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Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic Dentistry

Orthodontics

An effective long-term solution to straightening your teeth and correcting your bite is orthodontics. Orthodontics is a subspecialty area in dentistry that focuses on aligning and straightening teeth using wires and brackets, applying gentle pressure to the teeth to move them into a particular position. The discipline has advanced over decades and today treatment is a lot faster and more comfortable than it was in the past.

Here is an overview of orthodontics:

  1. Patients who have problems with their bite and the way their top and bottom teeth line up against each other are good candidates for orthodontic treatment.
  2. Impressions, photos and x-rays are taken at the start of treatment to determine the course of action.
  3. Brackets are bonded to individual teeth and wires clip onto them that gently guide the teeth into position over time.
  4. Good oral hygiene habits are essential during treatment and regular visits are required for check-ups and adjustments.

Life Benefits

  • Straighter teeth are healthier teeth, as there are no gaps for plaque to build up in over time.
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  • Having an attractive smile will have a positive effect on your confidence.
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  • Orthodontics is a long-term investment in your oral health.
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  • Thanks to fixed permanent retention you can be assured that your teeth won’t move after treatment is completed.
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Invisalign

There is a solution to having straighter teeth without having to wear the traditional unsightly metal braces. Known as invisible orthodontics, this type of treatment offers you the choice of wearing a clear and sometimes removable appliance while straightening and aligning your teeth.

This is often a favourable option for adults who have professional careers and don’t feel comfortable wearing unsightly ‘train track’ braces for months on end. The technology behind invisible orthodontics is highly advanced and often gives patients a much shorter treatment time, depending on their individual cases.

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Here is an overview of how they work:

  • They straighten teeth discreetly, and some can even be removed periodically, making them easier to fit around your hectic lifestyle.
  • They straighten teeth much more quickly than traditional braces, starting from as little as six months.
  • They are more comfortable than traditional braces because they use less force.
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Life Benefits

  • Straighter teeth are healthier teeth.
  • Having an attractive smile will have a positive effect on your confidence.
  • Invisible braces are a long-term investment in your oral health.

Tooth coloured FILLINGS

If you require a filling in your tooth, a cosmetic option would be to choose a white filling material that matches the shade of your surrounding natural teeth. You can also have any existing metallic fillings replaced with tooth-coloured or ‘white’ fillings. This will allow you to smile without a metallic glint in sight, giving your teeth a more natural appearance overall. Here is how white fillings work:

  • This is a safe procedure that entails the removal of any decay from your tooth, and taking out the metal or amalgam fillings if you are having them replaced.
  • The new filling is made from a very hard tooth-coloured substance and will withstand the forces in your mouth when you bite and chew over a long period of time.
  • The restoration is completed in one visit and your fillings will not be visible when you smile.

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Life Benefits

  • Natural-looking restoration.
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  • Improved cosmetic appearance of filled teeth while still being able to bite and chew as usual.
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  • Hard-wearing restorative solution.
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Composite Bonding

Composite bonding is an increasingly popular cosmetic dental treatment that is used to improve the shape, colour and overall appearance of patients’ teeth. It uses the same resin material used for white fillings, and is most frequently used on the front teeth – those that show when you smile.

There have been huge advances in the materials used in bonding dentistry in recent years, meaning composite bonding can be used for disguising minor imperfections in the front teeth, closing small gaps and hiding minor tooth rotations, with no damage to your teeth.

Composite bonding is a pain-free experience that requires, in most cases, just one visit to the practice. Your dentist will be able to choose a shade of resin that closely matches the colour of your teeth, meaning that the results will look entirely natural.

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This is how the treatment works:

  • Your dentist picks a shade of resin that matches the natural colour of your teeth.
  • The resin is carefully applied to your teeth, with no need for any work or damage to them.
  • Your dentist then carefully shapes and smooths the resin to hide any imperfections, for a result that looks entirely natural.
  • Once the resin has been shaped, it is hardened very quickly with the help of a special light.

Although composite bonding treatment does not last as long as veneers, many patients find the treatment is highly cost-effective. It can also be repeated with no damage at all to your teeth.

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Life Benefits

  • A natural, healthy smile that you are proud to show off.
  • No preparation of your teeth is required, meaning they remain strong.
  • ITreatment can usually be completed in one short visit to the practice.

Inlays & Onlays

Decayed or chipped teeth can often be repaired with white composite fillings that look natural, however if the damage is too substantial, particularly on the back teeth, then an inlay or onlay would be recommended. Inlays or onlays can be made from a number of strong materials such as metals or ceramics.

An inlay is a small filling that fits into the biting surface of a tooth. An onlay covers a larger area of the tooth and is better suited to bigger cavities. Gold was traditionally used for these types of restorations. However, in recent times hard-wearing tooth-coloured porcelain has become a more popular choice of material. This is a more aesthetic way to restore the teeth and creates a more natural-looking smile. Here is how they work:

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  • After an impression is made of your tooth, the inlay or onlay will be made in a dental laboratory by a technician.
  • While these are being made, you will wear a temporary filling. When your inlay or onlay is ready we will bond it into place using a special adhesive, after removing the temporary filling. Your restored tooth will not only look like a real tooth but also function like one, allowing you to bite, chew and eat without any discomfort.

Thanks to advances in digital technology (called CAD/CAM) porcelain inlays can be made at some dental practices using a special milling machine known as CEREC. This means you will need fewer visits to the dentist to have your tooth restored.

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Life Benefits

  • Preserves remaining tooth structure.
  • Long-term aesthetic and functional solution.
  • Natural-looking restoration.