Healthier Matters » Dentistry

Healthy smile: porcelain crowns

health girl — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:14:51 +0000

A crown is an ideal dental product for those patients who want to restore the look of their teeth. It is also used to preserve the teeth while increasing its capability in chewing food. A popular material used for crowns is porcelain. Decades ago, a well known option was to use metal based crowns and gold or silver alloys but they became unpopular.

There are three types of porcelain crowns:

Porcelain bonded to precious metal – a metal base is made and then the porcelain is added to it in layers.

Porcelain crowns – these crowns are not as strong as the ones with a metal base but they look very natural and are preferred for front teeth.

All-ceramic crowns – they combine the bonded crowns with the porcelain crowns suitable for all areas of the mouth

Be smart on choosing the right type of porcelain crowns. Talk to your dentist on which porcelain type crown will work best for your teeth.

Invisalign – invisible dental braces

health girl — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 08:50:17 +0000

Many people avoid braces because they might feel uncomfortable and look unattractive. This can also cause trouble when it comes to speaking because the braces can easily affect the movements of the mouth. Some also avoid this form of treatment because of the attention it gets. That is why many people opt to endure and accept the misalignment of their teeth rather than having dental braces.

But a new technique aims to remove all those concerns – Invisalign is a system of invisible braces that can be easily removed from the mouth but would still have the effect of braces. The braces can be removed during meals and can be easily cleansed. As an invisible brace, it can’t be noticed and will only have minimal effect on the way one speaks. Invisalign is now offered by cosmetic dentists everywhere.

The process of using Invisalign teeth straightening method is a bit strenuous but very rewarding. The patient must see the dentist every two weeks since they will have to make some adjustments to help the alignment of the teeth. This means the teeth are undergoing significant changes in a short amount of time.

Ask your dentist about Invisalign, he or she will most likely show you the “before” and “after” effects of this technique. They will show you your present teeth and the simulation will be provided to give you a clue how the teeth straightening will progress over time. Depending on the situation, treatment will only last for months and most patients achieve the perfect smile in less than one year.

How Laser Teeth Whitening Works

health girl — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:19:12 +0000

Teeth whitening treatments have become very popular as a way to correct discolouration of teeth which especially occurs after repeated consumption of substances such as caffeine and nicotine.

Among the several teeth whitening solutions, laser whitening is becoming one of the most practised by dental specialists. This is because the results are particularly satisfying in terms of the uniformity of colour and also because the time spent on the procedure is not excessive and overall simple.

The process of laser teeth whitening takes up to an hour session. After sealing the patient’s gum all around the teeth with a special rubber, the dental hygienist applies a gel with peroxide (which is the substance responsible for the whitening effect) onto the teeth and uses laser light to activate the whitening reaction. The same process is then repeated a second time.

Factors that should be taken into account before having the treatment are, in particular, sensitivity of gums and teeth. This is not a strict counter-indication, however, in most cases patients will experience increased sensitivity for 3-4 days after the treatment.

On the other hand, dental restorations like bridges or fillings cannot be treated with laser whitening but need to be replaced afterwards in order to match the new colour of the treated teeth. In any case, it is most important to be well advised by your dentist, if you are thinking about doing laser teeth whitening.