Braces correct teeth and jaws that are positioned improperly. Crooked teeth and teeth that do not fit together correctly are harder to keep clean, are at a higher risk of being lost early due to tooth decay and gum disease, and cause extra stress on chewing muscles that can lead to headaches and pain in the jaw-joint. The benefits of orthodontic treatment include a healthier mouth, a more pleasing appearance, and teeth that are more likely to last a lifetime.
Braces are fixed appliances consisting of bands, wires and brackets. Tightening the wire puts tension on the teeth, gradually moving them to their proper position. Braces are usually adjusted monthly to bring about the desired results, which may be achieved within a few months to a year. They come in bright colors for kids as well as clear styles preferred by many adults.
Clear aligners are an alternative to traditional braces. They move teeth in the same way as fixed braces, only without metal wires, brackets and bands. Aligners are virtually invisible and are supposed to be removed during eating, brushing and flossing.
Skillfully blending science and art, we can sculpt a more attractive smile for you.
1. Veneers :- Veneers are wafer-thin shells of porcelain or a thin layer of composite bonded to the front surface of a tooth. These serve as an excellent cosmetic solution for crooked, chipped, discolored or worn teeth. Veneers are made to suit the patient's individual needs and are indistinguishable from natural teeth.
2. Crowns :- A crown, often called a 'cap', covers the entire tooth. Unlike a veneer, it requires more shaping/trimming of the tooth and is commonly used post a root canal treatment to restore a severely decayed/destructed tooth to its normal shape and size. A crown could be made of porcelain, metal or a combination of both (porcelain fused to metal).
3. Bleaching :- Who does not want a bright, white, radiant smile that lightens up the whole face? Dental surveys show that 80% of people would like to have whiter teeth. Teeth can discolor due to smoking, specific foods and beverages, certain medications, increased exposure to fluoridated water and aging. The answer is Teeth whitening through a simple and safe procedure called Dental Bleaching.
Caution: Avoid readymade, over-the-counter bleaching systems available. Consult your dentist first.
A root canal treatment is needed when a tooth's nerve and associated blood vessels are irreversibly damaged. A tooth damaged by trauma, a fractured tooth or a deep cavity that has infected the nerve, results in an infection that may lead to an abscess at the base of the tooth. A root canal can save a tooth by removing the diseased nerve tissue, cleaning and then filling the nerve chamber. It is a relatively simple procedure involving one or more visits depending on the severity of the infection. After the inside of the tooth has been treated with root canal therapy, the outside of the tooth will be restored with a crown to protect the tooth's underlying structures and give the tooth a healthy appearance.
If left untreated, the infection will spread, ultimately making it impossible to save the tooth. The only alternative then is to extract the tooth (remove the tooth). Though an extraction is cheaper, an implant or a bridge to replace the extracted tooth can be more expensive than a root canal treatment.
A dental implant is a pure titanium component that is surgically positioned into the jaw bone beneath the gum. Because an implant fuses to the jaw bone, it provides stable support for an artificial tooth and is used to replace a missing tooth. A crown, bridge or denture (depending on the number of teeth missing) is mounted on to the already stabilized implant. It doesn't slip or shift in the mouth – an especially important benefit when eating and speaking. It feels just like a natural tooth. An advantage of an implant is that no adjacent teeth need to be shaped/trimmed to hold the newly replaced teeth in place. To receive implants, one must have healthy gums and adequate bone to support the implant. This will be confirmed with the help of a three dimensional X-ray called CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography).
A bridge is a fixed dental restoration used to replace one or more missing tooth/teeth by joining artificial tooth/teeth to adjacent natural teeth. It basically spans the area where teeth are missing. The natural teeth from which the bridge takes support will have to be reduced in size (trimmed) to accommodate the bridge to fit over them.
A denture is a replacement for missing teeth that can be taken out and put back into your mouth. While an implant and bridge (explained above) are fixed solutions, a denture is the only removable option available. While dentures take some getting used to, they will never feel exactly the same as one's natural teeth. There are two main types of dentures, full and partial, depending upon whether some or all of your teeth are to be replaced. It comprises gum-colored acrylic base which fits over the gums, on which artificial teeth are positioned.
"Perio" means around and "dontal" means tooth. Periodontal disease is an infection that gradually destroys the gum surrounding the teeth and the jaw bone supporting the teeth.
Our teeth are constantly being coated with a white layer (film) of debris and bacteria. This layer is called plaque. In a healthy mouth there is a natural balance of different bacteria. Although brushing and flossing will help reduce the bacteria by removing some amount of plaque, one can never completely get rid of all the bacteria in the mouth. If plaque is not removed over time, it will harden to form calculus. It is therefore of utmost importance to visit the dentist every 6 months for a complete cleaning (scaling and polishing) to remove the plaque and calculus.
If 6-monthly clean-ups are avoided, it will lead to gum disease characterized by red or swollen gums, bleeding gums, tender gums, sensitive teeth, loose teeth, pain on chewing, bad breath and sudden appearance of spaces between teeth. The treatment will then include more advanced non-surgical/surgical options.
Tooth extraction is the removal of a tooth from its socket in the bone. Extracting a tooth is the last resort. If the tooth was not root canal treated at the right time causing the infection to spread and decay to destroy the tooth further, or if the tooth has become too loose due to gum disease, it will have to be extracted.
The best time for a child's first dental visit is either when their first tooth erupts or around their first birthday. By starting dental visits early, you'll help your child build a lifetime of good dental habits. Your dentist will check for decay and other problems, teach you how to clean your child's teeth and identify your child's fluoride needs. If milk teeth are well looked after, it is more likely that the permanent teeth will grow into their correct position.
One serious form of decay among young children is baby bottle tooth decay. Babies shouldn't fall asleep with bottles in their mouths – the sugar in juices or milk formulas can cause tooth decay, leading to cavities, discomfort and even tooth loss. Washing your child's mouth with plain clean water before sleeping will help prevent decay.
Unfortunately, some children lose a milk tooth too soon. If this happens, the teeth beside it may move into the empty space resulting in lack of space for the permanent tooth to erupt, leading to crowding of teeth. This can be prevented by maintaining the space with the help of a space maintainer.
As a child's permanent teeth erupt, the dentist can prevent cavities from forming with the help of sealants and fluoride treatment. Sealants are a safe, painless, low cost way to help protect your child's teeth from decay. Sealants are bonded to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth and thus prevent these teeth from decay. Fluoride application is a single sitting procedure done every 6 months to make the tooth structure stronger and prevent cavities.
Often, milk teeth may require root canal treatment. Although the procedure may vary slightly, it is similar to the root canal treatment in an adult tooth (refer above).
Oral pathology deals with the nature, identification, and management of diseases affecting the mouth and jaw areas. An oral exam is routinely performed by the dentist during the course of an initial comprehensive exam and regular check-ups. The soft tissue of the mouth is lined with mucosa which is normally smooth in texture and pink in color. Any alteration in the color or texture of the mucosa may signal the beginning of a pathologic process. The most serious of these pathologic changes (which may or may not be painful) is oral cancer, but there are also many other common pathologic problems.