Saturday, November 27, 2010

Get that million dollar smile!


Woman smiling.jpg
In your quest to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle, don't forget to pay attention to your dental health. When you take so much effort to look and feel good, why push your dental appearance on the back burner? 

Cosmetic dentistry can be summarised as dental procedures or treatments used to enhance one's teeth. It comprises treatments ranging from teeth whitening, correction of chipped or uneven teeth, to restoration of teeth.

A lot of people especially between 25 to 35 years of age opt for these treatments to enhance and correct their smiles. There is a strong desire to sport dazzling smiles in our celebrity obsessed society. Previously actors, models and socialites formed a major chunk of clientele.

However, today there is an increasing number of clientele that comprises ordinary professionals who opt for these procedures because they believe that a good smile leaves a good impression.

Popular procedures...

Teeth whitening 
This is perhaps the most popular treatment and is also known as 'tooth bleaching'. You need to decide the level of whiteness that you wish to acquire. There are two kinds of treatments here, Laser whitening (In-Office treatment) and Home bleaching (In-Home treatment).

- In the laser whitening procedure, a rubber seal is fitted to cover your gums, a bleaching solution is applied over the teeth and a bright laser light is pointed at them. Laser whitening is more effective than home bleaching in terms of longevity of the whitening. There is a lesser chance of hypersensitivity of the teeth.

- For the home bleaching treatment, the dentist measures and prepares a tray-like mould for your teeth, made up of vinyl. The moulds are filled with bleaching gel, which are fixed on the desired teeth and left on standby for one to two hours depending on the gel's concentration. The first time is done at the dentist's clinic, later subsequent six-monthly touch-ups can be done at home as per your dentist's instructions.

Veneer 
Veneer is used to correct uneven teeth, to close gaps between teeth or to mend chipped teeth. It all depends on the amount of damage. If teeth are badly damaged due to cavities, a crown or a root-cap is to be fixed. Though veneers last for about five years, they can suffer damage. It is advisable not to bite hard candy on the veneer-fixed teeth.

Crowns 
These are used for restoration of damaged or cracked teeth. Crowns are made of porcelain-like materials and sometimes even of metal, and shaped like teeth. When a tooth has been decayed or broken, a crown is fitted on it to restore its appearance.

Dental implants 
Dental implants are used for restoration of missing teeth. In this procedure, artificial roots are embedded in the jaw, which is topped by an artificial or a prosthetic tooth.

Braces 
Individuals who suffer from protruding front teeth are advised to opt for braces for corrective purposes. First, an extensive diagnosis of the teeth is done and accordingly treatment is prescribed. Braces are usually made up of small metal brackets that are glued to the teeth with a metal wire.

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