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Lingual Braces Explained

February 8, 2013 by

Everyone wants to have perfectly straight teeth that they can be proud of. But most of the time, this involves wearing a contraption across the front of your teeth for years in order to bring them into line. Braces are not a very attractive prospect and a number of people are put off by the thought of them. But there is one brace that is a class above the rest. Lingual braces are becoming increasingly popular because they are effective and virtually invisible.

How do lingual braces work?

But how can a brace be invisible? Surely you can see some of it? Well lingual braces actually sit behind your teeth rather than in front so that they are virtually hidden. The mechanism is exactly the same as other braces as they work by tightening the wires to pull the teeth into line. They are 100% custom made to fit your teeth and have had great success in creating the perfect smile.

The London lingual braces centre offers you this form of brace and it’s very easily fitted. Most people are eligible for a lingual brace and all you need to do is book a consultation to make sure that you are suitable. If this is the case, an impression of your teeth is made and a technologist can then create individual brackets to fit on the back of your teeth. The brackets are held together by thin archwires, which are routinely tightened when you visit the dentist.  There might be slight discomfort from this but you’ll soon get used to the feel of the braces.

Some advice for lingual wearers

Lingual braces are exceedingly popular, especially amongst celebrities as they are very discreet and effective. You may need to wear them for up to three years but the time frame might be considerably shorter as they have a high success rate.  Just make sure that you keep the braces clean and avoid eating foods that might pull on the braces such as chewing gum or caramel. Other than that, the braces will not affect your every day life and you can continue without feeling that everyone is staring at your mouth, as they are the most discreet way to achieve that perfectly straight smile.

 

 

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Cost Of Dental Treatment In UK.

January 28, 2013 by

As more people become conscious of their oral health and the links to their overall wellbeing, they seek quality dental treatment. In the UK, the cost for dental treatment fits within price bands and eligibility criteria for care. Not all citizens in the UK receive free dental care and many may not be eligible for the types of treatment they seek.

NHS Dentistry Treatment Costs

An example of the cost of dentistry now is Orthodontic care for teeth straightening and correcting of bite disorders. Young people under age 18 and who have clear clinical need for treatment may receive free NHS Orthodontic treatment. Adults may meet eligibility criteria for NHS Orthodontic treatment according to the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) that is graded from 1 to 5 in severity, with five being the most severe cases affecting dental function. NHS treatment may be free for grade 4 and 5 with grade 3 assessed on a case-by-case basis.

In the UK, there is a shortage of NHS Orthodontists to treat cases requiring teeth straightening or correction of bite. The waiting times range from about 6 to 12 months.  As a result, most people requiring teeth straightening treatment turn to private dentists for treatment because they are either not eligible for NHS treatment or have to wait long periods for care while their conditions worsen. Costs for dentistry treatments vary from one private dentist to another.

Private Dentistry Treatment Costs

Private dentistry fees for orthodontic care may be anywhere from £2,000 to £6,000 or more. The cost varies according to severity and the type of orthodontic treatment required. The same applies to other dentistry treatments, such as dental implants. Individuals and families may use dental insurance or dental finance plans to pay for private dentistry treatments. Treatment through private dental care allows children and adults to receive treatment without long wait times before their health deteriorates further. The cost to health may be far higher if dental conditions are left untreated. Private dentistry offers more treatment options, including cosmetic dentistry, for restoring dental health and function while enhancing dental quality and facial beauty.

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Teeth Whitening

April 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Teeth whitening procedures have increased at a staggering rate over the past few years, and teeth whitening products stake a claim to a huge proportion of the cosmetic dentistry market. These procedures have been seen to be most popular amongst young adults – particularly women – and represent a wider desire for brighter, healthy looking smiles.

There are a number of reasons for wanting to undertake a teeth whitening procedure, many people have naturally darker teeth while others seek to remove staining caused by smoking and dietary factors. Dentists will use a discolouration guide to determine the degree of staining before discussing your options with you.

Laser Bleaching

This will be undertaken by a dentist in his surgery who will apply a translucent bleaching gel to your teeth before using an activating light to trigger the crystals in the gel. These crystals then break through the enamel on your teeth to lighten them. The procedure will usually take up to around two hours depending on the amount of work that needs to be done and can be relatively expensive. Results however are instant, will only need one visit, and will last for ages.

Tray Bleaching

Tray bleaching is much more popular than laser bleaching because it costs substantially less and can be performed at home. Your dentist will make a mold of your mouth and make a tray for you to take home. Bleaching gel is then applied to the tray and worn for a couple of hours every day to obtain optimum results over a couple of weeks. This is a good option if you want effective results that aren’t overly expensive but may result in multiple visits to your dentist and increased tooth-sensitivity.

You can find cosmetic dentists in Manchester, London, Birmingham and all major towns and cities throughout the UK who would be more than happy to discuss your options with you.

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What is All on 4 and how does it work?

November 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

In the past, the process of getting dental implants fitted could be a long, with several appointments carried out over a long time span. When using traditional dental implants it can take months for the implants to properly fuse with the jawbone, before the crown, bridge or denture restoration are even fitted. However, a newly developed system called All on 4 can cut down the time spent in the dentist’s chair dramatically, by using compact implants, fitted at a 45 degree angle, which are placed along with the restoration in just one sitting. Even better, patients who have lost all their teeth can replace a full arch with All on 4 implants, for both top and bottom jaws.

Having the implants fitted into the jawbone is an invasive and uncomfortable procedure, so anything that cuts down the number of incisions needed is better for the patient and the dentist. Once X-rays and moulds have been taken and false teeth have been chosen, they are manufactured and returned to the clinic ready to be fitted during your next appointment.

Of course, the patient will have to return for appointments to ensure that the implants have healed correctly, as well as their usual six-monthly check-ups, but this will keep you and your dental implants in the best of health.

All on 4 implants use only four implant screws to secure an entire set of false teeth. This is possible due to the special 45-degree alignment of the implants, which allows them to anchor a larger number of teeth, rather than using one implant and one painful incision per tooth. One of the best things about All on 4 is that there isn’t any need to wait for all the implant incisions to heal before the false teeth are secured. As soon as the dental implants are in place, the false teeth are fitted to the screws using dental bridges and the patient can leave the clinic with their new smile in place. Even patients with weak jawbones can be suitable for the All on 4 treatment, as the screws are fitted to the front of the jaw where the bone tends to be thicker, meaning that you are less likely to need a bone graft before getting the dental implants and false teeth fitted.

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Are Dental Implants permanent?

September 14, 2009 by Leave a Comment

The short answer to this is yes, which is why they provide such a wonderful alternative to the likes of dentures. Whereas dentures need to be messily fixed in place, and taken out each night so they can be cleaned, dental implants are permanently screwed into your mouth and the implant part itself actually fuses with the bone at the jaw in order to ensure that your new, artificial teeth are anchored in place just as securely as the rest of your teeth.

This does, for some people, raise the concern that, if they get a couple of teeth implanted, then all their other teeth fall out naturally, that they may be left with only the teeth which have been implanted and no others. However, implanted teeth can actually protect other teeth from damage by filling in the gaps left by lost teeth and also by facilitating bone growth (for an explanation on this please refer back to one of the other articles).

So, whilst you may lose more teeth as you get older, you can always have more dental implants fitted in the Manchester or London clinics; dental implants are the only way to put a smile on your face permanently.

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Is it possible to have repeat dental implant procedures over the course of a lifetime?

September 3, 2009 by Leave a Comment

We might need one dental implant putting in because of a freak accident or because we didn’t really take care of our gums in the way we should when we were younger. Yet, as we get older, the worrying fact that we may start to lose more and more of our smile as a natural result of the ageing process may becomes a very real part of our lives. People don’t want to simply get one dental implant and then lose all their other teeth, only to find out they can’t have the procedure again.

Well, you needn’t worry; over the course of you lifetime, and provided you have the money to pay for the operations, you can keep getting implants to suit the changing state of your smile as you age. There may ultimately come a time where you have no teeth left and, rather than opt for fiddly dentures, you decide that having a complete set of implants fitted is the best way to allow you to get on with your life. If an implant becomes damaged over time then it can be replaced as well!

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Dental Implants – Who isn’t suitable for dental implants?

August 28, 2009 by Leave a Comment

This might well burst some people’s bubbles; you may have dreamed of dental implants for years; you’ve probably already booked your train ticket to London or your flight to Poland and now we are about to reveal that you can’t actually have them. Well actually, we are probably not, as there are very few people who are generally not suitable for dental implants and many of them are pretty obvious.

You should not consider dental implants for young children who feel self-conscious during the transition from milk teeth to adult teeth. Implants are a permanent solution and thus this would damage the long-term health of your children’s mouth. Also, people with very bad gums, perhaps diseased gums, who have lost a tooth due to this illness, should be aware that dental implants are not a solution to the problem. They provide an aesthetic façade but the root of the gum degradation needs to be tackled in order to keep hold of the teeth which remain. You should also discuss what specific implants are made of with your dentist to make sure you aren’t allergic to anything.

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