Archives for March, 2012

Teeth whitening at cosmetic dentist near Guildford

March 29th, 2012

A client was due to get married in April and came to see us a couple of weeks ago looking to improve her smile.  She had generalised discoloured teeth with prominent white flecks on her upper front central incisors.  She wanted to look her best for the wedding day and wanted to know what her options were with such a limited time frame.

We assessed her mouth and made sure her teeth and gums were healthy and that she did not have any white composite fillings onher front teeth.  We offered her the two types of professional tooth whitening systems to help to achieve whiter teeth and improve her smile.

There are two main options with professional tooth whitening.  One is the in-office system, and the other is the professional at home kit. 

The in-office system can whiten your teeth in as little as an hour. So it is great for someone who has a tight deadline to meet.  Some in-office systems use a bright light soemtimes called laser whitening.  This uses a light source that activates the tooth whitening gel which is placed on the teeth.  Other systems do not need a light source and are chemically activated.  The in-office tooth whitening system can whiten your teeth by a few shades straight away.  We normally recommend combining this with the at-home kit to get the best result as it helps stabilise the tooth whitening procedure.

The professional at home kit use a lower concentrated gel which is placed into custom fit whitening trays which are then worn for 40 minutes per day.  It normally takes 10-14 sessions of professional tooth whitening to achieve a great result.

You need to make sure that your mouth is dentally fit and healthy and that if you have crowns, veneers or composite fillings on the teeth that are to be whitened they will stay the same shade. Porcelain and composite fillings do not whiten.

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Dental Implants for patients near Farnborough

March 28th, 2012

Missing teeth and having gaps in your smile can have a real impact on your self esteem.  A new client came to see us at Time Dental with exactly that. 

He had porcelain crowns and bridges placed almost 10 years ago and a few months ago some of his back porcelain crowns started to come loose.  On further discussion with him he wanted a solution as his line of work meant that he was in public alot meeting new people and he wanted to smile with confidence.  He also told me that he previously had a diet of fizzy drinks and lots of sugary foods but only recently found out that it causes tooth decay around crowns.  This certainly explained why his porcelain crowns were falling out and why they had so much decay underneath them.

On examination we found that the decay was very extensive under his crowns and that they were unrestorable.  This meant that most of his remaining upper teeth were rotten and would have to be removed. We therefore  had to discuss different options to help him restore his mouth to give him a long term solution.

One option would be to provide immediate dentures.  Cosmetic dentures are very life like nowadays.  Individually tailored with fantastic aesthetics.  However these would have to be removed daily and cleaned.

Another option could be implant retained dentures.  This is where titanium roots are placed into the jaw which help to secure dentures in place.  Again this is a removable option but much more secure then normal cosmetic dentures.

A fixed option could be implant retained bridges.  This is where 4-6 implants are placed which hold a fixed bridge which looks and feels like normal teeth.  Dental implants have a 95% successful outcome and are an excellent choice for having fixed teeth again.

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Cosmetic dentist near Guildford, Surrey

March 26th, 2012

A patient came to see us who was bothered about his overlapping lower front teeth.  He previously had braces as a teenager, however in the last few years he noticed that his teeth were moving and going back to the way they used to be.  He had not been to see a dentist for a thorough dental health check in a number of years and although he was not experiencing any pain decided to register and see what could be done about his crowded lower teeth.

Unfortunately the crowded lower teeth were the least of his problems.  As he had not been to see a dentist in years he was not given proper dietry advice and his teeth had mutiple areas of decay.

Tooth decay or caries is the demineralisation of the enamel caused by products of plaque bacteria in the mouth.  The bacteria love a sugary environment  which they produce into acids that destory tooth enamel.  Once the bacteria has broken thorough the enamel surface and into the dentine layer the decal can spread very quickly to the nerve and give symptoms of toothache.

The best thing to do is ensure that you have a healthy diet and that you do not snack on high sugar food and drinks.  Make sure you drink plenty of water as this can remove large particles of food debris.  Brush your teeth twice a day and also clean in between your teeth.  Use a flouride toothpaste. Regularly visit your dentist and hygienist for health checks.  This will ensure that things are caught early and the preventative advice can be given.

In the case of this patient, he wanted to achieve a healthy mouth as his priority.  We therefore had to place a number of white composite fillings after having removed the decay to help him achieve dental health.  The composite fillings are tooth coloured so they blend with the natural tooth surface.  As they also stick to the tooth, they also help to bring back the strength of it back.

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Porcelain veneers at Alton dentists

March 22nd, 2012

A client came to the practice the other day who had crowded teeth all her life.  She felt her front teeth protruded too far, they were overlapping and one of the front teeth was discoloured.  It had got to the point where she always covered her mouth when she smiled and was very conscious of the discoloured tooth.

We talked about her options. One option was to move the teeth into the correct position either with traditional train-track braces, or the advanced Invisalign clear aligners which are virtually invisible, or the Inman aligner which can move the teeth in a matter of weeks.  The teeth would be straight but this would still leave the issue of the discoloured teeth.

After straightening them she could whiten them using a professional tooth whitening system.  Another option could be to veneer the teeth.  A porcelain veneer is a handcrafted bespoke porcelain laminate that is bonded onto each individual tooth.  It’s a fantastic option if you want to correct crowding, uneven and discoloured teeth.

The treatment can be completed in two visits for instant results.  The first session would be preparation of the teeth.  Impressions are then taken and sent to the master dental ceramist.  In the mean time you will be provided with provisonal veneers that allow you to trial your smile.  Once you are happy with the look and shape of them the final porcelain veneers are fitted completing your smile.

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straight teeth with Invisalign or Inman aligner at Fleet dentists

March 20th, 2012

A client came to see us who was unhappy with her smile.  She didnt like the way her upper front teeth were protruding which made her look goofy.  She had braces as a teenager and said they used to be straight, but over the last few years her teeth had moved and there was mild crowding in her top teeth.  She wanted to know what her options were to improve her smile and make them straight.

One option is orthodontic braces.  These are traditional train track braces that use brackets attached to the teeth.  The brackets can be metal or tooth coloured.  They can run on the outside as well as the inside of your teeth.  The treatment can be expensive and can take 12-24 months depending on how much movement needs to be made.  As our client had already gone through 2 years of braces, she was not keen on going through it all over again.

A second option is the invisible braces called Invisalign clear aligners.  As the name states these are virtually invisible clear aligners that incrementally move your teeth by changing the aligners every 2 weeks.  A great way of straightening your teeth without people knowing that you are doing it.  As they are removable you can also eat whatever you like and also clean your teeth properly during treatment which helps keep your gums healthy.  The treatment time can be anything between 8-24 months depending on what movements need to be achieved.

A third option is the Inman aligner.  This is a fantastic brace that that can move your teeth in a matter of 8-14 weeks.  It uses a spring system that gently squeezes your teeth into a straight position.  It is only designed to straighten your front four upper or lower incisors and as it is removable you can still eat whatever food you like, but more importantly still keep your gums healthy and teeth healthy.

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Tooth whitening at Farnham dentists

March 13th, 2012

Latest statistics show that tooth whitening is a very popular service that most people are looking for from their cosmetic dentist.  This statistic is reflected in the number of people who have chosen to whiten their teeth at Time Dental.

A client came to see us at Time Dental who will be getting married in April.  She was always aware that her teeth were discoloured and stained but had not done anything about it.  Now that her wedding was approaching she really had that motivation to get it done!

We discussed her options of the different types of tooth whitening procedures; in-office and the professional tooth whitening kit.  The in-office tooth whitening system uses a high concentration of gel that can whiten your teeth by a few shades in one hour.  Some systems use a light source (sometimes called laser whitening) to activate the gel, and other systems use a chemical activation.  Both do the same job.

The professional tooth whitening kit involves placing the special tooth whitening gel in custom fit whitening trays.  The trays are then worn for 40 minutes per day.  It normally takes 10-14 sessions of professional tooth whitening to achieve a great result.  Some professional tooth whitening systems require you to wear the trays over night.  These types of sysytems use a lower concentration gel which is why they need to be worn for a  longer period of time.

If you are really pushed for time and you want the best and fastest result a combination of in-office and professional tooth whitening can really put a sparkle back into your smile.  Both systems are safe to use just make sure your teeth and gums have been assessed for health by your dentist before starting a course of tooth whitening.

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Gentle dentistry and hygiene at Surrey dentists

March 10th, 2012

Many people are apprehensive about the dentists in the Surrey area and beyond.  One of the main reasons is fear.  Fear of pain, fear of the unkown, fear of not being in control.  That is completely understandable.  At Time Dental we know that for the majority of people, coming to the dentists is not their favourite thing to do.

One of the main factors is previous bad experiences.  That’s why we try to understand what that bad experience was and provide you with a positive experience to help you gain confidence at your Surrey dentists.

We use proven techniques to help reduce anxiety.  It may be a case of providing numbing gel before the anaesthetic is given; careful breathing and relaxation techniques to help calm you; soothing background music; watching a dvd for distraction techniques. 

Another option maybe to use IV sedation.  This is a great way of carrying out dental care while you are conscious of your surroundings but are completley relaxed.  The gentle dentistry approach.

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Straight teeth fast with Inman aligner at Godalming dentists

March 8th, 2012

A patient came to see us who was unhappy with their smile.  He was recently going through a personal life crisis, and was feeling very down about himself.  His confidence was low and he wanted to make a good impression when meeting people for the first time.  He had always been aware of his crowded, uneven teeth and this had not bothered him until now.

On assessing his mouth, his main issue was the overlapping upper front four teeth.  He felt that if he could get these straight as quickly as possible it would really give a boost to his confidence.

We discussed all the options.  One option was to have fixed braces, which he was not too keen on as it took a long time and he did not want to be seen with a brace on.  Another option was the invisible clear aligner system- Invisalign.  These clear aligners are changed every 2 weeks and incrementaly move your teeth over a period of time.  Although the advantage was that they were virtually invisible, and he could eat what ever he wanted as they were removable, they would still take at least 8 months to get this teeth straight.

The other option was the Inman aligner.  This is a removable brace that squeezes the front four teeth into a straight position in matter of weeks.  As it is removable you can still eat whatever you like.  The main advantage is the speed.  It uses very gentle pressure to move the teeth super fast which is its secret.

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Crowns to protect weak teeth at Fleet dentists

March 5th, 2012

A client came to see us for a healthy mouth review and consultation.  He had been getting food stuck between is back teeth and found that he was always having to use tooth picks to fish out bits of food which often made his gums bleed.

On assessing the area we found that he had quite a significant gap between his last two teeth.  This had resulted in bits of food getting stuck between the teeth every time he ate.  The food also caused his gums to become inflammed, so everytime he tried to pick the food out the gums would bleed.  We took an x-ray of his tooth and noted that due to the food wedging in between his teeth it had also started to decay.  The tooth already had a very large mercury filling and this was also starting to fail due to the decay caused by food packing.  The mercury filling was so large that replacing the filling  would simply weaken the already fragile tooth.  As this was also a chewing tooth there was already alot of pressure on it and it could break.

Due to the fragile nature of the tooth we decided to discuss the options of crowning the tooth.  The crown would encapsulate the whole tooth giving it strength.  It would act rather like a bomb shelter protecting the tooth underneath.

Crowns can be mad of metal or can be tooth coloured.  The tooth coloured crowns can be either metal ceramic crowns or all-ceramic crowns.  The metal ceramic crowns have been around for a long time, the downside is that they can be weaker and also not look as life-like as the all-ceramic crowns.  The all-ceramic crowns (porcelain crowns) are very strong and are the best in aesthetics.

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Emergency toothache near Farnborough dentists

March 1st, 2012

A client came to see us who had been suffering from toothache.  He said it had been keeping him awake at night and that it was tender to bite on.  Whenever he had a tea or a coffee it also triggered the toothache.

On assessing the tooth, it had a very deep filling which was very close to the nerve which is in the middle of the tooth.  When decay gets very close to the nerve the tooth will do one of three things; form a protective barrier; the nerve could die slowly or it could die quickly.  When the decay in a tooth is originally so close to the nerve it is to hard to predict which of the three categories it will fall into.  This particular filling was placed a year and a half ago so the nerve was gradually dieing.

When a tooth gets to this stage there are two options; extraction or root canal therapy.  The pateint was very keen to save the tooth so the desicison was to provide root canal therapy.  This is a way to save the tooth and keep it in place.  Root canal therapy involves cleaning the inside of the tooth where the infected nerve lies and sterilising it.  The canals are then filled with a special rubber seal and the tooth is then restored.  Quite often the tooth will require a crown to protect it as root canal therapy can often leave the tooth dry and brittle.

On the treatment day, the patient was made very comfortable with anaesthetic so he did not feel anything while treatment was carried out in one visit.  A very pleased and pain-free patient!

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Time Dental Practice 87 West Street | Farnham | Surrey | GU9 7EN | 01252 723 008
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