Ann-Marie Banks, from Apollonia House Dental and Health Care in Grasscroft, looks at forms of cosmetic dentistry.
Please feel free to call Apollonia House Dental and Health on 01457 821800 or email info@apolloniahouse.com for any dental questions or concerns you have. You can also visit their website.
Dentistry is no longer just a case of filling and taking out teeth. Nowadays many people turn to cosmetic dentistry, or ‘aesthetic dentistry’, as a way of improving their appearance.
Treatments can be used to straighten, lighten, reshape and repair teeth. Cosmetic treatments include veneers, crowns, bridges, tooth-coloured fillings, implants and tooth whitening.
Veneers are thin slices of porcelain. These are precisely made to fit over the visible surface of your front teeth, like a false fingernail fits over a nail.
Veneers are an ideal way of treating discoloured or unsightly teeth, closing gaps between front teeth, or repairing chips and cracks.
For over 150 years standard fillings have been made out of silvery-grey ‘amalgam’. Some people find the colour unattractive and some are concerned about possible health risks.
White fillings are now a popular alternative. The new dental materials mean it is much easier to find a perfect match for the shade of a particular tooth. Sometimes white filling material can be used to cover unsightly marks on teeth, in a similar way to veneers.
When a tooth is badly brokenor heavily filled, the dentist may need to crown or ‘cap’ it to restore its appearance and strength.
Crowns can be made of a variety of materials, such as porcelain or porcelain bonded to gold. It is a good idea to talk to your dental team about which would be best for you.
Toothwhitening can be a highly effective way of lightening the natural colour of your teeth without removing any of the surface.
Professional bleaching is the most common form of tooth whitening. The dentist takes an impression of your teeth to form a custom-made tray and will instruct you on how to use with with the whitening products over 3-4 weeks.
Thealternative to home bleaching is laser whitening or ‘power whitening’. A lightis shone on the teeth to activate the chemical and can make teeth up to four shades lighter. This treatment usually takes about one hour and should only be carried out by the dental team.
For any advice on any dental treatment, please contact Apollonia House Dental and Health by calling 01457 821800 or email smile@apolloniahouse.com
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