Are you unhappy with the colour, shape and alignment of your teeth? Maybe you are suffering from chipped or worn enamel that is spoiling the appearance of your smile. The porcelain veneers could be just the thing to restore the appearance of your teeth.

As you may have seen on one of the many TV makeover shows on our screens in recent years, porcelain veneers are capable of completely transforming the teeth and creating stunning healthy looking smiles. Veneers are very thin ceramic shells that fit over the top of the teeth and are cemented in place by dental bonding. In the past, porcelain veneers took several weeks to manufacture in the lab after several appointments to measure and design had been carried out. This involved lengthy and uncomfortable dental moulds and rounds of x-rays, but in recent years new technology called Cerec has revolutionised the way that veneers are designed and manufactured.

Cerec utilises CAD/CAM technology, meaning computer aided design, computer aided manufacture. With the aid of new technology such as digital x-rays and three-dimensional imaging the dentist is now able to design the veneers on a computer screen before instructing a computer to sculpt the veneers from specially chosen porcelain. This has drastically reduced the time you will need to spend in the surgery and made treatment a lot more pleasant.

Porcelain veneers look and feel just like real teeth and with the right care and attention will last up to twenty years before they need replacing. Not only will they look great but they will also protect the teeth from external damage by plaque and bacteria. Ask your Weybridge dentist for more information

Wisdom or compacted teeth are a very painful dental problem, and their removal can have long term side effects and infection problems. A Surbiton dentist says that these teeth don’t always need surgery; it is only in some cases that they actually become a problem and need to be removed. The teeth concerned are those at the back of the mouth which cannot grow and expand as they are compacted in their position. The removal is quite a feat for a dental surgeon to do, and the hole left has to be plugged with germ free lint. This dressing needs to be changed almost every day, and it is when the incision is opened up that germs can get in and cause problems. Quite why they`re called Wisdom Teeth no one really knows, but you will know when you have one that is a problem. They affect younger patients between 17 and 24 more than older patients. After the tooth is removed it is important that the patient be very vigilant to stop infection taking place, after a day the bleeding will generally stop, this is when the body`s defences clot the blood. It is not a good idea to rinse at this stage as to do so will often dislodge a clot and cause further bleeding. Just taking a mouth wash into the area and avoiding it from whirling around will help. Warm salt water bathing of the area or even a used tea bag on the area will also help, as the tea contains tannin. contact mulberrydental on 01932 223479 for a free conaultation.

It is a great advance in dental science, and a thankfully modern idea that is making teeth straightening much easier and acceptable, says a Sunbury dentist. The old method of cementing wires and adjusting them as time progresses has not been entirely lost with these new style braces, the main concept is still there, but with some brilliantly ingenious ideas involved. One of the things these braces do is to agitate the jaw bone and the blood supply to the tooth, this produces new bone tissue that is deposited behind the tooth to further hold it in its new position. The concept of the Inman Aligner is only good for the front teeth though as the workings of it is all contained in a sealed unit, it actually looks like a sporting gum shield except there is a thin wire that runs across the front of it. A series of these braces are fitted every fortnight by your dentist, who also gets a 3D film of the whole process to follow the progress. That film includes an image that shows you a CGI of the finished work and your new straight teeth. The braces are also removable by you for up to 4 hours a day, this allows you to do simple things like eating and cleaning your teeth in comfort, you simply replace the brace onto your teeth and the process starts working again. All in all this method of aligning crooked teeth is an easy way to do the job, and has some good advances that benefit the client.

Dental Implants have been in the news of late, a certain celebrity is having them fitted and so now everyone wants to know what they are says a Sunbury dentist. They were devised through research in the 1950s and 60s, the first procedure was carried out in Sweden and it was a huge success. Since then medical science has improved on that first attempt, and the results are just amazing. What Implants are exactly is a widely asked question, and to answer it is quite simple, they are false teeth that are permanently fixed to the jaw bone just as our own natural teeth are. A Titanium plate is fitted under the gum and screwed directly onto the jaw bone, over a period of a few months the body produces bone cells that cover the plate and secure it better to the jaw. The incision is opened up and spikes are then inserted into the plate, pre-drilled holes are provided for this. Then the false tooth or teeth is fixed in position on the spike, this is cemented into position and becomes a permanent fixture. They need no special treatment and are treated just the same as a natural tooth is, in fact they soon become so settled in the mouth that the patient forgets they actually have false teeth. They are cleaned like normal teeth, are infection free and very hard wearing. If damaged they can be easily replaced in a few weeks. They really are a unique piece of medical science.

A tooth veneer is the reverse of a veneer on a piece of furniture, with furniture it is a natural covering on a substandard wood, with a tooth veneer it is an artificial covering on a natural material. A Sunbury dentist says that veneers are used in cosmetic surgery to cover up a multitude of sins in the dental department. Misaligned teeth don`t look good, they distort a smile because we are conscious of it and how it appears to other people. A veneer can fix that problem quite easily, and indeed many people plump for a veneer to do just that. Chipped teeth can happen to anyone as the enamel on the teeth is quite brittle, as an alternative to losing the tooth and having a denture fitted, a veneer can easily fix that problem too. Discoloured teeth are probably the most common reason for a veneer, when the front of our teeth becomes discoloured it looks awful and a veneer can easily be fitted to replace the enamel that has been damaged. Veneers are made from Porcelain, which is used a lot in dentistry to make artificial teeth, and they are made specifically for individual teeth using digital photography which is scanned into a computer to assist the orthodontist in making them. They are fitted directly onto the tooth after it has been shave of enough enamel for a perfect fit, they can be replaced if they become damaged. The colour lasts around 10-15 years before they need replacing with another veneer.

A dental emergency kit is a must for every home, the main reason most of us don’t have one is that dental emergencies are thankfully rare, says a Surbiton dentist. The kits are available through the internet and at most chemists, like a first aid kit they contain most of the things you`ll need for an emergency. True to Murphy`s Law, when an emergency happens it is generally in the night or on a week end. Accidents happen all the time, you could easily chip or crack a tooth while eating hard food, or tripping over and banging your face. These kits are prepared for that with dental cement that will cover the chip or crack, the application is quite easy and most kits also come with a dental mirror so you could do it yourself if necessary. The cement is a temporary measure, and shouldn`t be used as a long term cure, as such. You will need to see a dentist as soon as possible to get proper treatment. Tooth ache is dealt with in the kit with Oil of Cloves and baby buds to apply it, the oil generates heat that will relieve the pain, taking Ibuprofen or aspirin will also help to bring down any swelling as they contain an anti-inflammatory. Never use alcoholic drinks as a pain killer, they don`t work very well and if your dentist smells alcohol on you they may refuse to treat you straight away. Remember that you may need an anaesthetic, and they don`t go too well with alcohol in the system.

Root Canals are an everyday procedure for most dentists says a Kingston-Upon-Thames dentist. They may sound like a medieval torture, but they really are a general procedure to carry out. We all get infections in our teeth, most of the time a course of antibiotics will clear it up, and it won`t bother us again. However, there are some strong infections that just won`t go away and a root canal is called for to cure it. Rather than just have a troublesome tooth pulled, a dentist can drill out the centre of a tooth to get to the persistent bacteria that is causing the problem, it is often the only way to save a tooth. Once that is done the bad infection is scraped out and then the area is sterilised to ensure any lurking germs are killed off. To stop future infections a spray will coat the inner chamber with an antibiotic to prevent further breeding of germs. That done, the dentist will now close the hole with a mix that hardens quite quickly to replace the enamel that has been drilled out, painlessly I have to add. This will usually ensure that the tooth remains an asset to the patient for the foreseeable future, it will usually ensure less visits to the chair and save the patient expense in having to replace the tooth with a false one. It is done under a local anaesthetic and is a routine procedure, with little or no side effects.

There are more cosmetic dental procedures than ever before with results being possible that even ten years ago we would have thought impossible. Modern dentistry has advanced in leaps and bounds over the last few decades and it is now possible to transform even the most damaged and unattractive of teeth.

Teeth whitening procedures can restore the appearance of discoloured and stained teeth. Teeth can be straightened using all manner of orthodontic devices and dental bonding can even out and reshape teeth to make them look more appealing. However, the crown for the most spectacular dental transformation lies very definitely with one treatment: porcelain veneers.

These are thin ceramic caps that fit over the top of the existing teeth to completely change the way the teeth look. They are designed to fit the individual’s teeth exactly and can restore the appearance of even the most badly damaged teeth. But the best part about porcelain veneers is that this transformation can take place almost immediately. In fact, using the latest technology called Cerec, porcelain veneers can even be designed, manufactured and fitted in the same day. This means it is possible to have a new set of teeth in just one afternoon.

While it is true that porcelain veneers can be quite costly, it is also true that they can last for over twenty years if properly maintained. This means that once they are fitted, you can have the perfect smile you have always dreamed of for twenty years before you need to start worrying about replacing your veneers. Ask a Molesey dentist for more information about the possibilities of porcelain veneers at your next check up and you could have a brand new smile and a reason to be smiling in as little as one day.

Shepperton dentists have always stressed the importance of good oral hygiene when it comes to looking after your teeth. Brushing and flossing well on a daily basis can really help to make the difference and could prevent all manner of serious dental health conditions as well as keeping your breath fresh and your teeth looking their best.

The most important aspect of oral hygiene is definitely brushing. This should be carried out twice a day with a suitable brush. Dentists recommend using a brush that has a small head for maximum access to the most teeth. It should ideally have soft bristles to remove the most plaque and bacteria from the surfaces of the teeth. Brush your teeth for three minutes trying to angle the brush towards your gums. You must never forget that the health of your gums is just as important as the health of your teeth.

Next to brushing comes flossing. This is important because it is not always possible to clean the areas between the teeth of the small areas between the teeth and gums around their base. These are often the areas where decay and disease begin, so flossing daily will give you the best chance of avoiding these problems. Try to floss at least once a day using appropriate floss. Your dentist can recommend suitable brushes and flosses at your next check up.

Which brings us nicely to the third prong of the oral hygiene attack; the dental check up. No matter how clean you think you keep your teeth they are still at risk from bacteria and plaque. Seeing a dentists every six months will help to catch any signs of gum disease or tooth decay in its early stages when it is the most easily treated. Make yourself a check up appointment today.

One of the most serious problems that can affect the mouth is oral cancer. This is a potentially life threatening condition that occurs in the oral cavity but one that can be treated effectively in caught in its early stages. The longer the disease is allowed to develop untreated the greater the chances of it becoming fatal.

There are many risk factors that make you more likely to suffer from the condition. These include:

• Age – You are more likely to suffer from oral cancer if you are over the age of 40

• Sex – Males are twice as likely to suffer from oral cancer as women

• Weight – Patients who are overweight are also more likely to suffer from oral cancer as those patients who are in good shape and of a healthy weight

• Lifestyle – Smoking any kind of tobacco product significantly increases your risk of contracting oral cancer. Drinking alcohol also greatly increases the risk. When the two factors are combined the risk becomes even more heightened as the two combined can be very destructive to the cells and tissue in the mouth

However, it must be remembered that everyone is at risk from oral cancer and that 25 per cent of patients who contract oral cancer have none of the high risk factors.

The best way to beat oral cancer is to have a regular check up with a Molesey dentist. They can examine the mouth every six months or more regularly if desired. They can check for any suspicious signs and conduct a brush biopsy of any tissue. If the results come back positive they can refer you immediately to a specialist for treatment. This is the best way of beating oral cancer and keeping yourself safe from this very dangerous and destructive condition.