Author: Aura Dental

Invisalign in St John’s Wood: a nearly invisible solution for straighter teeth

Invisalign is a relatively new cosmetic dentistry treatment that helps patients straighten their teeth quickly and, above all, discreetly. Invisalign is ideal for patients who wish to correct the alignment of their teeth, but prefer to avoid braces due to aesthetic considerations.

At Aura Dental, we think of Invisalign in St John’s Wood as invisible braces. One of its biggest advantages, is that you can straighten your teeth without anyone knowing that you are undergoing treatment. The clear, removable aligners are custom-made to fit your mouth and, unlike braces, you can easily remove them before eating and drinking. In that respect, Invisalign not only eliminates the problem of getting food stuck in between your braces, but also helps you to manage your oral hygiene with regular brushing and flossing.

Invisalign in St John’s WoodHow does it work?

Invisalign has a unique approach to straightening teeth by using an ‘invisible’ system so you do not need to have metal brackets fixed to your teeth. Instead, Invisalign uses a series of clear aligners that gradually straighten your teeth over a specific period of time.

With Invisalign, each tooth is corrected by the Invisalign aligners, which fit comfortably over the teeth. The procedure is based on the teeth conforming to the teeth straightening template designed and made for each patient and based on their teeth 3D scan. Your dentist will provide you with a set of aligners and you will have to change them every two weeks until your teeth have reached their correct position.

Patients with Invisalign do not need to visit the dentist often for adjustments. However, they have to attend a periodical assessment once every two to three months. Our dentists will, during the assessment, evaluate the progress of your teeth straightening and ensure that the progress is in accordance with the treatment plan.

Eligibility and treatment

Invisalign in St John’s Wood can treat various conditions such as overcrowded and widely spaced teeth as well as crossbites, overbites and underbites. However, Invisalign is not suitable for everyone. Contact our dental practice today and book a consultation appointment with one of our dentists, who will assess your eligibility and create a customised treatment plan.

Fully functioning false teeth

If you have lost some teeth, or are on the way to losing some, you will know how important teeth actually are. Sure, they look nice, but they are also very important for chewing and therefore ingesting the right nutrients we need to be healthy.

The trouble with traditional false teeth in the form of full or partial dentures, or fixed bridges, is that they do not give us back our full chewing power. Indeed, when people start to wear dentures, they get a long list of foods that are now beyond their chewing capabilities. Dentures only have about a quarter of the chewing power of real teeth. This is one reason why dental implants in St John’s Wood are proving so popular. Food is increasingly being discovered to be as important as medicine for good health, and, unless you want to live on smoothies and soups for the rest of your life, being able to chew is vital to maintaining nutrient levels and therefore health.

Dental Implants in St John’s WoodHow do dental implants work?

In St John’s Wood, dental implants at Aura Dental are giving people back the full functionality of their teeth. They do so because they replace the root of the tooth as well as the crown. Once stabilised in the jaw through a process called osseointegration, the dental implant can withstand multi directional chewing forces of up to 220lb or 97kg. This is more than the chewing force of the average adult male.

Having dental implants holding the crowns securely in place also means that biting is easy again. Denture wearers are advised to cut up their food before they eat it because there’s a good chance they might leave their teeth in whatever they are biting into.

At Aura Dental in St John’s Wood, dental implants are used to replace single teeth, several teeth in a row, or even all your teeth. Each implant can support up to 3 teeth on a bridge. When they are used to replace all the teeth, between 4 and 6 implants are strategically placed within the upper and lower jawbone to support a set of dentures.

What do we do in dental implant surgery

If you are thinking about having dental implants in St John’s Wood to restore your missing teeth, you probably want to know something about the procedure of fitting the implants.

The beauty of dental implants in St John’s Wood with Aura Dental is that the actual implant procedure is fairly straightforward. It only takes about an hour for our implant surgeon, George Angelidakis, to make an incision through the gum and drill a hole wide enough to insert an implant. The dentist first drills a narrow hole with a small drill bit. As the drilling takes place, the area is bathed in a stream of water to keep the bone cool under the friction of the drill. Once the narrow hole is drilled, it then has to be widened a couple of times, with larger drill bits, to make a channel wide enough to accept the implant.

Dental Implants in St John’s WoodOnce the implant is in place, George puts a temporary cap over it to protect the internal screw, and then replaces the gum.

This is implant surgery at its most simple. However sometimes there is more work to be done, as shall see below.

More complicated scenarios

Many people need to have failing teeth extracted before they can receive dental implants in St John’s Wood. The extraction and the implant insertion can usually be done at the same time.

However, things can get a bit more complicated if you also need to have some work done to make your jawbone stronger. This is often the case if you have been without some teeth for a while, or if you have been a smoker. When you have no teeth in your jawbone, the area of bone around where they used to be is no longer stimulated by teeth clinking together or by chewing. With no stimulation, the jawbone does not renew its cells. In fact, it actively resorbs itself and releases the calcium from the bone back into the bloodstream.

You need a good, strong jawbone to support the forces of chewing with implants, so if your jawbone has lost size and density, you may need to have a bone graft before you have implants fitted.

Ingenious teeth straightening

What we’d all really like is to be able to get our teeth straightened without any braces at all marring the fronts of our pearly whites. While that is not yet possible, you can get braces in St John’s Wood that are so discreet that people would have to peer very closely at you to spot them.

These braces in St John’s Wood don’t work on the traditional systems of wires strung between angled brackets to pull teeth into position. Instead, they spring from the digital age, and rely on aligners that look like very well-fitting mouth guards that push the teeth into position. These are Invisalign aligners – the 21st century’s answer to tooth alignment.

Braces in St John’s WoodHow does it work?

Invisalign works entirely differently from normal braces in St John’s Wood. Instead of just one appliance that is fixed to your teeth and periodically adjusted by your dentist, Invisalign gives each patient a series of 3D printed rigid, transparent plastic aligners, which are so thin that once they are snapped on over the teeth, they can’t be seen.

The first aligner is very slightly different from the current position of your misaligned teeth. When you put it on, you will feel a pressure. This pressure is what moves your teeth. Each aligner will move each tooth a tiny little bit, and it will take about 2 weeks to do so. Once the pressure wears off, it’s time to pop in the next aligner and wear that one until the pressure disappears again.

The aligners are 3D printed for each patient, from detailed, precise measurements from digital scans done by us here at Aura Dental. We also use that information to show you a computer simulation of how Invisalign will move your teeth into alignment. You get to see your finished smile before you begin treatment with us.

We send all that information off to the Invisalign lab in the USA, where the aligners are printed. You need only come back to us for check-ups every 4 to 6 weeks, saving a lot of time in a year-long process.

Invisalign aligners are also removable for eating and drinking and cleaning, which is so much easier than fixed braces.

Straighter teeth make for happier people

Smiling is vital for our mental wellbeing. A genuine smile, known as a Duchenne smile, when your eye muscles contract as well as your mouth muscles, kicks off the production of serotonin in the body. Serotonin is one of the body’s feel-good chemicals. It goes into special receptors, like a key into a lock, and then we feel great. And then guess what happens? We smile more! We smile at people, they smile back, and soon the world is a happier place.

At Aura Dental, we know the value of a good smile and it’s not measured in money, it’s measured in feeling good and seeing how feeling good smooths people’s paths through life. It’s one of the things that we love about the work we do with braces in St John’s Wood.

Braces in St John’s WoodA worthwhile investment

Braces can make a huge different to people’s willingness to smile. Some of our patients come to us and tell us they are so ashamed of their crowded, crooked, or gappy teeth that they have been suppressing their smiles for years. Trouble is, when you do that, people tend to assume you are miserable and unfriendly, and they instinctively feel reluctant to spend time with you. Not smiling can lead to loneliness and isolation, which leads to more not smiling, so it goes around.

But with braces in St John’s Wood, all that can change in a few months to a year or so, depending on your particular misalignment issues. If you were suffering from serious bite issues, these would have been fixed with National Health Service braces in St John’s Wood. There are plenty of milder cases for which NHS funding is not available. We can treat these cases too.

Your options

Invisalign aligners, also known as invisible braces, are clear plastic mouth guard-like trays that are 3D printed from digital scans. You get a series of them, somewhere between 12–48, and wear each one for about 2 weeks. In that time, specially designed misfits in the plastic pressure your teeth to move, and each aligner is a step toward alignment.

Why not come in and see how braces in St John’s Wood can help you smile more?

Now you see them, now no one else does

Let’s face it, braces aren’t really a good look. You may not mind wearing them if you are a teenager and you can brighten them up with colourful brackets and wires; but you’ve never seen braces in Vogue or GQ as the latest must-have stylish accessory.

Things is, crooked, crowded, or gappy teeth don’t make it into the fashion pages either. Models and celebrities always have perfect rows of pearly white teeth these days. So, what’s a person to do? Unstylish if you don’t, unstylish at least for a good few months, if you do.

Braces in St John’s WoodThere is a solution

However, stylish people in the know do get their teeth straightened with braces in St John’s Wood. It’s just that they do it with discreet or even invisible appliances, such as Invisalign. Invisalign are quite different from traditional braces, which are usually variations on the theme of brackets and wires that often, but not always, are fixed to the teeth for the duration of the treatment.

In St John’s Wood, braces in the form of Invisalign clear aligners are pretty much invisible once you put them on. Invisalign is a system of very thin clear plastic aligners that resemble mouth guards. They are 3D printed using detailed measurements from digital scans of your mouth. Each aligner is a tiny incremental step different from the one before. The pressure from the slight incremental changes push the teeth gradually into alignment over about a year, depending on the complexity of each case.

Over 4 million people have been treated with Invisalign braces. In St John’s Wood, they are also incredibly popular. One reason is because they become as good as invisible when they are in place. Another reason is because Invisalign clear aligners are removable. Although they must be worn for at least 22 hours a day in order to complete the treatment on schedule, they are taken out for eating and cleaning. This means that you can continue to eat whatever you like, whereas the range of diet can be limited when wearing fixed bracket and wire braces.

To find out more, come into Aura Dental for a free consultation.

A cost benefit exercise

If you are trying to make a decision about whether or not to go for dental implants in St John’s Wood, it is important to weigh up the benefits and costs, and compare them with other ways of restoring lost teeth.

The benefits

In St John’s Wood, dental implants are becoming the go-to tooth replacement treatment because they have so many benefits. These are based upon the fact that dental implants replace the whole tooth, root and crown.

Dental Implants in St John’s WoodA single implant can support up to 3 teeth, giving them a stable chewing base that can withstand forces of up to 97kg or 200lbs, which is more than the chew of the average adult male.

The presence of an artificial root in the jawbone gives the bone cells the stimulation they need to renew themselves. The renewal of cells keeps the jawbone strong and healthy, avoiding the degeneration that leads to the shrunken pointy jaw and collapsed lower face associated with age and tooth loss.

Dental implants last a lifetime and are easy to care for, requiring no more than the careful brushing we give to natural teeth.

Once they’re in, they’re in. Dental implants generally don’t need replacing, or repeated visits for refits over the years. Implants stay where they’re put and never start wobbling around.

The costs

At Aura Dental in St John’s Wood, dental implants start from £2,500 per implant. Unlike other tooth restoration methods, that implant will almost certainly never need to be replaced. If it supports 3 teeth, that’s actually £833 per tooth. Say you go on to live for another 20 years, each tooth has actually cost you about £41 a year. If you had a bridge instead, it would cost from £699.50. Working on the same principle that that bridge holds 3 teeth and you need it for 20 years, and it lasts for 10 years, each tooth will cost you £23.30 per tooth. But, say you live longer than another 20 years, say you live 30? Then, each implant-supported tooth will cost you £27.70. As for your teeth on a bridge, you’ll have needed your third bridge by now, so each tooth will still cost £23.30.

Ask José…About Veneers

Jose Cerqueira

José Marinho joined Aura Dental in May. His special interest is restorative dentistry. Here he answers your questions about Veneers.

Over the past month we randomly surveyed our patients to find out what they really wanted to know about veneers. Here are the top 5 queries you raised…

What is a veneer?

A veneer is a very thin layer of life-like porcelain attached to the front surface of your tooth only. Porcelain veneers are very strong and can last many years if they are maintained properly. They are very natural looking and are easy to look after.

The main benefit of veneers is that they do not require for your own natural teeth to be heavily filed and just by changing the look of the front surface of your teeth, you can change the way you whole smile and face are perceived. Veneers are what you see on many celebrities in magazines and on TV.

What can Veneers fix?

Veneers can fix a range of dental issues including:

  • Discolouring of the teeth
  • Mishaped teeth
  • Mildly crooked teeth

There may be cases where Veneers are not suitable. In this situation, our clinicians will guide you through your alternative options.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Minimally intrusive. Mimimal or no removal of tooth substance or movement of teeth
  • Immediate results. No need to wait months to enjoy your new smile
  • Durable material allows you to continue enjoying your regular diet

Cons:

  • May be prone to breakage if you grind your teeth
  • Need to be properly maintained with effective brushing and flossing
  • Regular hygiene cleans required to ensure plaque build up does not affect the veneer material

How does the treatment work?

On your first appointment, you and your dentist will agree on the desired final shape and colour of your veneers. Once the decision is made, you will be invited for a veneer preparation appointment during which the front surfaces of your natural teeth will be appropriately prepared for future veneer placement.

Your dentist will take an impression of them and send it off to the laboratory where your custom made perfect veneers will be made. This process usually takes about 2 weeks. In the meantime, you will be provided with temporary veneers, which also look great and enable you to start getting used to a new life with a beautiful smile.

Once the permanent veneers have been fully constructed, you will be invited for veneer fit appointment, where your dentist will remove you temporaries and permanently place the final veneers on your teeth. Then it’s back to life as normal…with a brand new smile!

How much do they cost?

Veneers at Aura start from £500 per tooth or from £450 if you are one of our members.

Consultation with Treatment Coordinator: Free

Initial dental examination: £50 plus any x-rays – (deducted from final cost of veneers)

Our Treatment Coordinator will be happy to answer any questions you have about the treatment and/or the practice. You can call or email the practice at any time and if you’d like to come in to have a look around, just let us know and we can arrange it.

You will need to have a comprehensive dental examination with your dentist to ensure you are suitable for veneers. There is a cost of £50 plus any x-rays for this appointment, however should you wish to proceed with veneers treatment, the cost of this initial examination will be deducted from the final cost of your treatment.

You can talk to our Treatment Coordinator about payment options and plans. The practice offers 0% finance for up to 12 months for treatment costing over £600 and is happy to discuss alternative payment plans to suit your circumstances.

If you are interested in getting veneers, give Aura Dental a call or email us to book a consultation with our treatment coordinator or arrange an examination with me, or one of my fellow clinicians at the practice. I hope to see you soon!

 

Beauty is in the mouth of the beholdee

We all want to look our best, as you can see if you look at how much people in the UK spend on adorning and sculpting their bodies. But hair-dos and new clothes are temporary fixes compared to some of the things you can have done at the dentist.

If you want value for money when you need a change to your look then cosmetic braces are a great choice. Whether you are an adult who would like straighter teeth, or the parent of a self-conscious teenager with mild misalignment issues, getting braces in St John’s Wood can be a permanent improvement to your looks and to your self-esteem.

Braces in St. John's WoodGood looks and good health

Here at Aura Dental in St John’s Wood, braces come in a variety of systems. Many people only have mildly misaligned teeth. If you are one such person, do not think that getting them straightened with braces in St John’s Wood makes you vain. Indeed, having your teeth straightened is in fact an act of self-care on several levels. When it comes to oral health, it is easier to keep straighter teeth clean. Therefore, straightening your teeth will greatly reduce your risk of tooth decay and infection.

When it comes to mental health, people who get their teeth straightened find themselves smiling and laughing more often, thereby increasing the amount of feel-good chemicals, such as serotonin, their bodies release. When it comes to social wellbeing, smiling more creates more connections, which can smooth your path through life.

A popular solution

Six Month Smiles is one of our popular braces systems. It combines the latest innovations and techniques with the tried and tested mechanics of teeth straightening. This means we can predict how your teeth will move and how long it will take to get them into alignment. Six Month Smiles uses the latest small clear ceramic brackets, then modernises them by using tooth-coloured wires that make your braces almost unnoticeable.

The average treatment for this option is just 6 months, hence the name of these braces in St John’s Wood. Six Month Smiles work so quickly because, unlike standard braces, they only focus on the front teeth – those that show when you smile.

Life after tooth loss

So you just lost a tooth in your 20s? Well, it happens to young people fairly often, especially if you are active. Contact sports, mountain biking, skating or snowboarding all offer ways to end up sitting on the ground spitting out teeth and blood. The question is, how are you going to replace that tooth? If you live in St John’s Wood, dental implants at Aura Dental are an avenue you should explore.

If the rest of your teeth are in great condition, then you have 3 options. You can either have false teeth on a bridge, a partial denture, or you can have dental implants.

Dental Implants in St John’s WoodWhy choose dental implants?

Dental implants in St John’s Wood are a long-lasting restoration that also offers full functionality. This means that when you get dental implants fitted, you can expect them to last for decades, if not the rest of your life, if you take good care of them. As well as that, they give you back the full function of your tooth, meaning you can eat whatever you like with an implant. With dentures and some bridges, you have to be pretty careful about what you eat because it can get stuck to, or stuck under, your replacement teeth.

As for care, the implants stay in your mouth so you just brush and floss it carefully. There is no messing around with taking them out to clean them and soaking overnight in water. The only thing you have to watch out for is gum disease around the implant, which, if left untreated, could lead to the loss of the implant.

The other great thing about dental implants in St John’s Wood is they keep your jawbone strong and healthy. By replacing the root, they continue to perform the task of transmitting vibrations down the root into the jawbone. These vibrations are sent every time your teeth clash together. They signal to the surrounding jawbone that it is in use and this stimulates the renewal of bone cells. Without it, the jawbone actually starts to dissolve itself, and rapidly shrinks in height, width and depth. Not something you want happening in your 20s, or ever really.