Tag: dental veneers

Blog posts, information and advice which mention Dental veneers

Crowns vs Veneers vs Bonding

It’s often a dilemma knowing which to choose, crowns, veneers or bonding so we thought we would explain the differences between each in order that you can make the best decision based upon your own requirements and clinical needs.

What are the main differences between crowns, veneers and bonding?

  • Cost
  • Strength
  • Removal of tooth structure
  • Ability to change appearance of the tooth
  • Frequency of replacement

Crowns vs Veneers vs Bonding Cost

The cost of crowns, veneers and bonding is determined by a couple of factors:

  1. The time it takes.
  2. The cost of materials.
  3. The cost of laboratory fees.

Bonding usually takes a little less time than veneers and particularly crowns, but the biggest difference is the cost of laboratory fees. Bonding is done directly onto your tooth and therefore there is no third-party laboratory required in order to manufacture the restoration, this keeps the cost down considerably.

Bonding typically starts from between £345-£445 depending upon the complexity.

Dental veneers and crowns Usually take longer than dental bonding as the dentist needs to prepare the underlying tooth structure in a very precise way in order to receive the new dental veneer and Crown. Once the dentist had prepared the underlying tooth an impression will be taken and sent to a dental laboratory, the dental laboratory then makes the veneer or crown. This extended procedure adds to the cost.

Veneers and crowns typically start from £650 depending upon the complexity.

Crowns vs Veneers vs Bonding Strength

These three restorations can be ranked in order of strength.

  1. Dental bonding-lowest
  2. Dental veneers
  3. Dental crowns-highest

With any type of restoration on a tooth one needs to be aware and be sensitive to the fact that what you have is not an entirely natural tooth. Dental bonding is most prone to fracture, however because the bonding is done directly onto the tooth it is the easiest to be repaired by the dentist. If veneers or crowns fracture they will need to be removed and sent back to the laboratory for repair, sometimes repairs are not possible and a full remake is required.

Crowns vs Veneers vs Bonding Removal of tooth structure

Most dentists will prefer to keep as much natural tooth structure as possible, this is generally the preferred option wherever clinically justified. Removal of tooth structure is needed in order to receive the new restoration, particularly with veneers and crowns although sometimes a small amount of tooth structure is removed for dental bonding.

The three restorations can be ranked in order of the amount of tooth structure generally required to be removed.

  1. Dental bonding-lowest amount of tooth structure removed
  2. Dental veneers
  3. Dental crowns-highest amount of tooth structure removed

Crowns vs Veneers vs Bonding Ability to change appearance of tooth

Depending on what change of appearance is required may define which type of restoration your dentist uses.

  1. Minor chips and shape defects can be corrected with dental bonding.
  2. More major chips and shape defects plus the colour of the tooth can be corrected with dental veneers.
  3. The most severe chips, shape defects, tooth rotations and tooth wear can be corrected with dental crowns.

Crowns vs Veneers vs Bonding Frequency of replacement

The frequency of replacement will usually be determined by the following:

  • How quickly the materials used becomes worn or discoloured.
  • How well you look after the restoration, teeth and gums.
  • How careful you are when eating.
  • How well do you protect your teeth during sport.
  • Not having any accidents!

As you can see you will play an active role in maintaining the restoration and ensuring it lasts as long as possible.

Typical problems and reasons for replacement are as follows:

  • Dental bonding
    • The composite bonding material can discolour due to strong coloured foods being consumed or smoking etc
    • The restoration can chip due to excessive biting forces.
  • Dental veneers & crowns
    • The restoration can chip due to excessive biting forces.
    • The surrounding teeth change colour (either darker through age or whiter through whitening) and the dental veneer no longer matches and needs to be replaced.
    • The gum margin on the tooth recedes due to age (a natural phenomenon), this can then expose the underlying tooth which often look starker. This necessitates remaking the veneer or crown in order to cover up his newly exposed underlying tooth.

Summary

As you can see, the decision about whether to have crowns, veneers or bonding is not a simple one. It involves taking into account many factors and balancing out the risk factors in order to ensure you have the very best restoration for your budget, requirements and clinical suitability. Cosmetic dentistry such as this is very often as much an art as it is a science.

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit is the founder and principal dentist of Blue Court Dental. Patients enjoy his relaxed, friendly and gentle approach while experiencing his meticulous attention to detail. He has a special interest in providing smile makeovers, natural-looking white fillings and cosmetic braces, but also provides a range of treatments from preventative and general dental care to complex dental rehabilitation.
Dr Nishan Dixit

Latest posts by Dr Nishan Dixit (see all)

What are my options for straight teeth quickly?

With such busy and hectic lives we know how things can often be overlooked, perhaps you are getting married and have just realised you’re not happy with your smile? Perhaps you have a big birthday or other celebration coming up and have suddenly realised you need to look good for the photos?

Depending upon how long you have got there are a few options available to get fast results, let’s take a look.

Quick correction of mildly crooked teeth

If you have just a single tooth which is mildly rotated or twisted or perhaps even a couple of front teeth then this can often be corrected with dental bonding. Dental bonding is where your dentist as a small amount of tooth coloured composite material to the visible part of your tooth, this material can be built up to make your teeth look straight.

Dental bonding to correct mild crooked teeth

How quickly can I have straight teeth with dental bonding?

The process is done with you sitting in the dental chair and can take anywhere from 45 min up to a few hours, depending upon the number of teeth you want straight. For fast results, dental bonding certainly beats every other form of straight teeth treatment but it is only suitable for correcting very mildly crooked teeth.

Quick correction of moderately crooked teeth

If you have moderately crooked teeth, in other words, a few teeth which are quite crooked or many crooked teeth then dental bonding is a possibility as are veneers and orthodontics.

Dental veneers work on the same principle as bonding, they cover the surface of your tooth, leaving your natural tooth where it is and simply building out areas of your tooth to make it look straight. Dental veneers are more permanent than dental bonding and will last longer. A big advantage with dental veneers is that you are able to have instant straight white teeth as the veneers can be made any colour and as white as you like.

Moderately crooked teeth can also be straightened quickly using Invisalign Go.  This is a clear removable brace which moves teeth rapidly compared to other orthodontic systems. The Inman aligner is also a system able to straighten moderately crooked teeth rapidly. The Inman aligner works by simultaneously pushing and pulling teeth on different parts using a revolutionary new spring system.

How quickly can I have straight teeth with Inman aligner?

Typical treatment times are between 12 and 16 weeks, assuming you only have moderately crooked front teeth.

How quickly can I have straight teeth with Invisalign Go?

Typical treatment times range from approximately 4 to 7 months, assuming you only want the front teeth straightened.

How quickly can I have straight teeth with dental veneers?

From start to finish we recommend allowing at least four weeks. This will give you time to have a consultation with the dentist, have some initial diagnostics done to work out the final shape of your teeth and then have the teeth prepared by the dentist and veneers made by the technician.

Quick correction of severely crooked teeth

Severely crooked teeth will almost certainly require extended treatment with orthodontics. Whilst bonding and veneers are excellent at straightening rotated teeth, if the body of the tooth is not in the correct position then orthodontics will most likely be the best option. There are orthodontic systems to give fast results however these generally only work on the top or bottom front teeth. If you need other teeth to be moved as well then more complex orthodontics maybe your best option.

Orthodontic systems such as Invisalign and Six Month Smiles are ideal options to straighten more severely crooked teeth.

How quickly can I have straight teeth with Invisalign?

Typical treatments with Invisalign take between 12 and 24 months, depending upon the severity of your crooked teeth.

Summary

There’s no one size fits all solution to having straight teeth quickly, it depends upon your clinical situation and budget, the best way to find out which technique is best for you is to visit your dentist for an initial consultation.

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit is the founder and principal dentist of Blue Court Dental. Patients enjoy his relaxed, friendly and gentle approach while experiencing his meticulous attention to detail. He has a special interest in providing smile makeovers, natural-looking white fillings and cosmetic braces, but also provides a range of treatments from preventative and general dental care to complex dental rehabilitation.
Dr Nishan Dixit

Latest posts by Dr Nishan Dixit (see all)

 

 

I’m not happy with my smile, what are my options for cosmetic dentistry?

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit is the founder and principal dentist of Blue Court Dental. Patients enjoy his relaxed, friendly and gentle approach while experiencing his meticulous attention to detail. He has a special interest in providing smile makeovers, natural-looking white fillings and cosmetic braces, but also provides a range of treatments from preventative and general dental care to complex dental rehabilitation.
Dr Nishan Dixit

Latest posts by Dr Nishan Dixit (see all)

We find that many people are looking for options to restore their smile but simply don’t know what those options are. This blog post has been written to allow you to understand what the options are available, possible prices, the procedures and what to expect from cosmetic dentistry.

Cosmetic dentistry is broadly broken down into 4 main areas.

  1. Straightening crooked teeth.
  2. Whitening dark teeth.
  3. Restoring broken down teeth.
  4. Replacing missing teeth.

Let’s look at each of these areas in turn.

Options to straighten crooked teeth.

As with many areas of dentistry there is in one simple way of doing this, which actually works as an advantage as it means that you can choose the best approach for you. We thought one of the easiest ways to break these treatments down Is to look at treatment time is and how quick you could have straight teeth again.

Straight teeth in around 2 to 3 weeks

If you’re looking to have straight teeth in the quickest time possible them possibly dental veneers are the way forwards. Dental veneers are a precision made thin-layer which fit over the surface of your existing teeth. They made from a high-strength dental ceramic by a highly skilled dental technician and so often come with a higher pricetag than many other options.

Dental veneers can also be used to restore broken down teeth and whiten dark teeth, so at the same time straightening them you could end up with a perfect Hollywood smile at the same time!

teeth-veneers

One of the big disadvantages with dental veneers are that they often require some form of reduction of your natural teeth underneath. Many dentists prefer to work on a minimally invasive nature, whilst dental veneers are relatively minimally invasive they do still often require drilling of your natural tooth.

If your natural tooth is otherwise healthy then you need to know that some of this may be reduced in order to accept the new dental veneer.

Before cosmetic dentistry from our Harrow dentists
Before dental veneers
After cosmetic dentistry
After dental veneers

>> Read more blog posts about dental veneers

>> Information from the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry about dental veneers

Straighter teeth in around 12 to 16 weeks

One of the disadvantages of dental veneers is the fact that they often require a small amount of reduction of your natural tooth. Whenever possible we prefer to keep your natural teeth fully intact and so this is where the next treatment to straighten teeth comes in, it involves moving them with orthodontics and the technique which is fastest is known as the Inman Aligner.

The Inman aligner is a revolutionary new technique whereby a removable orthodontic appliance is used to push and pull your teeth in the correct direction. You need to be committed with your Inman aligner and wear it for at least 20 hours per day, removing it only for cleaning and eating.

Here’s a video of how the Inman aligner works by pushing and pulling at the same time.

>> more information on the Inman aligner

Straight teeth in around six months.

Many people dislike the fact that the Inman aligner, whilst being rapid, is a removable appliance. Some people prefer to have a fixed appliance. Fixed appliance orthodontics are generally able to move teeth slightly more than a removable appliance and the one that we prefer is Six Month Smiles.

This orthodontic system uses fixed, tooth coloured brackets to move your teeth around six months, this is much faster than conventional orthodontics which often takes between one and two years. The reason we can move the teeth quicker is down to a revolutionary type of bracket and the fact that we are often only moving the front teeth.

 

Before Six Month Smiles

 

After Six Month Smiles

>> more information on Six Month Smiles

 Cosmetic dentistry to whiten dark teeth

You have two options to whiten dark teeth:

  1. Teeth whitening.
  2. Dental veneers.

Teeth whitening and cosmetic dentistry

Teeth whitening is one of the most easily accessible treatments in dentistry as it can be offered to almost anyone. So long as you have natural teeth (dental veneers or crowns cannot be whitened) and you are in good dental health then you are more than likely candidate of teeth whitening.

As with any dental treatment it is absolutely vital that you are in good dental health before embarking on any programme of whitening. This is one of the reasons it is important to visit your dental practice to have your whitening treatment, if your gums are unhealthy or perhaps bleed on contact then this can affect the whitening process and inflame any gum disease you may already have.

The clear teeth whitening tray
The clear teeth whitening tray

Teeth whitening works by placing a small amount of peroxide gel in contact with your teeth. This peroxide whitening gel is held in place by close-fitting and precision made bleaching tray which is the spoke to you and cannot be used with anybody else. These trays need to be made with absolute precision.

They need to seal around the age of your tooth/gum margin to ensure that none of the peroxide gel touches your sensitive gums. This is another reason why we recommend going to see your dentist for whitening, they can accurately make sure that this tray fits precisely prior to beginning any treatment.

You will typically wear your teeth whitening bleaching trays overnight for approximately 2 weeks. The good thing with the treatment is that if you experience too much sensitivity or you reach your desired tooth colour then you can stop treatment immediately.

Dental veneers for whitening teeth

If your teeth are extremely dark, perhaps because they have died then we may find that whitening is not adequate to get them to the shade required. If this is the case then dental veneers can be used to cover up the dark teeth underneath.

Before restoration with veneers to whiten teeth

 

After restoration with dental veneers

Restoring broken down teeth in cosmetic dentistry

We’ve already discussed the ability for dental veneers to straighten crooked teeth and white and dark teeth, they can also be used to restore broken down teeth. Because we’ve already spoken about dental veneers we’re going to focus our attention now on dental crowns.

Dental crownsA dental crown is a precision made and highly aesthetic replacement for the natural crown of your tooth. The most aesthetic ones are made from pure high-strength dental great ceramic which is extremely long lasting and can withstand the force is exerted when you eat and chew.

Your dentist will remove any decayed area of tooth, prepare the remaining teeth and take an impression which will be sent off to the dental technician. The dental technician, who was a highly skilled member of the dental team will then make your new crown to fit exactly over the stump which the dentist has prepared.

This whole process takes approximately 2 weeks from start to finish, was the technician is making a new crown you will be supplied with a temporary crown.

Replacing missing teeth in cosmetic dentistry

We’ve written blog post in the past offering top tips for people wanting to replace missing teeth, so we’re not going to spend too much time here talking about this. What is important to know is that replacing missing teeth can also be done in conjunction with other forms of cosmetic dentistry.

If you have missing tooth it may be that in order to replace it we need to create more space, if this is true then we may use orthodontics to move the surrounding teeth around to create enough space. You may also want to restore broken down teeth and white and other teeth at the same time as replacing missing teeth. This then becomes a more complex form of cosmetic dentistry with complicated procedures.

If you’re going to have these more complex procedures we recommend you search for your cosmetic dentist on the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry website, in the search facility if you type in Nishan Dixit and enter the area as Harrow you will find that he is a full member of the Academy who has been qualified for more than three years, demonstrated a commitment cosmetic dentistry by fulfilling their strict requirements which include attendance at meetings and ongoing postgraduate education in subjects relevant to the practice of cosmetic dentistry.

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Dr Nishan Dixit runs a dental practice in the heart of Harrow offering cosmetic dentistry  to the local people. The practice offers a free cosmetic dentistry consultation with the treatment co-ordinator, please complete the relevant form here 

 

Who said I’m camera shy !

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit is the founder and principal dentist of Blue Court Dental. Patients enjoy his relaxed, friendly and gentle approach while experiencing his meticulous attention to detail. He has a special interest in providing smile makeovers, natural-looking white fillings and cosmetic braces, but also provides a range of treatments from preventative and general dental care to complex dental rehabilitation.
Dr Nishan Dixit

Latest posts by Dr Nishan Dixit (see all)

IMG_7103 IMG_7106 IMG_7124 IMG_7113 IMG_7108

“Please make me look nice for my daughter’s big day!”  These were the words of a loving mother who desperately wanted nice teeth for what was going to be one of the most important days of her life, her daughter’s wedding.   For most of her life,  she had lived with a smile she was very unhappy with.  Her top teeth were very uneven and discoloured.  The  old existing crowns towards the back of the mouth  had began to deteriorate, as well as a tooth which had become very stained and unsightly.   The gap in between her front  two teeth always seemed to draw attention to her not so great smile.  This  made her feel very self conscious and even embarrassed.   She would never smile in front of the camera,  and even in general conversation,  she would raise her hand to cover her mouth.  Friends and family always thought she was very quiet, but in reality, she lacked so much confidence that smiling, laughing and even talking was something she found very difficult.    She wanted a smile that would make  her  look and feel great.

With careful thought and planning, Dr Dixit achieved this transformation by using a combination of all ceramic crowns and veneers.  To make the teeth brighter , the teeth were whitened using the home whitening system.  The heavily filled teeth were protected with new crowns and the new veneers helped to improve the shape and position of the teeth.  The colour was matched exactly to the patients new teeth colour.  The crowns and veneers were made to look as natural as possible.

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The patient was very pleased with the results.   It had given her so much  confidence that she felt like a new woman.  She looked and felt amazing.  The discoloured front tooth and filling had gone and the visible black lines were no longer there.  She finally had the smile she always wanted.

 

 

What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth?

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit is the founder and principal dentist of Blue Court Dental. Patients enjoy his relaxed, friendly and gentle approach while experiencing his meticulous attention to detail. He has a special interest in providing smile makeovers, natural-looking white fillings and cosmetic braces, but also provides a range of treatments from preventative and general dental care to complex dental rehabilitation.
Dr Nishan Dixit

Latest posts by Dr Nishan Dixit (see all)

Smiling woman Many people are looking for that brighter, whiter smile but did you know that research (1)  seems to indicate that it’s not actually a white smile which people find attractive, rather, it is a yellow smile which people find unattractive.

The researchers found that:

Whitening had no effect beyond that produced by natural colouration. This indicates that these colour induced alterations in ratings of attractiveness are mediated by increased/decreased yellowing rather than whitening per se.

As we get older our teeth yellow with age and whitening them back to their natural colouration is all that is required to achieve the most attractive smile, so what is the best way to whiten your teeth?

The best way to whiten teeth.

Here’s a simple list:

  1. Good oral hygiene.
  2. Over-the-counter teeth whitening products.
  3. Home teeth whitening.
  4. Restorative treatments such as immediate veneers, dental veneers dental crowns.

Good oral hygiene.

The first step to enjoying whiter teeth is to maintain good oral hygiene. Firstly this will help keep your natural teeth as white as possible, if plaque (2) is kept at bay then staining is less likely to build up on your teeth. Secondly, before you have any of the other teeth whitening treatments you’ll need to ensure that your teeth and gums are in good condition. Most dentists will not offer any form of cosmetic or whitening treatment if you’re oral hygiene is not up to scratch!

Over-the-counter teeth whitening products.

There are many products available to buy over-the-counter in your local pharmacy, However, the Daily Mail (3) says:

Experts warn that some products which claim to whiten could actually harm your teeth, gums and even your stomach lining.

jailed_OPT

While some of these products may work their effectiveness and safety isn’t monitored by a dental professional and therefore they come with some risk if you use them at home.

Another trend in teeth whitening is to go to beauty salons or other establishments other than a dental practice. Whilst this may be cheaper than going to a dentist it is also illegal! Teeth whitening falls under the category of “the practice of dentistry”, the General Dental Council (4) says:

The practice of dentistry is limited to GDC registrants. It is the Council’s view that applying materials and carrying out procedures designed to improve the aesthetic appearance of teeth amounts to the practice of dentistry. So too does the giving of clinical advice about such procedures. Therefore all tooth whitening procedures, including bleach and laser treatment, are seen as the practice of dentistry by the General Dental Council.

 

It is important to know the teeth whitening products contain an amount of peroxide, this peroxide can be dangerous if not used correctly and it is for this reason that we recommend you only visit a suitably qualified dental professional for your teeth whitening.

Home teeth whitening.

teeth-bleaching-tray-300x196When you have home teeth whitening you will be provided with a custom made and closed fitting bleaching tray, into this tray you will apply the bleaching gel which is held against your teeth.This bleaching tray has some unique features:

  1. It will be extremely close-fitting ensuring that you use the minimum amount of gel with each application, this means the gel goes further and lasts longer.
  2. The tray is customised for you, it can only be used by you.
  3. It will put a very slight amount of pressure around the tooth/gum margin. This is to create a seal in this area to prevent the peroxide gel from touching your sensitive gums.

These design features are extremely important to ensure that the treatment is not only effective but safe too, only a qualified dental professional is able to prescribe one of these trays.

Something to watch out for, the bleaching tray is made from a thermoplastic, this means you will need to keep tray away from hot/warm water as it could distort.

Restorative treatments such as veneers or crowns.

In some extreme cases with very dark teeth conventional teeth whitening is not able to lighten the teeth enough.

Before treatment
After treatment

As you can see from the case above these teeth were particularly dark and the patient wanted them particularly liked, there was also another complication, and existing Crown on the front tooth. Dental crowns and veneers cannot be lightened with teeth whitening techniques, so if you have an existing restoration then this will need to be replaced as part of the whitening process.

This lady wanted to improve her smile, have it more natural looking and whiter than it was before so we prepared her teeth for porcelain crowns to achieve an excellent result, what do you think?

>> Read more about this case here

Summary

Many times a combination of treatments can be used to whiten your teeth, you may have a single tooth which is too dark to whiten using the bleaching method, but we may be able to whiten the surrounding teeth and then use a single dental veneer or crown on the very dark tooth to whiten that the same shade.

The cost of teeth whitening treatments will also vary enormously depending on the complexity of your case. To give you an idea of dental fees please visit our fee guide. By far the cheapest way of maintaining unnaturally bright smile is to keep your teeth in excellent dental health. This will keep plaque at bay and ensure that the buildup of any staining on your teeth is kept to a minimum. The next most cost-effective method is to consider teeth bleaching however this is not always suitable for the reasons already stated.

Teeth Whitening References:

  1. “Evidence to Suggest That Teeth Act as Human Ornament Displays Signalling Mate Quality”  Colin A. Hendrie, Gayle Brewer  Published: July 31, 2012DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042178  http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0042178 site accessed 18/12/14
  2. Information on Plaque From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_plaque site accessed 18/12/14
  3. The Daily Mail: DIY dazzlers: High Street tooth whiteners put to the test Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1282977/DIY-dazzlers-High-Street-tooth-whiteners-test.htm site accessed 18/12/14
  4. General Dental Council : Tooth whitening Q and A’s. http://www.gdc-uk.org/dentalprofessionals/standards/pages/tooth-whitening.aspx site accessed 18/12/14

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Blue Court Dental Centre is a local dentist in the heart of Harrow, Middlesex. They offer a range of dental treatments including teeth whitening, dental veneers and oral hygiene programs to help keep your teeth looking fresh and bright for life.

X-Factor Winner James Arthur’s Teeth

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit is the founder and principal dentist of Blue Court Dental. Patients enjoy his relaxed, friendly and gentle approach while experiencing his meticulous attention to detail. He has a special interest in providing smile makeovers, natural-looking white fillings and cosmetic braces, but also provides a range of treatments from preventative and general dental care to complex dental rehabilitation.
Dr Nishan Dixit

Latest posts by Dr Nishan Dixit (see all)

X factor winner James Arthur's teeth

As the X-Factor competition comes to a close once more the interest in each of the contestants rises, and with that comes the pressure for them to look like a superstar.

And this year James Arthur is no different!

When Cheryl Cole one the talent show a few years ago when she joined girls aloud she also had dentistry to enhance her smile, and many people are aware that Tulisa, one of the judges on X factor also had cosmetic dentistry.

Of course it is down to James Arthur’s dentist to decide exactly what type of treatment is suitable for him, and it is not for us to make that decision however we can make some suggestions based on the photographs.

The purpose of doing this is so that you can see the similarities between your own situation and James’ situation so that you can decide which type of treatment might be right for you.

Overlapping teeth.

As you can see James is teeth overlap quite considerably, especially the front tooth (known as the central) to the left of the photograph. This has the effect of making the next tooth along (known as the lateral) to look darker. This effect is simply caused by the shadowing of the rotated central. When this happens it is sometimes possible to use orthodontics to straighten the teeth out, and the systems commonly used are as follows.

Clear Braces.

These are almost invisible braces and are typically worn for around 12 months. Every two weeks or so you will wear a new clear aligner to align your teeth to the new position. You will be prescribed a series of aligners, each of which move your teeth a small amount towards their final position. From what we know this was the type of brace that Cheryl Cole had to move her teeth.

Inman aligner.

The Inman aligner is a new form of rapid orthodontics. The appliance is removable and works on the principle of pushing and pulling your teeth at the same time in the direction required. Sometimes the final result can be achieved in around 12 weeks, which is much faster than any of the other orthodontic systems around.

More information on the Inman aligner

Six month smiles.

This is one of the most modern systems and involves the use of fixed ceramic brackets. Because Six Month Smiles is a fixed orthodontic the results can often be achieved faster than with removable orthodontics, typically within six months. This type of orthodontic brace has also been worn by many celebrities including Tom Cruise and Faith Hill.

More information on six month smiles

Instant veneers.

Moving crooked teeth to the new position is generally the preferred option as you maintain your natural teeth. In some instances this may not be possible, or indeed the client may require a more rapid alternative. If you look at James Arthurs lateral on the left-hand side of the photograph (his right hand side) this tooth is set back. It might be possible in this instance to add some instant veneer bonding material to the lateral to to build it out somewhat.

The disadvantage with this technique is that there will always be this bonding material on the outside of your tooth, this does have a tendency overtime to discolour so regular appointments at the dentist will be required to ensure the tooth stays nice and white.

Ceramic dental veneers.

These are used in exactly the same way as instant veneers, however the results are not as instant (typically taking three weeks) however the advantage is that ceramic veneers will not stain the same way that instant veneers may. The this advantage with ceramic veneers is the slight possibility that they could chip, so you need to be aware if you are wearing veneers that chipping is a possibility – although highly unlikely with modern materials.

More information on ceramic dental veneers.

As James Arthur increases in popularity and his photographs are used more around the Internet it will be interesting to see which type of treatment he opts for. Which ever treatment James decides is best Blue Court Dental Centre in Harrow, Middlesex sincerely wish him all the very best with his new smile and new career.

Harrow dentist introduces free information pack for dental veneers

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit

Dr Nishan Dixit is the founder and principal dentist of Blue Court Dental. Patients enjoy his relaxed, friendly and gentle approach while experiencing his meticulous attention to detail. He has a special interest in providing smile makeovers, natural-looking white fillings and cosmetic braces, but also provides a range of treatments from preventative and general dental care to complex dental rehabilitation.
Dr Nishan Dixit

Latest posts by Dr Nishan Dixit (see all)

Are you concerned about the look of your teeth?

Have you considered dental veneers in the past?

Are you looking for more information on dental veneers?

More and more people in the Harrow area have had dental veneers, and are now smiling with confidence. These veneers are a modern way to have whiter or straighter teeth, or to disguise chipped or broken down teeth.

What are dental veneers?

Dental veneers are  thin shells  of specially made dental ceramic made by a skilled dental technician to a precise prescription written by the dentist. These thin shells fit precisely over your existing teeth, with the outer layer of the dental veneers being the perfect colour and shape. The dental veneer is then the part that other people see and will look exactly like natural, brighter and whiter straight teeth.

How our dental veneers made?

Your dentist will decide on the number of dental veneers that I write to help you achieve the smile that you desire. It is generally considered best practice to opt for the minimum number of veneers, in order to achieve your ideal smile. The dentist then takes a mould of your teeth, which is sent to a dental laboratory. This dental laboratory then pour some high strength dental plaster into this mould to create an exact replica of your current teeth.

The dental technician will then craft your new dental veneers over the top of this mould to the exact prescription of the dentist, taking into account the final position, colour and shape that you would like your new dental veneers to be.

How long do dental veneers last?

This is a very difficult question to answer. The most common reason that dental veneers are replaced is either due to the patient getting older (which unfortunately we all do) or the veneer chipping.

Replacing dental veneers due to age.

When a dental veneer is made for the first time, it will fit precisely the gum margin. However, as we age this gum margin moves and the tooth appears to get longer, hence the expression longer in the tooth. If the dental veneer is a different colour from the underlying two, this margin, or junction, will now be exposed. In order to disguise this a new dental veneer can be made which extends down to the new gum margin of the older patient.

Replacing dental veneers due to chipping.

If the veneers are carefully looked after, they should last for many many years. The most common reason that veneers chip is if they are hit with a glass or mug whilst the patient is drinking. The only way to prevent dental veneers chipping in this way, is to be more careful! And remember that natural teeth can chip this same way to.

What to do if you want dental veneers.

If you are unhappy about your smile, then the best thing to do  is to either request a cosmetic consultation at our Harrow-based dental practice or download our free guide to a confident, whiter and straighter smile with dental veneers. This free information pack for dental veneers has been specially written to include all of the options for cosmetic dentistry, and will give you an insight into whether veneers are right for of cosmetic dental option for you.