Author: Aura Dental
Ways your dentist can straighten your teeth – discreetly
As a dentist, one of the most common complaints you hear from patients of all ages is that they would like straighter teeth. At Aura Dental in North London, we know that there are more than just aesthetic benefits to improving the alignment of your teeth. Straighter teeth are, generally speaking, healthier teeth, because they are easier to keep clean. With fewer gaps for food particles and plaque bacteria to build up in, your chances of developing tooth decay and gum disease are reduced – so long as you pay regular visits to your dentist and hygienist, and maintain a good home cleaning routine, of course.
Discreet orthodontics – a thoroughly modern treatment
One of the main barriers faced by adults who want straighter teeth is the thought of wearing traditional metal braces. Metal train-track style wire and bracket braces are often thought to be synonymous with orthodontic treatment.
Whist it’s true that these traditional metal devices are very effective at treating a full spectrum of orthodontic problems, they are not particularly compatible with a hectic professional lifestyle. Discreet orthodontics have seen enormous advances in recent years, giving your dentist or orthodontist many subtler ways of straightening your teeth. At our North London dental practice we offer both fixed and removable devices designed to give you straighter teeth without a metallic glint in sight.
What’s best for me?
The best treatment option for you will depend on your clinical need and your personal preference. When you come for a consultation at our North London dental practice, your dentist will examine you and will explain all the options available to you, letting you know the pros, cons, and projected length of each option.
Among the discreet orthodontic devices available at our North London clinic are:
Six Month Smiles
These fast-acting cosmetic braces work quickly on the teeth that show when you smile. They comprise clear and tooth-coloured components.
Clear aligners
We offer a range of removable clear aligners to collect a wide range of problems.
Using dental implants to replace one or more missing teeth
You may have heard of dental implants if you have lost one or more of your natural teeth. Here at North London’s Aura Dental our skilled team of implant dentists can replace one, several or all of your teeth with the help of implants.
How treatment works
Dental implants are little titanium screws that are placed directly in your jaw bone by your dentist here at our North London clinic. This requires a small surgical procedure, which in most cases can be carried out under local anaesthetic, and is, according to many patients, more bearable than having a tooth extracted.
The dental implants will mesh with your jaw bone over a period of a few months, because titanium is very compatible with human bodies and is osteoconductive – supportive of bone growth. Bone loss is a common complaint in patients who have lost all or most of their natural teeth, and happens when the tooth roots are lost. Because implants replace the root part of a missing tooth, they help to stop this from happening.
Tooth replacement options
At Aura Dental in North London, we offer two options for implant patients. If you have lost one tooth, the most common solution is to replace that tooth with a single dental implant and a crown, which will be made to look very much like the rest of your natural teeth.
For patients who have lost more than one tooth, the most common treatment is to attach an implant-retained bridge. This can replace several or all teeth in one jaw.
Advantages of implants
Dental implants and the new teeth attached to them create a realistic and beautiful smile. Implants also help to give you back full functionality to your mouth, which means you can eat a healthy diet and smile and laugh with confidence.
Why a dentist is vital for tooth whitening treatment
A dentist should always be consulted by anyone looking for teeth whitening treatment. At Aura Dental in North London, our skilled team offer a number of tooth-whitening options, which can be carried out at home or here in the dental practice.
Teeth whitening is one of the most popular treatments available from a cosmetic dentist. When done properly by a qualified dental professional, it is a safe, reliable and predictable way to boost the appearance of your smile, quickly and painlessly.
When you think about it, it’s not hard to see why our teeth get stained by everyday activities. Drinks including red wine, coffee and tea, habits such as smoking, and some medicines, medicated mouthwashes and even medical conditions can cause staining of the teeth. Many people also find that as they age their teeth lose some of their natural sparkle. Teeth whitening treatments such as those available at our North London dental practice are designed to get rid of these everyday stains and leave you with a brighter, whiter smile.
If you have been searching the internet for teeth whitening options, you are likely to have come across numerous products that claim to whiten teeth. Some beauty salons and high street shops also sell whitening products. However, these should be avoided.
The whitening products available from your dentist have been extensively tested for both safety and efficiency. The chances are that other products, available from the internet or the high street, will not have been tested this rigorously, and will be of inferior quality. While this may simply mean they don’t work, unregulated products also have the potential to cause serious discomfort and even damage to your teeth and gums.
Like any cosmetic dentistry, teeth whitening should also only be carried out on a healthy mouth. At Aura Dental in North London, we use several techniques, including laser whitening, Zoom teeth whitening, home whitening and internal bleaching for deeper stains.
Dental implants: the only permanent way to replace missing teeth
Dental implants are one of the most exciting developments in modern dentistry, with some 30 years of research behind them and many happy patients who have used them to restore their smile. At Aura Dental in North London our implantology team has helped to improve both the aesthetic appearance and the functionality of scores of patient’s smiles with the help of implants.
How dental implants work
Teeth are made up of two parts – the visible crowns and the roots below the gum line. Dental implants replace the root part of one or more missing teeth, enabling your dentist to attach realistic-looking, realistic-acting restorations on top.
At our North London dental practice, we offer two options for patients interested in replacing missing teeth with dental implants: a single implant with a single crown to replace one missing tooth, or an implant-retained bridge for patients with more than one missing tooth.
Dental implants are placed straight into your jaw bone in a small surgical procedure, carried out here in the comfort of our North London practice by an experienced implant dentist. Once in position, the implants mesh with the bone and provide a strong anchor for new teeth.
Because they are made from titanium, which is supportive of bone growth, implants also help to support the common side-effect of tooth loss which is bone resorbtion – the jaw bone is prone to shrink back when the tooth roots are missing.
In most cases, when dental implants are placed, a healing period of a few months is required before your permanent new teeth can be attached. For a single tooth, one implant can support one crown, but the good news is that if you have several missing teeth, a single implant can often support more than one new tooth in the form of an implant-retained bridge.
What are discreet braces?
Braces are the original and in many cases still the best way to correct alignment issues with your teeth. At Aura Dental in North London our skilled cosmetic dental team offer a number of discreet orthodontic options so that patients can straighten their teeth without everybody knowing about it.
A lot of adults who would like to straighten their teeth are put off by the prospect of wearing traditional metal braces. The cosmetic dentists at our North London dental practice understand this concern; whilst traditional braces are very effective, they are also very obvious, and this isn’t compatible with adults who have busy personal and professional lives.
So, what are the other options for orthodontic treatment? We invite all patients who are interested in cosmetic teeth straightening to join us for an orthodontic consultation here at our North London practice. Your dentist will carefully examine your teeth and gums and will discuss the pros and cons of all appropriate treatments, so you can make an educated choice about treatment going forward.
Six Month Smiles
Six Month Smiles aren’t just discreet – they’re quick, too. As you may have guessed from the name, the average treatment time is just six months.
Six Month Smiles are fixed braces with a considerably shorter treatment time than their traditional counterparts. They work so quickly because they focus only on the “social six” teeth – those on display when you smile.
Another huge benefit of Six Month Smiles braces is that they are designed to blend into your mouth. The wires are tooth-coloured and the brackets are clear, meaning many people will not notice you are wearing them.
Clear aligners
Your dentist may recommend clear aligners as an alternative to braces. These aligners are made of clear plastic and fit over your teeth to gently move them to a new position. They have the additional benefit of being removable for eating and cleaning.
Chew On This: The Truth Behind the ‘Difficult Root Canal’ Myth
Almost every dental practice provides root canal treatments for incisor teeth. But, there are some that refer their patients to other practitioners when it comes to the molar teeth. The usual reason they say is that it is easier to perform an endodontic surgery on the ‘biting’ teeth than on the ‘chewing’ ones.
But, is it really easier for dentists to do root canal treatments on incisor teeth? According to different dental accounts, there is no such thing as ‘easy teeth’. The difficulty level of this procedure is relative to the ability of the practitioner, much like the success rate of solving root canal problems.
Understand How Treatments Work
Many practitioners probably consider molar root canal treatment difficult; however, there is not one dental procedure that is easy. Given the location of the molars compared to the incisors, practitioners will really have a harder time treating the chewing teeth because they are at the far end of the mouth.
In addition, an endodontic surgery on the molars requires longer time and higher precision because the teeth contain more than one root. This compels practitioners to undertake a separate training and study in performing root canal treatment that is particular to the molars.
The common misconception that this procedure is difficult is clearly vague. Yes, it has its difficulties. But, at some point, people still have to consider several factors, including the efficiency of a practitioner.
Deal with the Problem Immediately
It is important to address molar root canal issues soon. Regardless of the level of anxiety people have, they need to treat the problem immediately. This helps prevent the pain from worsening and the need to extract the molars, which can substantially affect how they will chew solid foods.
There are no easy treatments when it comes to dental procedures. Each one has its particular difficulty that makes it different from the others. Visiting a well-rounded and competent dentist is essential when undertaking root canal treatment because they are efficient in carrying out the procedure safely.
Here at Aura Dental, we offer a wide range of cosmetic dentistry treatments, including root canal treatment. We use advanced dental technology and techniques and specialise in the latest treatments, making sure our patients keep smiling inside and out. Through our advanced aesthetic dental treatments and hygiene therapy, we achieve better smiles. Schedule an appointment today.
How dental implants are giving patients their smiles back
The increasing popularity of dental implants is no fluke. Implants are the only permanent way for your dentist to replace your missing teeth. At Aura Dental in North London, we offer two implant options for patients who have lost teeth: a single implant with a crown to replace one missing tooth, or implant-retained bridges for more than one missing teeth.
What are dental implants?
Dental implants are small screws made of titanium. Your dentist places them in your jaw bone in a minor operation, which is carried out under local anaesthetic here at our North London dental practice.
Titanium is very compatible with the human body, meaning the implants will fuse with the bone and promote bone growth. This prevents the problem of bone resorbtion that happens when teeth are lost.
After a healing period, which is typically a couple of months, your dental implants will have fused with the bone enough to form a very strong anchor on to which your new teeth will be attached – either a crown or an implant-retained bridge.
At Aura Dental in North London, we have helped scores of patients to smile again with the help of implants. There are other advantages to implants besides the obvious cosmetic ones, however. These include:
- The ability to bite and chew food without worrying about loose, uncomfortable dentures. You can eat what you like and enjoy a healthy, balanced diet.
- There is no danger of restorations attached to dental implants falling out at an unfortunate moment. Your implants will hold them firmly in place.
- Because they help to prevent bone loss, dental implants also help to stop the prematurely-aged appearance that some denture wearers suffer, due to sagging skin around the jowls.
- Dental implants and the attached restorations look and act like natural teeth. With proper care and regular dentist appointments, your implants can last you for life.
How invisible braces and aligners can straighten your teeth secretly
Braces are the best-known and most reliable way to straighten your teeth. At Aura Dental in North London, we know that many people who want straighter teeth don’t want to wear obvious metal devices, which traditionally also have long treatment times.
Fortunately, there are a number of discreet options available at our North London dental practice. These include both near-invisible braces and clear aligners, which will not be spotted by the untrained eye.
If you are interested in straightening your teeth discreetly, the first thing to do is to book an appointment with a dentist here at Aura Dental North London. Your clinician will carefully examine your mouth and will then recommend all the appropriate treatment options. They will discuss the pros and cons of each option and you will be able to raise any questions you may have.
Treatment options here at Aura Dental North London include:
Inman Aligner
This is a single clear aligner that is known for its very fast treatment times – typically between six and 18 weeks. It can correct a wide range of orthodontic issues and benefits from being both clear and removable. The Inman Aligner is not suitable in every case – your dentist will advise if this will work for you at your initial consultation.
Cfast Braces
Cfast braces are designed to work on the front six teeth – those that show when you smile. These gentle, minimally-invasive cosmetic braces can level out and round the arches quickly and comfortably. The brackets are clear and the nickel-titanium wires are clear, meaning few people will notice you are having treatment.
Six Month Smiles
Six Month Smiles are also fast, discreet braces. They apply traditional orthodontic technology to the “social six” teeth – which show when you smile – and use clear brackets and tooth-coloured wires for maximum discretion.
Ways that cosmetic dentistry can quickly boost your smile
Cosmetic dentistry doesn’t necessarily involve extensive, time-consuming work – at Aura Dental Centre in North London, our team of cosmetic dentists have several quick and minimally-invasive ways to improve the aesthetic appearance of your smile. Here we look at how you can quickly and easily boost your smile.
Teeth whitening
Teeth whitening treatment is one of the cornerstones of cosmetic dentistry. It’s a fast way to remove the stains that build up on our teeth through habits such as smoking, drinks including tea and coffee, and certain medicines.
When carried out by a trained cosmetic dentist, teeth whitening treatment is a fast and entirely safe way to improve your smile.
At Aura Dental in North London we offer several options for patients interested in teeth whitening. Call in to see us for a cosmetic dentistry consultation and your dentist will discuss all the options with you in detail, so that you can make an informed choice about your treatment.
We offer two options for in-practice teeth whitening – LED teeth whitening and whitening with the popular Zoom teeth whitening system. There’s also the option for home teeth whitening, which uses custom-made, lightweight whitening trays and gel and take about two weeks to complete.
Porcelain veneers
Porcelain veneers are very thin pieces of porcelain that are placed over the front surfaces of your teeth to improve their appearance. They are one of the quickest procedures in cosmetic dentistry and can either improve the look of a single, discoloured tooth or can give you a full smile makeover.
You will need two appointments at our North London dental practice to have your veneers fitted. At the first, your dentist will prepare your teeth by removing a small amount of enamel and will take impressions of your teeth. At the second appointment your veneers will be attached with strong dental adhesive.
When to call the emergency dentist
When you need an emergency dentist, time is of the essence. At Aura Dental in North London we offer emergency dental appointments, as well as emergency orthodontic consultations. If you need to see a dentist or orthodontist urgently, contact our practice on 020 772 0040.
Whenever possible, we’ll get you in to see a dentist the same day. The earlier you call us, the more chance we’ll be able to fit you in the same day, so please contact us as soon as possible after an emergency occurs. If your emergency happens out of hours, please call our North London practice for advice on what to do.
What constitutes a dental emergency?
Many situations can be classed as a dental emergency. Here are some of the reasons you should contact our North London dental practice straight away. . .
Lost teeth
If your tooth has been knocked out in an accident, your dentist may be able to re-implant your tooth in the socket. You should pick the tooth up only by the crown (the part that is visible in the mouth) and avoid touching the root. Rinse the tooth in your own saliva or cold water, and try to place it back in the socket – biting a clean handkerchief can help to keep it in place. If you can’t put it back yourself, put it in a clean container covered in saliva or milk. In either case, see your dentist as soon as possible.
Broken teeth
Contact us immediately if your teeth are badly broken. Your clinician may be able to rebuild your tooth using composite material.
Unbearable toothache
Toothache can be very painful. Pain is the body’s way of telling us something is wrong. Sudden, unbearable toothache that may or may not be accompanied by swelling is a dental emergency. Your dentist will get you out of pain, although you may need further appointments to complete treatment.