Archives for August, 2012

How Can Teeth Be Strengthened After Injury in London?

August 30th, 2012

Even the healthiest teeth are prone to damage, especially if you participate in contact sports or you are unfortunate enough to have an accident. Damaged, weak teeth are vulnerable to further injury and susceptible to infection so it is advisable to have treatment to strengthen the affected tooth or teeth.

Crowns

Crowns are a type of restoration; they are commonly used to bolster teeth that have been broken or damaged as a result of decay or injury. Crowns are also known as caps because they fit over the top of the existing tooth structure; they can be very effective in improving the aesthetic of the tooth, as well as reducing the risk of further damage.

The procedure to fit a crown involves two separate sessions; during the first session, the tooth is prepared, which involves removing the decayed tissue and cleaning the tooth; an impression of the tooth is created to use as a template for the permanent crown and a temporary crown is fitted. Once the custom-made crown has been manufactured, it will be fitted and the tooth will be restored to full strength.

There are different types of crown available, including porcelain and ceramic crowns and precious metal crowns; many people prefer to have ceramic crowns because they are coloured to match the natural tooth structure, making them indistinguishable from the natural teeth.

You may benefit from a crown if you have had an accident and your tooth has been damaged, you have a cavity that is too large for a filling or your tooth is weak and there is a high risk of further damage.

How long do crowns last?

Crowns last for several years provided that they are well looked-after; however, the exact lifespan will vary according to the material used, the quality of the crown and the individual patient’s oral hygiene regime and oral health status.Contact us at Devonshire Square Dental Studio in London for more information.

The Magic of Lingual Braces for Patients in London

August 30th, 2012

Lingual braces are specifically designed to be discrete. They work in exactly the same capacity as normal braces and will still correct and straighten your teeth but with the added benefit of being practically invisible. This is because the lingual brace is comprised of small arches and wires that are bonded to the back of the teeth, out of view and hidden from sight.

Who are lingual braces useful for and why?

Lingual braces are perfect for anybody who wants to undergo a teeth straightening procedure but wants to go about it in a way that is discrete and doesn’t call attention to it. As mentioned before, the lingual braces are perfect for discretion as they work behind the teeth out of sight. However, another added benefit to this ‘behind the stage curtain’ design is that you’re still able to keep good oral hygiene.

Oral hygiene

Brushing your teeth is easy to do because the lingual braces do not interfere in any way whatsoever. This means that there’s no necessity for a change in routine as brushing continues as normal. This is important as brushing and maintaining good oral care is absolutely pivotal in maintaining a happy, healthy mouth and keeping infections and diseases far at bay.

Other advantages

Lingual braces are also not removable. Now at first that might sound frightening and permanent, but it’s actually a good thing, as it means that you can eat and drink without having to worry about taking them out and cleaning them. This is perfect for a person wanting to be discrete as it means that they don’t have to make any excuses to leave the table before or after enjoying a meal with company.

Lingual braces are a little but more expensive, but worth it for the discretion they allow. For more advice on lingual braces please contact the team at Devonshire Square Dental in London.

Tags: city of London, city of London lingual braces, discreet braces system, lingual braces
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Patients in London Ask What are Interdental Brushes and How Do They Work?

August 28th, 2012

An interdental brush is a brush often used as an alternative to flossing. This is because its specialised design is perfect for going in between teeth and effectively cleaning the bacteria that breeds there. Due to its’ slim’ design it is also perfectly built to clean around braces, bridges and other orthodontic mouth wear without causing any great discomfort. This is brilliant as it allows people fitted with these appliances the ability to maintain good oral health care without the irritation or pain that might come from the comparatively more uncomfortable technique of flossing. Any good dentist will tell you that keeping a healthy and clean mouth is absolutely vital so its benefits in this area are not to be undermined.

As with other dental brushes, interdental brushes come in lots of different ranges, shapes and sizes but their function is the same pretty much from type to type.

Who are interdental brushes for and why?

Interdental brushes are mainly for those who find flossing difficult or uncomfortable, too fiddly or too awkward. If you find something irritating or painful, you’re much less likely to do it as regularly as necessary so interdental brushes are available to these people as a helpful alternative. Interdental brushes fulfil the same function and can completely replace the need to floss. Also because of their small manoeuvrable design they are perfectly designed to be used by people who already have an orthodontic appliance fitted. Those places that are difficult to clean because of wires, dentures or braces are more accessible to those who use interdental brushes. Hard to reach places become not so hard to reach with interdental brushes.

So if you’re somebody that finds flossing awkward, uncomfortable or painful it is recommend that you try interdental brushes as a handy, helpful alternative. We can discuss good brushing techniques at Devonshire Square Dental Studio in Central London so book an appointment today.

Tags: cleaning appliances, Interdental brushes, Interdental brushes London, London
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Tooth Brushing Techniques For Patients in London

August 25th, 2012

Brushing your teeth is the best way to combat build up of plaque, tooth decay, bad breath and gum disease. It’s incredibly easy to do, takes only a few minutes and should already be a part of everybody’s daily routine. By brushing your teeth twice a day, morning and night, you can stave off a whole assortment of oral health nightmares, all the while making your teeth and most importantly your smile sparkle. Brushing should be done by everyone regardless of their diet, but for those who consume a lot of sugary, sweet foods it is especially important. This is because those kinds of foods contain sugars and starches which are quick to cause plaque build up and eat at the enamel, causing tooth decay.

Flossing

Flossing your teeth should be done alongside brushing as flossing daily helps to remove the plaque that builds up between the teeth. If you don’t brush or floss the plaque will grow and eventually harden into tartar. Plaque and tartar build up has been linked to heart disease and other serious conditions so it’s not something we can afford to ignore.

Brushing the teeth

When brushing your teeth it’s important to use the right tools and equipment so that the process is as effective as possible and maximises the amount of plaque removal. A soft bristled tooth brush is recommended and fluoride tooth paste is shown to prevent tooth decay considerably. There are many different types of toothpaste on the market today, with products catering to a whole range of different needs, such as those with sensitive teeth, those with stained teeth and even natural tooth pastes that are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. This means that there’s absolutely no excuse or argument against brushing. If you want a healthy smile, it’s the way to go.

Tags: Brushing techniques, Central London, London brushing techniques, oral health
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The Signs and Symptoms of Gum Disease For Patients in London

August 23rd, 2012

Gum disease falls under the umbrella of periodontal disease and begins with gingivitis before entering into a far more severe stage known as periodontitis. Periodontitis can lead to numerous problems within the mouth and is something you definitely do not want. It can be very dangerous if left untreated, and unfortunately, it often develops silently with very few signs and symptoms.

Problems with gum disease

This means that often by the time it has been diagnosed the condition has advanced to a stage far more severe than it would have been if caught a lot earlier. It has also been found that gum disease can often lead to heart disease and other life threatening illness so it is not to be taken light. Never underestimate the mouth’s importance in maintaining a healthy body – it should be treated just as seriously as you would the rest of your body and should definitely not be ignored.

How it develops

As mentioned above, gum disease often develops silently, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t things to look out for, symptoms that can precede the arrival of gum disease. For example, if you have red, swollen gums, unexplainable bad breath or experience any noticeable pain within the mouth please consult a dentist immediately as this can be a definite precursor to gum disease. Other precursors include loose teeth, mouth sores, a change in the teeth structure made evident when you clamp down, pus developing between gums and teeth and even the bleeding of gums when you are brushing.

Signs and symptoms like these are the body’s way of raising a red flag, warning you of nasty things developing inside. The worst thing you can do is to ignore these red flags and the best thing you can do is consult a dentist. Contact us at Devonshire Square Dental Studio in London for more information on gum disease.

Tags: city of London, city of London gum disease, gingivitis, gum disease
Posted in dental decay, General dentistry, oral hygiene | Comments Off

How Composite Bonding Can Help Chipped or Cracked Teeth For Patients in London

August 21st, 2012

Chipped teeth aren’t as urgent an oral issue, as say, a broken jaw, but aesthetically it can be damaging, especially concerning one’s esteem and can start to affect the health of the tooth if not treated urgently. A person’s teeth can end up chipped or cracked for many different reasons varying from involuntary, sleep teeth-grinding (bruxism), accidental injuries, and even a severe build up of tooth decay. In case a tooth does become chipped or cracked it is possible to look into composite bonding to help correct the damage.

What is composite bonding?

Composite bonding is the procedure in which a dentist repairs a fractured, chipped, cracked or discoloured tooth, using special tooth-coloured resins so as to blend perfectly in with the rest of the patient’s teeth.

How is composite bonding treatment carried out?

Composite bonding is a simple procedure and unless the chip or crack in the tooth has been caused by tooth decay anaesthesia won’t even be necessary. Firstly, and to ensure that the tooth-coloured composite blends in perfectly with the chipped tooth, the dentist uses a shade guide, finding the best possible match. When this matching colour has been chosen the next step is for the dentist to prepare the tooth for bonding by making the surface of the tooth in question, rough and abrasive. A conditioning liquid is then applied onto the tooth to ensure that the composite bonding material will stick.

Next comes the most important part, applying the bonding material. This resin is treated much like clay, being moulded and smoothened until it has formed the perfect shape. Once this has been perfected the resin is then hardened into position using either ultraviolet lights or lasers. Once hardened, the bonding material is further shaped, trimmed and finally polished so that it matches the colour of the rest of the teeth.We carry out such treatment at Devonshire Square Dental Studio in Central London so do contact us if you would like more advice or information.

Tags: city of London, city of London composite bonding, composite bonding, white bonding treatment
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Patients From London Are Treated To A Hollywood Smile

August 18th, 2012

It’s that easy to have sparkly teeth. The treatment is named in reference to our favourite Hollywood celebrities who always seem to be sporting these almost unnaturally healthy smiles which gleam with more shine than the flash of the paparazzi camera. In fact, it’s getting harder and harder to spot a celebrity who doesn’t have a perfect set of teeth these days. Why? Because there are so many treatments available nowadays to enhance, correct and perfect a person’s teeth, not only for oral health reasons but for aesthetic reasons too. Treatments include teeth whitening procedures, laser gum sculpting, invisible braces and much more but we’re going to look at veneers in particular.

Veneer treatment for that Hollywood smile

A veneer is a wafer thin almost shield like covering made from composite plastic or porcelain. As with other composite materials, a composite veneer can be colour matched using a shade guide to fit in with the rest of the teeth so that you don’t end up with impossibly white teeth that look cartoonish. It’s no good after all, having a perfect smile if it doesn’t even look remotely natural as this will just detract from the intended results. Unfortunately they tend to stain more than Porcelain veneers.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are also stronger and much more durable and therefore last longer than the composite veneers. Because they need replacing less, this means they could end up saving you money in the long run, despite costing more. Porcelain veneers last between 5-10 years compared to the drastically shorter 1-2 year life span of the composites. It is important to note that not all dentists specialise in cosmetic dentistry so it’s important that if you want veneers and the perfect Hollywood smile to find a practice where cosmetic dentistry is the main forte. We offer Hollywood smiles at Devonshire Square Dental Clinic in London so do contact us for more information.

Tags: city of London, Porcelain veneers, smile makeover, Smile makeover London
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Patients In London Beware The Potential Pitfalls of Wisdom Teeth

August 16th, 2012

Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars to come through. They are known as ‘Wisdom Teeth’ because they appear in either the late teens or early twenties of a person’s life and are supposed to signal that the person has reached ‘wisdom.’ However, if wisdom teeth are not positioned correctly, problems can follow.

So what are the potential problems with wisdom teeth?

One of the problems is that because although the human mouth can hold 32 teeth in total, a lot of people’s mouths have room only for 28. This means that when the four wisdom teeth come in as the third molars, there isn’t enough space for them to grow properly and they can impact or only partially erupt. Impaction is when the wisdom teeth have failed to break through the gum line because of misalignment caused by lack of room to develop. Partial eruption is when the tooth fails to break through the gum bed completely and leaves a soft flap of flesh which is known as an operculum.

Wisdom teeth don’t always cause problems and won’t in the case that there’s enough room for them to come through, but some of the problems that can occur as wisdom teeth come through are:

Decay due to the teeth being inaccessible to clean – this can easily spread to adjacent teeth if not careful.

Structural damage to the entire mouth as a result of overcrowding.

Perhaps most dangerous however is the possibility of cysts forming. This occurs when a wisdom tooth has been impacted and the surrounding tooth has filled with fluid. Cysts can eventually become tumours if left untreated and can permanently damage the jawbone and nerves.

It goes without saying, if you experience any wisdom tooth pain symptoms you should see a dentist immediately to avoid these potential problems. If you have any worries about wisdom teeth contact our team today at Devonshire Square Dental Clinic in London.

Tags: London, wisdom tooth eruption, wisdom tooth removal, Wisdom tooth removal London
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Patients in London Learn about Periodontal Disease and It’s Symptoms

August 14th, 2012

Periodontal disease is a stage of gum disease. It infects the tissues that support your teeth and the bone that surrounds them. Along with tooth decay it’s one of the two most major threats to a person’s dental health and thus should be taken very seriously.

Symptoms of gum disease

It begins as gingivitis as the gums become red and swollen, eventually causing them to bleed. If it’s left untreated for a period of time, gingivitis can then develop into something a lot more severe called periodontitis and this can spell disaster. With periodontitis the teeth can be severely loosened and may even fall out entirely. This is because periodontitis causes the gums to pull away from the teeth and the surrounding bone can be lost. It is important to do our best to ensure that this disease doesn’t take effect or have time to develop. It’s a good idea to look out for some of the symptoms that precede periodontal disease, including bad breath, red or swollen gums, pain when chewing, and sensitive or loose teeth. But if you don’t manage to prevent it from occurring there are ways to treat it.

How can it be treated?

To keep gingivitis at bay it’s absolutely vital to both floss and brush regularly as this stops bacteria building up in between teeth and on the gums. Seeing a dentist at least once a year could mean the difference between gingivitis being caught early and not developing into the far more severe periodontitis. If you suffer from any of the preceding symptoms that were mentioned early it’s even more necessary to see a medical professional. A dentist is able to do a lot more intensive treatments that will help, such as prescribing medicines, deep cleaning of the tooth root surfaces and sometimes, if necessary, corrective surgery.

Book an appointment today for a dental check-up at Devonshire Square Dental Clinic in London.

Tags: gum disease, London, Periodontal cleaning London, Periodontal disease
Posted in General dentistry, oral hygiene | Comments Off

What are Invisalign Braces and How Are They Special For Patients in London?

August 11th, 2012

Invisalign braces are a more cosmetic alternative to standard braces. This is because, as the name ‘Invisalign’ implies, they are supposed to be practically invisible, blending in perfectly against the teeth, hiding in plain view. This allows for a much better aesthetic and is preferred by those who dislike the idea of walking around with visible braces for the entire world to see. However with Invisalign braces you’re paying extra for the discretion and so it’s important to look at the pros and cons before any decision is made. The overall treatment process can be lengthy after all and it would be terrible to want to change your mind six month or so months down the line after having rushed a decision.

So what are the positives and negatives of Invisalign braces?

Pros:

Aesthetics; Invisalign braces are practically invisible and people probably won’t even notice you are wearing them after a week or so. This can be fantastic for one’s self esteem and will take a lot less adjustment to be comfortable with wearing them day in day out.

Computer simulation; when you start with Invisalign they do a computer simulation which demonstrates both how your teeth will move and look after the procedure. Seeing end results in advance really helps motivate you through what can be a lengthy procedure.

Cons:

Slightly longer procedure; the procedure may take time and it is possible that there’ll be additional delays between setting the impressions and receiving the aligners.

The price; The price of Invisalign braces can run steeper than it would with standard braces and for those with a tight budget this might render them an impractical alternative.

Please consider the pros and cons here carefully and make no rash decisions in pursuing treatment. If you would like a consultation or more advice on Invisalign braces please contact us at Devonshire Square Dental in the city of London.

Tags: Central London, Invisalign braces, Invisalign Central London, invisible braces
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