Here at Diana Dental we really enjoy helping patients who have issues with their smile. We find that this can be quite debilitating for many people and can affect their confidence on a day-to-day basis…
With the increasing popularity of social media there seems to be more pressure than ever to create that perfect smile, hair “do,” and make-up. Gone are the days where a night out or holiday resulted in giggling at bad photos with your friends outside Max Spielman. In those days they simply ended up in the bin, never to see the light of day again. Today they’re all too often posted on social media sites for the world to see!
So it’s good news that there are now many different ways to improve your smile and the position of your teeth using almost invisible techniques. These are techniques which can be done with minimal dental work and don’t necessarily require any teeth to be removed to create the desired result. The treatment is always followed up with retention, which will help maintain the position of your teeth because – believe it or not – your teeth are constantly moving. This follow-up care is extremely important and we feel it’s one of the most important stages in protecting your investment of time and money with us.
Do you know if you’re “dentally fit” or not?
For the patients we see who are members of another practice or who maybe haven’t seen a dentist for a while, we always recommend a full dental health examination prior to any corrective procedures being undertaken. We use the analogy that “to build a successful home, the foundations have to be solid or the house won’t look as good, won’t last as long and may have issues” and this is the same with your oral health.
As a practice we feel that unless you’re d
entally fit and your gum condition stable, you may not get the orthodontic results you want, or they may not last as long as you’d like. And, most importantly, working on a weak dental foundation might have a detrimental effect on your teeth both during and after the treatment.
During any kind of orthodontic (brace) treatment, your gum condition is especially important. Gum disease is the number 1 cause of tooth loss here in the UK. If left untreated plaque will harden and irritate your gums and can lead to loss of bone support for the teeth. This can then result in the loss of one or more of your teeth.
Or, once the treatment is complete, your teeth might end up moving out of position a lot quicker than they would for someone with a healthier mouth, even after retention treatment.
It’s for this reason that we might recommend a course of hygiene treatment before having any kind of braces fitted. Not only will your teeth and gums be clean and strong, but you’ll also have all the skills, tools and techniques you need to keep your new smile perfect and plaque-free every day!
Of course, we always make sure that there are no issues with decay, too, to prevent any discomfort and to avoid interruption during your treatment (imagine your horror if you had to lose a tooth due to decay either during or right after your treatment…)
Although orthodontic treatment might need to be delayed slightly while we get your teeth and gums on a healthy footing, in the long term it truly gives a more lasting and pleasing result. And isn’t that something worth waiting for??
