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Are Cosmetic Dental Treatments Costly?

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Cosmetic dental treatments have become more popular over recent years, with increasing numbers of people striving to achieve a more attractive smile. There are numerous benefits of cosmetic dentistry and a broad spectrum of treatments which can be carried out at a range of prices to suit all budgets.

Veneers

Veneers are one of the best ways to restore the appearance of cracked, chipped, worn or stained teeth. They are also a good way of improving the look of crooked teeth and disguising any gaps. There are several types of veneers including Lumineers which are made from very thin porcelain, Da Vinci veneers and MAC veneers which are made from a strong ceramic that is especially resistant to staining. Veneers cost around £350 to £450 per tooth.

Tooth Whitening

Tooth whitening is one of the most common cosmetic dental treatments in the UK today and is often the preferred corrective choice for those who have stained teeth. A professional bleaching treatment is applied to the teeth by a qualified cosmetic dentist with further treatments being applied at home. There are also laser whitening treatments available, however this is more expensive than the conventional bleaching option. The cost of tooth whitening can range from £300 for a basic treatment up to £1,000 for one of the more advanced alternatives.

Tooth Straightening

For those with crooked, crowded or tilting teeth, professional tooth straightening is the ideal solution. While veneers may improve the look of some crooked teeth, for other patient’s, orthodontics is required to achieve the best results. While traditional metal braces are one option, today it is possible to opt for Invisalign braces which are virtually invisible and which are a lot more convenient for adult wear. This treatment can cost from £1,000 to around £8,000 depending on the chosen method, practitioner and region of the UK.

Crowns, Caps and White Fillings

For anyone with broken or badly chipped teeth, a cap or crown could resolve the problem. In this treatment, the tooth is covered by a porcelain crown or cap which restores the appearance of the tooth. For patients with small gaps or chips in their teeth, white composite fillings can be used to give the teeth back their previous look. White fillings can also be used to replace existing amalgam fillings for a more natural appearance. White fillings can cost from £95 per tooth, while the price of a crown starts at £400 each.

 

What Is Zoom Teeth Whitening?

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Everyone wants gleaming white teeth, which most people equate with health and beauty. There are many ways you can achieve perfectly white teeth, including over the counter trays, special toothpastes and seeing your dentist. Another method of getting rid of yellow teeth is a method called zoom teeth whitening. As with any other technique, it’s important to find out more about it before you try it.

Zoom teeth whitening is done at the dentist’s office and you can expect pretty good results from the treatment. The method is said to be faster than other types of whitening procedures and can help remove all types of stains, including those from smoking, drinking coffee, tea and wine and many other kinds of stains.

The complete zoom whitening procedure takes about an hour, usually less. Your dentist will probably recommend a standard clean in the dentist chair before getting started. First, your teeth and gums are covered and your teeth are fully exposed. Next, your dentist will apply the zoom mixture, which is largely hydrogen peroxide. A special light is then shone on the gel mixture, which enhances the whitening process and helps remove stains from the enamel and all surfaces of your teeth. Once the gel is applied to your teeth, you will have about 15 minutes to relax while it combines with the light to break up and remove stains. The gel is applied three times and each time you will be exposed to the light for 15 minutes.

After you undergo zoom teeth whitening, you will have to exercise proper care of your teeth to ensure that you maximise the results. This includes using a home touch up kit to keep the whitening even. You may also be advised to limit your exposure to drinks like tea, coffee and wine or to drink them through a straw to keep them from staining your teeth all over again. You might also be instructed to quit smoking and use certain toothpaste.

Zoom teeth whitening might not be right for everyone. Dentists caution people with a strong gag reflex because the procedure can induce gagging takes are long enough that it may be hard to get through. Some people experience sensitivity after the procedure so you want to be prepared for that.

The treatment costs start at £495.

 

How Long Do You Have to Wear Braces?

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One of the first questions people ask when their dentist tells them they need braces is: “How long will I have to wear them?”. They understand the importance of straightening their smile and fixing their teeth, but no one wants to wear uncomfortable brackets and wires on their teeth for a long time. Unfortunately, the average length of time for braces to be worn is about 1-2 years.

Now, it’s not going to be the same for everyone. How long you have to wear braces will depend on a few factors, but primarily it depends on how severe your case is. If you have a lot of teeth that are far from where they should be, you are probably looking at two years or a little more. If you just have a tooth or two that needs correcting and the corrections aren’t extreme, then you could only have to wear the braces for about six months.

You’ll have to talk to an orthodontist before you can know for sure how long you will need to wear the braces. Just keep in mind that the estimate can change mid-process. If something happens to your braces and they become damaged, then you may have to wear them for a bit longer as repairs are made. If your teeth are not cooperating with the process, then the orthodontist may have to make some adjustments and give you a new estimate for when you will be able to take the braces off. There may even be times when your teeth move faster than anticipated, and the braces can come off sooner than you thought.

If you want to be sure that there are no problems and that nothing stops your braces from doing their job, then you need to make sure you are taking care of your teeth and braces. That means you have to follow your dentist’s and orthodontist’s instructions carefully. They will tell you not to eat very hard or crunchy foods and to avoid sticky and overly sweet foods. You also need to floss and brush your teeth regularly to make sure your teeth don’t stain while wearing braces and to keep your braces clean from substances that can cause them to deteriorate.

Even when your braces come off, the process of giving you the smile you want won’t be complete. You will likely have to wear a retainer for a while afterwards, as that will help the teeth stay where they are supposed to until the bone and tissue around the teeth solidify. Even once the teeth are in position, the braces still have to stay on for a short while because of the way the surrounding tissue and bone can behave. They become softer while the teeth are moving into position, so the braces keep the teeth from shifting around while your body sets them in place permanently.

Cosmetic Dentistry Treatments: Inlays and Onlays

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While crowns are used to fix seriously damaged teeth and veneers are coatings with limited power to solve your chipped or damaged teeth, inlays and onlays lie somewhere between these two, but often take the best of the two worlds. These are as resistant and durable as a crown, which is no wonder – it is basically the same procedure as crowns, just the extent of the administering the material is different. Compared to veneers, aesthetic implications are actually the same, but the functionality is similar as well.

Inlays

Inlay is added to the area between the tooth cusps. Cusps are elevated tips on top of your teeth, between which the fillings are added. Most people will have an amalgam or white filling administered, but in some patients the tooth tip damage is so great that there’s not enough dental material to support a regular amalgam or composite filling. In these cases it is needed to apply greater amounts of reconstructive material to that location.

Modern inlays are made of composites or ceramic materials which are much thicker, more solid and resistant than amalgam or white regular fillings. There is no shrinking of inlay material while drying and hardening, which makes these particularly durable and efficient in solving the teeth deterioration issues.

Onlays

While inlays are applied to the central section of the tooth tip enclosed by the cusps, onlays are used in cases when one or more cusps (depending on the tooth) are chipped off, but not to an extent which would require a full length crown. You can assume that the condition which requires onlays is more severe than the one which is fixed with inlays. However, there are no major differences in treatment.

An onlay is basically restoration of all missing cusps on the teeth. An onlay is, thus an incomplete crown – the major difference is that it doesn’t cover the tooth fully to the gum line.

The Procedure

The procedure for both inlay and onlay treatment is less or more the same. It usually requires two appointments. At the first one, the dentist will prepare your tooth and develop a model of how your tooth would look. A moulded impression will be made to record the current state of your tooth, or multiple teeth if required.

After the first treatment, your new inaly or onlay is fabricated in the laboratory. Once it’s done you go for the second appointment when the dentist will place your inlays or onlays.

Materials used for these treatments are porcelain, composites and gold. So far, the gold is the best option whenever looks are not a concern, so it can be used on the back molars. For those teeth which appear on your smile, the best option is modern composite materials which are durable, functional and white.

Popular Cosmetic Dental Treatments (And What They Can Be Used To Treat)

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The main goal of cosmetic dentistry is not just to restore and heal the patient’s, but also to give the teeth and the smile a perfect, shiny, and impeccable look. In many cases, tooth damage has both health and aesthetic implications, thus making some cosmetic dentistry procedures restorative as well.

Here are some of the most popular cosmetic dentistry treatments which can actually help with adverse oral conditions.

Teeth Whitening

This is a very fast and inexpensive procedure which doesn’t require much equipment, so it can be carried out in the patient’s home and lasts only several minutes. Note that not all whitening methods are good for your oral health. Some chemicals used in the process can be very aggressive and damage the tooth enamel. However, appropriate whitening techniques will help you remove or prevent dental caries.

Composite Tooth Bonding

These are a solution for chipped teeth. When a tooth is chipped the internal soft tissues forming the pulp may be exposed to the air, which is very harmful and speeds up tissue deterioration that leads to tooth loss. Having composite bonding placed on the damaged area will fix and prevent further issues.

Clear Aligners

Clear aligners are an orthodontic product which support the proper alignment of a patient’s teeth. In this sense “clear” means transparent and harder to spot, in contrast to traditional braces with visible metallic parts. Modern clear aligners are custom 3D printed and are next to invisible, so most people won’t be able to notice you’re wearing them. The subtlety of the treatment has made it very popular among teenagers and young adults.

Porcelain Veneers and Crowns

These treatments are attached to the surface of  damaged teeth. Whether it’s a veneer or a crown depends on the level of damage, or how bad the condition is. A crown is added straight to the pulp or dentin, while a veneer is basically just an additional coating which corrects health or aesthetic issues. Crowns are more serious, complex and made of thicker porcelain.

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges are a set of multiple bound crowns which are used to treat one or more missing teeth. Healthy teeth on the either side of the empty space are the base for bridgework. These healthy teeth are prepared by removing a part of enamel, so these become abutments to the bridgework. This is a cheaper, yet less effective alternative to dental implant surgeries.

Options for Missing Teeth: The Basics

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Losing a tooth or more might be a big blow for you, regarding both your looks and the health concerns which can arise from tooth loss. Luckily, modern dentistry is able to solve problems with lost teeth fully or partially using the following procedures and techniques. Many dentists offer a combination of techniques to fully transform a smile in a short period of time, so there’s not always a single ideal treatment for every patient.

Dentures

These are the oldest, fastest and usually the cheapest way of replacing missing teeth, but it’s also among the least effective. Dentures, or false teeth, can be fixed or removable. Modern dentures have good aesthetic look and are made of durable materials, but often lack the ability to support good oral health and don’t enable the patient to feel fully comfortable while wearing them. This is particularly true for removable dentures which aren’t bound to the jaws in a proper manner and are actually very limiting, having price and look as their only advantages.

Dental Bridges

Bridges are a good solution in the event that one or more teeth are missing. They require healthy natural teeth on the either side which can be used as abutments. Moderately priced, long-lasting and aesthetically good, the allow patients to retain full functionality of their teeth. Some disadvantages may include possible discomfort issues and they can cause headaches in some patients initially.

Dental Implants

They are the most effective, but also are usually the most expensive solution. This is the only option which fully recovers lost teeth in terms of the look, feel, health effects, quality of life and durability. It’s an outpatient surgical procedure which requires a certain recovery period that is needed to achieve osseointegration, the process in which the jawbone tightly and firmly bonds to the implant’s fixture.

Dental implants are made of titanium, meaning they are practically indestructible and certainly more resistant to environmental damage than natural teeth. If the surgery and recovery are successful, the patient won’t have a feeling that there’s an artificial tooth in their mouth.

All-on-4 Dental Implants

These are meant for edentulous people, those who are missing multiple teeth, if not all. This is one of the most advanced procedures in dentistry, but is very quick and convenient and is also an outpatient procedure, just like having a single tooth implant built in. The name of the treatment explains that an entire set of teeth missing in a jaw are replaced with artificial ones, supported by just four implants. This procedure saves resources and time for the dentists and the patient saves a lot of money and time as well.

Popular Cosmetic Dental Treatments

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For anyone, having the perfect smile can do a lot to raise their self-confidence and self-esteem. This is where cosmetic dentistry comes in. This type of dentistry involves any dental procedure that improves the look of your smile.

Common types of cosmetic dentistry

When it comes to the perfect smile, there are a number of popular treatments available for your smile makeover.

Teeth Whitening – is the most popular cosmetic treatment. Eating, drinking, smoking or poor oral hygiene can result in the staining of teeth. To remove the stains involves treatments that requires the use of bleach or use of lasers to whiten teeth and enhance the appearance of your smile.

Teeth Straightening – is another treatment that can be used to improve the appearance or function of a person’s teeth. This treatment involves applying gentle pressure to your teeth by wearing a brace. The outcome is that it moves the teeth back into the right place. There are different types of braces available. Some of these can be taken out – Invisalign for example.

Bonding – is a process to repair teeth that are broken, chipped or discoloured. It involves applying enamel-like dental compound onto the surface of the tooth which is then shaped, hardened and polished. The result is that it blends in with the rest of the tooth’s surface.

Bridges – are false teeth designed to fill in the gaps left by missing teeth. Two crowns that are on either side of the denture are used to hold it in place. Such treatment comes with risk and requires a commitment from the wearer to good oral hygiene.

Veneers – are custom-made porcelain laminates that are fused directly onto your teeth. They can help fix teeth that are chipped or discoloured. They can also contribute to straightening out teeth that are a little crooked.

Implants – are different to bridges. They replace teeth that are missing. Treatment involves surgically placing the implant in the jawbone and is permanent. Implants act as the anchor for an artificial tooth such as crowns, bridges and dentures.

What are the benefits?

Cosmetic dentistry treatments have advantages. Apart from improving self-confidence and self-esteem, other benefits include improving:

  • Appearance of teeth and gums.
  • A person’s bite.
  • Colour of teeth.
  • Shape and position of teeth.

Depending on the individual there may be other benefits that are specific to them.

What Can Be Treated with Botox?

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Over the years, botox has developed into a product with a diverse range of uses. Through the good and the bad it has begun to revolutionize how we use it in our everyday lives. The list of uses is forever growing as new technologies improve each day, but the most common uses are currently for medical, research and cosmetic treatments. Although it has historically been used mostly by women, over recent years it has begun to find a home with men as well.

Botox, also know as the purified form of botulinum toxin has been known to ease the pain of chronic migraine suffers through regular injections, whether that be weekly, monthly or yearly. These types of injections are available as on option on the NHS in parts of the UK, and is offered as part of a safe and effective treatment for adult sufferers.

As well as injections in the forehead, it is also used for those who suffer from excessive sweating. It works by blocking out the signals the brain sends to the sweat glands, which balances both the problem and the condition for months at a time. These types of injections are currently used in the feet, face, armpits and forehead.

The most common use of botox is through cosmetic procedures – preventing wrinkles. It is achieved by injecting the toxin into the facial muscles (most commonly the wrinkles between the eyebrows) to paralyse them. However, results aren’t seen instantly, but they can normally be seen within 3-5 days. Many private clinics, such as NW1 Dental Care in Camden, offer botox treatments to patients.

Over recent years it has been found to minimise the look of crow’s feet and superficial wrinkles, but as something that is still new to the market, it is not yet known what the long term side effects are.

Through the use of medical and cosmetic needs the different uses all have one thing in common. The biggest benefit to the injections are that they are used to relax the muscles, whether it be facial or not, and overtime, the long term use of these injections is to prevent the muscles from repairing themselves to their original state.