and are affecting your smile, you can have this orthodontic treatment to correct it.