Smile Correction

Have a session of cosmetic re-contouring with Guardian Dental Care

Odontoplasty or enameloplasty are the technical names for re-contouring of teeth. As a part of these procedures, a tooth’s length, shape or surface is changed by removing the enamel for cosmetic reasons. This is considered to be one of the easiest, pain-free and quick procedures to correct a smile and the results are immediate.

Recontouring is a useful method to correct minor imperfections, such as

• Fixing small chips in the tooth
• Smoothening out ridges or furrows in the enamel of the tooth
• Adjusting minor irregularities in tooth shape caused by crowded or uneven teeth
• Adjusting the length of the canines to make them conform to the size of the rest of the teeth.

Recontouring can also prove beneficial to dental health by removing gaps or overlaps between teeth in which plaque or food debris can accumulate. It is important to note than in case of a broken or chipped tooth, recontouring may not be the solution. Our dentists at Guardian Dental Care will be happy to discuss which of your teeth can be perfected by just recontouring and which will require more work like fillings or crowns etc.

To make sure if a candidate is suited for recontouring, the dentist will first take an X-ray of his/her teeth to determine the size and location of the pulp (innermost layer that houses the nerve). If the enamel layer is too thin or if the pulp lies too close to the tooth's surface, recontouring may not be possible and some other procedure such as bonding or veneers may be more appropriate.

At the sitting for the recontouring, generally anaesthesia is not required as it is just the tooth enamel that is being worked upon. The dentist may use implements like sandpaper and a diamond bur to smoothen the imperfections on the tooth surface. The edges of the teeth are sandpapered to achieve the desired finish. This is the shaping process. Once this is complete, the polishing equipment will be used to clean and polish the teeth.

There are no special follow-up procedures required for a simple tooth recontouring however if the enamel is worn too thin, then sensitivity may occur which needs follow-up.

Reinvent Your Smile with these Smile Makeover Techniques

The procedure of smile makeover improves the appearance of your smile by one or more processes of cosmetic dentistry, which includes dental veneers, tooth implants, dental crowns, composite bonding, teeth whitening, gum lift etc. Our dentists in Guardian Dental Care are well trained in handling the procedures of smile makeover and they are committed to improve your smile in more than one way.

Some aspects of smile that can be improved are the color of your teeth, shape, spacing and alignment, lost teeth etc., the details of which are given below

Color of your tooth: The whitening of teeth assists in improving your stained or dull colored teeth. The shade and tooth color are considerations of great importance for our dentists during the handling of various procedures like bridges, crowns, dental implants, composite bonding etc.

Spacing and Alignment: The crooked, overlapping teeth of yours can be aligned and straightened through procedures like invisalign, orthodontic treatment and veneers.

Lost teeth: The loss of one or more teeth can also affect your smile in a negative way. To make replacement for the missing teeth, our dentists provide services like bridges, partial dentures and dental implants.

Harmony of your tooth: The uneven, chipped teeth of yours can be bonded cosmetically for a pleasing appearance. Your chipped teeth can be re-contoured for improving the total look of your smile and thus their harmony can be maintained.

How to maintain the results of smile makeover techniques?

Cosmetic dental procedures require regular care and maintenance of oral hygiene. The procedure of teeth whitening for example must be repeated on a periodic basis while the dental crowns after 10 to 15 years may require replacement, if not maintained well. The composite bonding can stain over time and thus replacement and enhancement of it is required. Moreover, the material used for reconstruction also increases the longevity of the smile makeover treatment.

What is Philips Zoom Whitening

Zoom Whitening is one of the many dental bleaching procedures available today. It takes place in the dental office. In this method, the ray of a lamp breaks down the activated gel in a hydrogen peroxide paste. This allows oxygen to enter the enamel and dentin, making the coloured and stained portions whiter while leaving the structure of the teeth intact. Treatments typically take about an hour and may result in up to eight shades lighter teeth. Subject to terms and conditions.

For clients who want lasting results with fewer side effects Zoom Whitening can be a viable option. Over the counter gels and pastes can often produce side effects like gum erosion and sensitivity. Depending on how fast the client wants results and what are the options they have open based on their dental health, our dentists at Guardian Dental Care will be happy to provide a consultation.

For dramatic results in an in-office procedure, Zoom Whitening is the best option. The entire procedure is completed within one hour in a dentist’s chamber. The dentist will first thoroughly clean the teeth of the patient to remove any plaque or edible detritus stuck in the gums or teeth. Then a hydrogen peroxide gel will be applied on the teeth. The light of an LED lamp (Philips) will be shined on the gel coated teeth. The light breaks down the crystals in the gel resulting in whitening of the teeth. The light is applied in 3 or 4 bursts of 15 minutes each to give the client’s jaws some rest in between. The result is up to 7 to 8 shades whiter teeth. Subject to terms and conditions.

This procedure has no immediate side effects but is recommended only once annually. Sensitivity after the procedure is common, but it should reduce relatively quickly. It is possible for some of the peroxide gel to leak underneath the barriers and cause minor burns on the gums but even those do also heal quickly. How long the results will stay depends on the diet of the patients. It is important to bear in mind that beverage like tea, coffee, cola and red wine stain teeth more easily.

Enhance Your Personality with Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening services are covered under cosmetic dentistry. This is an effective way of lightening the shade of colour of the teeth without removing any of the tooth surfaces. The existing colour of the teeth will determine what the final colour will be after lightening; therefore results may vary from patient to patient.

Adult teeth can get stained due to a variety of reasons: smoking, tea, coffee, red-wine etc. Tartar, also known as ‘calculus’ can also affect the colour of teeth. Some have cracks in the teeth in which stains accumulate causing unsightly markings on the teeth. Very few adults have a truly white set of teeth and teeth whitening can be a viable solution for those who want to improve their smile. However, teeth whitening procedure is not for everyone. Our dentists at Guardian Dental Care will be happy to provide a consultation to those who want such a procedure done to discuss the process and expected results.

In today’s day and age of selfies and social media, there are a number of over-the counter toothpastes, oral gels and rinses available that claim to whiten stained or yellowed teeth. It is best to consult the dentist before starting to use any such products that one has any doubts or questions about.

There can be two main kinds of in-clinic whitening procedures.

Intrinsic: Whitens the inner part of the tooth that is soaked in a hydrogen peroxide solution that causes the colour to lighten. When the inner part of the tooth is whitened, the colour is reflected through the outer coating or enamel of the teeth. Since the colour actually reflects out through the enamel like a prism, the set of teeth look whiter and brighter.

Extrinsic: External staining or yellowing of the teeth is taken care of by extrinsic whitening. Generally, the dentist will use whitening toothpaste to polish and whiten the surface of the teeth.

A few important points to keep in mind is that teeth whitening is a temporary process and the results will fade in 6-24 months depending on how quickly one’s teeth stain and their diet and maintenance. Also, some sensitivity is to be expected within 24 hours of this procedure.

Boast Your Status with Tooth Jewellery

Just like body art and body piercings, the new fashion wave to hit the scene is tooth jewellery. Just as the name suggests, these are jewellery items worn for cosmetic and status symbol reasons on one’s teeth.

These come in the form of:

Twinkles: These are jewellery pieces in various designs made of 24 carat gold, white gold, platinum etc. and depending on the design, may or may not have stones on them. Some of the really expensive ones have diamonds, sapphires and rubies attached to them.

Dental Gems: These are crystals of glass mounted on aluminium and are available in a variety of colours or in white. There are costly versions of these available too but the popular ones are not very highly priced for first time users and those who just want to try it out.

The steps that are followed in affixing tooth jewellery is 100% pain free. Here are the steps that are followed.

A fluoride-free polishing paste is used to thoroughly clean the tooth.

It is completely dried and isolated.

Tooth is painted with 37% ortho-phosphoric acid to increase the surface area for bonding.

The surface is carefully rinsed with water and absolutely dried for 10 seconds

A light-curing bonding agent is applied.

A small amount of flow composite is applied to the surface of the tooth.

A jewel handler is used to easily pick up the jewel and it is pressed into the centre of the composite.

At this point, the dentist adjusts the jewel while letting the patient check the desired positioning in the mirror.

The dentist, using a light-curing lamp cures the composite from the top. It is light cured from all sides for a few seconds and also the composite is cured from the back of the tooth making sure it hardens evenly.

The entire process does not take more than 10 minutes. It is to be noted that tooth jewellery does not need to be permanent and can be taken off by a dentist. We at Guardian Dental Care provide this service to all interested patients. For more information, come and visit us at Guardian Dental Care.