Archive for the ‘cosmetic dentistry’ Category

Improve the appearance of your teeth with help from City of Leeds dentist

Friday, February 26th, 2010

It is never too late to improve the appearance of your teeth and this doesn’t necessarily mean shelling out thousands of pounds for expensive cosmetic dentistry. There are many things you can do at home or small dental procedures that can make your teeth look cleaner and healthier.

Starting obviously, cleaner teeth look healthier than dirtier ones, so making improvements in your dental hygiene routine can improve the appearance of your teeth. Brushing for three minutes at least twice a day and flossing can help to keep teeth free from plaque and tartar and also prevent staining. Avoiding sugary foods and substances that can stain teeth will also make a significant difference.

Beyond keeping your teeth clean with the appropriate apparatus and watching what you eat and drink there are a series of small dental procedures that won’t break the bank but will make a big difference. Whitening treatments are available to people of all budgets at City of Leeds dentists, which are capable of whitening teeth by up to ten shades. Other treatments include dental bonding which can be used to repair small damage in teeth such as chips and cracks, used as a filling material and also used to cover areas of discolouration. Dental bonding is made of composite resin that is mixed to the exact colour of the teeth before application. Even small amounts of bonding can make a big difference to the look of a patient’s teeth.

Of course there are many other small dental treatments and large ones that can radically improve a person’s smile but even by making small changes you can improve the appearance of you teeth but remember, always discuss your options with a dentist first.

Experience the possibilities of cosmetic dentistry at Central Leeds dentist

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Unlike conventional dentistry, cosmetic dentistry is focused solely on improving the appearance of the teeth. There are many dental problems that can affect the way the teeth look including worn enamel, discolouration and unevenly spaced teeth. The aim of cosmetic dentistry is to make the teeth look as healthy and even as possible by using a variety of different treatments.

The first step in cosmetic dentistry treatment is to make an appointment with a Central Leeds dentist to discuss your options and draw up a cosmetic dentistry plan. This will outline exactly what procedures need to be carried out for the maximum effect on your teeth. Cosmetic dentistry may also involve treatment from a dental hygienist to make sure the teeth are as clean as possible before treatment. More comprehensive cosmetic dentistry involving several procedures carried out simultaneously is often called a smile makeover.

Common treatments that are used in cosmetic dentistry include teeth whitening and dental bonding. The aim of teeth whitening is to use a gel containing the active ingredient hydrogen peroxide to stain enamel to a more natural and healthy white colour. Dental bonding can be used to achieve similar effects as it can be applied to cover areas of staining, as well as for repairing small cracks, chips and as filling material.

In recent years, the array of treatments and the results achievable have grown significantly. There are now very few dental problems that cannot be improved dramatically in some way. With the introduction of new appliances such as dental lasers and new technology, cosmetic dentistry is also now a lot less uncomfortable than it has ever been before.

Brand new smile with cosmetic dentistry from Central Leeds dentist

Saturday, November 28th, 2009

Cosmetic dentistry is the process of carrying out small procedures with the aim of improving the overall aesthetic appearance of your smile, teeth and mouth. It can involve single procedures or be part of a wider plan to transform the teeth called a smile makeover. A beautiful and healthy looking smile can have enormous benefits for a person in terms of self confidence and esteem and can have positive effects on all their relationships.

There are many problems patients can have to create problems that reduce the appearance of their smile. Some of the most common issues are chipped or broken teeth, unevenly spaced or overcrowded teeth or discoloured and worn teeth. For all these problems and many other others, recent advances in dental technology has created treatments for all of them.

Patients with chipped, cracked or broken teeth can have repairs carried out to restore their smile in only one appointment using the versatile and inexpensive dental bonding. Dental bonding is a tooth-coloured resin that can be used to fill cavities and cracks or built up to restore the appearance of a chipped tooth. It is sculpted by the dentist to the desired shape and size, before being set hard with the heat of a dental laser and polished to closely resemble enamel. Bonding can also be thinly applied to cover discolouration and teeth worn down over the years by enamel erosion.

Worn or discoloured teeth can also be treated using the very latest in ceramic dental veneers and crowns. Veneers are tooth shaped and coloured caps that sit over the top of existing teeth. They are incredibly thin and lifelike and a whole dental arc of veneers can create the impression of completely new teeth. Using the latest in computer-aided design and manufacture, veneers can be made and installed in only one visit.

There are many other cosmetic dentistry procedures such as gum contouring, dental implants and braces that can all be used to enhance the cosmetic appearance of your teeth. There really is no problem too big or too small to be treated with cosmetic dentistry. If you are considering having your smile improved, make an appointment with a Central Leeds dentist to discuss which of the cosmetic procedures would be most suitable for your teeth. The dentist will also be able to give you a clear idea of how much the procedures may cost.

Improve your smile with cosmetic dentistry from Central Leeds dentist

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

Having good teeth can create a very attractive and healthy appearance. Believe it or not, but the teeth are one of the first things we notice about people when we first meet them. Having healthy, straight and white teeth can give the impression of confidence and make you yourself confident about your appearance. For those of us not blessed with naturally straight, white beautiful teeth (and there really are only a lucky few), thanks to dental technology there are now a multitude of cosmetic dental procedures that can improve the appearance of our teeth.

One of the most obvious factors that can affect the appearance of teeth is their colour. The enamel that coats the surface of the teeth is easily stained by a variety of different food and drinks that we ingest, with red wine, tobacco and coffee being particularly big offenders in this respect. However, even the most abstemious of people can also suffer from discoloured teeth. It is a fact of life that when we get older, just as our hair loses its colour, so do our teeth. But there are now a variety of whitening treatments offered by dentists that can halt and even reverse the discolouration procedure.

For patients who have missing teeth, either from head trauma or dental decay, there are a number of artificial dental substitutes that can be used to restore their natural appearance. There are temporary and removable replacements in the form of dentures, or partial dentures, which are usually only used when two or more teeth are missing. For single missing teeth patients can choose between a dental bridge or a more permanent dental implant. Whatever the choice, dental technology has advanced to the point that any substitute will be lifelike and very durable, and will as close as possible match the colour of the existing teeth.

Chipped, cracked or broken teeth can be easily repaired using composite dental bonding. This is a tooth-coloured resin that can be sculpted to the desired shape and size before being set hard using the intense heat of a laser. Dental bonding is a cheap and versatile material, which, because of its low cost, is very popular with patients.

Cosmetic dentistry is continually progressing with procedures constantly improving in quality and efficiency. Whatever the problem there is really no dental situation that cannot be improved by the latest in cosmetic dentistry. Central Leeds dentists will be able to talk you through the vast array of cosmetic dental procedures available and suggest which may be most effective for your teeth.

City of Leeds dentist refers patients for oral surgery

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Patients who are suffering from certain dental conditions may be referred, by their regular dentist, to an oral surgeon. An oral surgeon is a dentist who has further extensive training in operating procedures and anaesthetics. They perform surgery that is either too complicated or too specialised to be carried out in a normal dental surgery.

Oral surgery is often necessary to remove wisdom teeth, otherwise known as third molars, which can emerge form below the gum line when there is no space for them to grow into. This can result in alterations to existing teeth alignment causing impaction. This can lead to painful swelling, irritation and infection of the gum tissue that surrounds the wisdom teeth. In some circumstances, wisdom teeth can lead to the formations of cysts or tumours, which can destroy sections of the teeth and jaw. For this reason, misaligned wisdom teeth need to be removed by an oral surgeon before any of these problems occur.

Patients requiring dental implants may also need to see an oral surgeon. A dental implant is an alternative to a dental bridge or dentures. The actual implant is a cylindrical screw that is implanted into the jawbone, to which is attached a post and crown. Dental implants are only carried out on patients who have the correct level of bone density and high levels of oral hygiene.

Surgery will also be carried out on patients with a variety of jaw joint complaints, such as TMJ and unequal jaw growth, and patients suffering from sleep apnea. Oral surgery is also a very important part of facial reconstruction for patients who have suffered severe facial trauma. A City of Leeds dentist may need to refer you to an oral surgeon if you are suffering from one of the above complaints. Oral surgeons are extremely skilled and highly trained in anaesthetics to make your surgery experience as pleasant as it can be.

Achieve the perfect smile with a smile makeover from a Leeds dentist

Monday, October 5th, 2009

Smiling is one of the most important communication methods we have. More important than any other physical or verbal gesture in making others feel comfortable and welcome. It is also fundamental in forming romantic, platonic and professional relationships. For people who are ashamed of their teeth smiling can be repressed for fear of being embarrassed. Everyone dreams of having the perfect beaming smile with straight white teeth and for those who fall short of this ideal it can be a source of great anxiety.

There are options for those who want to regain the self-confidence that comes from having a winning smile. By having a variety of cosmetic procedures performed simultaneously, patients are increasingly opting for what has become known as a ‘smile makeover’. After all, if you can makeover a house or a wardrobe why can’t you do it with a smile that goes everywhere with you.

If you decide to have a smile makeover you can discuss your ideas with a Leeds dentist. Together you will be able to draw up a smile blueprint and the dentist can inform you which procedures will be required to achieve the desired effect. This is likely to include dental bonding, veneers and whitening amongst other procedures. Some processes may not be suitable for some patients but with the advancements made in dental technology there is very little a cosmetic dentist will not be able to achieve with your teeth. Some smile makeovers will also be able to favourably enhance your profile, especially if it involves replacing missing teeth.

Using the very latest in 3D imaging the dentist will be able to show you a projection of your existing teeth and what changes need to be made. Any dental flaws such as cracked teeth or cavities will be fixed or crowned and discolouration bleached and whitened. There really is little to stand in the way of you and your perfect smile.

Central Leeds dentist fills cavities with invisible white fillings

Friday, September 25th, 2009

Until the advent of composite resin fillings, or white fillings as they are more commonly known, patients had little choice but to have unseemly amalgam fillings. These amalgam fillings, invented in France in the early 1800s, had been widely used around the world to fill dental cavities. Made form an alloy of silver and mercury, these amalgam fillings, while very strong, were very noticeable in the mouth. They also expanded over time causing further damage to teeth and were notoriously difficult to fit, with dentists often having to inflict unnecessary damage on teeth to fix them. More concerning is the controversy that surrounds amalgam fillings with regards poisonous and dangerous mercury vapours that are released into the body when placed and during eating. Although this has never been resolutely confirmed it is enough of a concern to many patients to want to have them replaced.

The white resin filling was, therefore, a welcome addition to the dentistry arsenal when it arrived. Dentists are able to match the colour of the resin to the patient’s existing teeth to give a more natural appearance. Nearly all dentists now use white fillings because of the reduced safety risk and vastly improved aesthetic qualities of white fillings. The composite resin material is very durable and can in fact also be used for dental bonding procedures to repair and restore cracked and broken teeth.

In cases where resin bonding is not suitable, for example when filling large areas that come under great force, dentists are able to use state of the art CAD/CAM CEREC technology to produce white ceramic fillings that are incredibly strong and have the necessary aesthetic quality now expected by most patients.

For most cases however, the composite resin will be more than enough to restore the appearance and structural integrity to a tooth in just a single visit to the dentist. If you think you may need a filling, ask a Central Leeds dentist about white fillings.

Porcelain crowns for broken teeth

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Today, we fitted four all porcelain crowns on a patients broken down back teeth. The patient had had large silver fillings in these teeth for the previous 10 years. We decided on Lava crowns which are made of the strongest and best looking  porcelain around and also come with a five year guarantee against breakage. If you think you would benefit from Lava crowns then why not give us a call to make a FREE CONSULTATION on 01132454868.

Future veneers for a dazzling smile

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Just today we fitted 4 future veneers for one of our Leeds based patients. Future veneers are contact lens thick which means no or minimal tooth reduction. The result was amazing and the patient was over the moon. If you would like future veneers and are from Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield or the surrounding areas then why not contact us for a FREE CONSULTATION on 01132454868.

Cosmetic bonding and contouring

Saturday, February 28th, 2009

We have had lots of enquiries recently about cosmetic bonding and contouring. It involves gently shaping and bonding the teeth to solve the problem of gappy and mishapen teeth. It is a great cheaper alternative to porcelain veneers which however we can also provide. In fact we recently treated a young man from Adel in Leeds with whitening followed by bonding and contouring to solve his gappy smile. If you would like a more even, straighter smile then contact us on 01132454868 for a FREE CONSULTATION.