Archives for February, 2011

Bridge the tooth gap

February 28th, 2011

Dental bridges can be used to replace one or more missing teeth, not just for cosmetic reasons, but to improve your oral health too.

Not many people would be happy to carry on with an ugly gap in their smile after losing a tooth or teeth, which is where dental bridges come in. Bridges are false teeth which are anchored onto the teeth either side of the gap to hold them in place. The false teeth themselves can be made of pretty much anything – no doubt you’ve seen rappers with their gold or diamond false teeth? Most commonly, us non-celebrities will have our false teeth made of porcelain to match the shade of our remaining natural teeth.

Replacing missing teeth isn’t just a cosmetic consideration, though being able to smile without worrying about ugly gaps is an important reason for the procedure. On a more serious note, gaps in your teeth, whether caused by tooth decay or an accident, can affect your speech, the likelihood of developing gum disease and even the shape of your face. The gap can cause the teeth on either side to “lean” into the empty space which will actually alter the shape of your jaw and mouth area. Gum disease is more common in people with untreated gaps as more food and plaque can gather in the space between the healthy teeth, causing a build-up in the bacteria that causes gingivitis. All in all, good reasons to have dental bridges put in place are to stop the gap causing you oral health problems in the future.

Fitting the bridge itself takes at least two appointments; the first to take measurements and to check what shade of white the new tooth should be, while the bridge is actually fitted during the second visit. You may need to return for more appointments if the bridge is uncomfortable or too loose, so that adjustments can be made, but once fitted you can expect your dental bridge to stay in place for 10-15 years.

You have to maintain a very strict standard of oral hygiene when you have a dental bridge, as there is more chance of food or plaque becoming lodged in some of the areas around where the false tooth has been fitted. Make sure you brush and use mouthwash every day, carefully brushing around the bridge area. You can even buy special dental floss that can loop underneath the fixed part of your dental bridge to remove any plaque that is hidden away in the areas where your toothbrush cannot reach.

Sparkle Dental are here to add a little ‘sparkle’ to your smile

If you are concerned about a gap in your teeth or would just like more information about dental bridges, then you can speak to your local dentist in Acton.

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Have you thought about cosmetic dentistry?

February 25th, 2011

When you think cosmetic surgery you automatically think boob job, nose job and an A-list lifestyle.

Therefore, when you hear the words ‘cosmetic dentistry’ most people would be forgiven for thinking that it’s a little more Hollywood than Chiswick; but in actual fact this form of dentistry is more everyday than you might think and does not have to be left for the rich and famous to take full advantage.

Very few smiles are perfect and many of us will have little insecurities about the stained tooth that no amount of whitening product will change or the gap that may be a little too wide for comfort. Cosmetic dentistry is an often simple solution for most of your smile insecurities.

The wonders of cosmetic dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry procedures start small and finish big with many stops in between – the possibilities with cosmetic dentistry truly are endless. Simple procedures include such things as teeth whitening, white fillings, orthodontics, veneers, crowns and bridges – things you might consider to be simple dental procedures rather than flashy cosmetic procedures. The technicalities of cosmetic dentistry climb high though and more dramatic procedures include: gum contouring or reshaping, dental implants, smile ‘makeovers’ and even a facial
rejuvenation – put simply, a non-surgical facelift involving Botox and fillers.

Cosmetic dentistry can sound a little OTT and this can put some people off the idea but for some a smile complex can take over your day-to-day life and at this point it is time to take control; fix your problem and restore that fabulous feeling your flawed smile has chased away.

Many criticise cosmetic dentistry due to the fact that it is based on aesthetics rather than oral health and is therefore ‘unnecessary’. However, when it is possible to restore someone’s confidence and make them feel good by a simple procedure then the pros of cosmetic dentistry very easily outweigh the cons.

Sparkle Dental are here to add a little ‘sparkle’ to your smile

If you are seeking a sparkly new smile and are considering cosmetic dentistry then it is important that you do your research; know your facts; and find a dentist that you trust completely to do a good job. Different dentists have different experience and some are more qualified than others. Make sure you can be sure that the end result of your transformation will be fabulous!

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Have you tuned into Sparkedental TV yet?

February 22nd, 2011

At Sparkle Dental Boutique, we are proud to announce the arrival of our own hot new online TV channel, SparkledentalTV.

The channel will consist of video testimonials where you can directly hear from our patients about our team, services and treatments.

You can also subscribe to our channel on You Tube and be the first to find out the latest goings on at Sparkle.

If you are a patient of the practice and would like to feature in one of our videos and be a “star for the day”, please contact us at Sparkle Dental Boutique.

Catch up on all videos that you have missed out on and don’t forget to tune in and keep watching…..

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Are you looking after your child’s smile?

February 22nd, 2011

It may seem a little neurotic to think about taking your child to the dentist the minute their milk teeth come through.

However, the fact is that from the minute your child’s teeth show they are susceptible to all the little nasties that yours are and so your child’s dental health should be taken seriously from the start.

Children’s dental health in the UK is actually amongst the best in Europe but it is still the case that only 6 in 10 children start school with a perfectly healthy mouth. For 4 in 10 children problems such as tooth decay or acid erosion have already taken effect by the age of 5. Young children cannot be held responsible however for the state of their oral health; it is up to parents to make sure that their child’s teeth are kept healthy.

Keeping a Small Smile Mighty

The first thing to do is to get your child interested in brushing right from the start. As soon as their first milk tooth comes through you should start to clean their teeth. Starting as you intend to go on will mean that your child gets into a routine that they will continue for life. As your child grows you should start to teach them the art of effective brushing but not until the age of 7 should you leave the kids to it when they’re brushing their teeth – be sure they are doing it correctly.

As with brushing, trips to the dentist should start as early as possible. Take your child along with you for your check-up and they’ll get used to the surroundings and will not fret when it’s their turn to climb into the dentist chair. The dentist will also have an informal look around your child’s mouth while you’re there and will be able to keep a check on any early problems.

A final thought is your child’s best friend: sugar! Keeping the kids sugar free is impossible but being clever with the sugar allowance will go a long way in keeping tooth decay at bay. Try to keep sugary foods confined to meal times and finish meals with alkaline foods such as cheese or milk to neutralise the acid left behind. The less time sugar is left to linger, the less damage it can do.

Sparkle Dental are here to add a little ‘sparkle’ to your smile

When your child’s teeth are shiny and new it may seem unimportant to take oral health seriously but your child’s teeth are just as susceptible to oral problems as yours. Starting early will keep their smile brighter than the lights of the Hanwell and not only this but young minds follow good example and a good example set by you will ensure your child learns to take oral health seriously.

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Healthy teeth for a healthy you

February 21st, 2011

Oral hygiene isn’t just about keeping your teeth looking clean, but also about keeping your mouth – and the rest of your body – healthy.

How many of us really take proper care of our teeth? Proper care involves brushing for at least two minutes twice a day and after every meal if possible with fluoride toothpaste to prevent cavities. Dental floss and mouthwash can help clean those areas of the mouth that brushing misses; at the back of the mouth, between teeth and even below the gum line. You should even brush your mouth, to get rid of the bacteria that can live in the mouth, causing not just bad breath but other more serious conditions.

Don’t forget that visiting your dentist for regular check-ups and/or thorough sessions with the hygienist is an important part of your oral healthcare routine too. Your dentist will be able to pick up on anything they think you might be doing wrong, and correct it. Or advise a new product that could fix a particular problem you are having. Nothing beats a good clean at the dental office by a qualified hygienist. You only have to think about how clean your teeth feel when you leave the surgery to realise that you can’t match it at home!

Maintaining good oral hygiene will not just keep your smile pretty and your breath fresh, but can stop tooth decay, cavities and gum disease. All these conditions are caused by bacteria that if left untreated can even get into the bloodstream and affect other parts of the body. Experts have often thought there was a link between oral health and general health, which emphasises the importance of following these oral hygiene tips and making sure you visit your dentist regularly.

Young children should be brushing their teeth as soon as they have them, though obviously Mums and Dads should help out with the very little ones. Make sure they don’t eat too many sugary snacks and educate them as to why brushing your teeth is so important. Even when they have taken over the job for themselves, keep supervising them to make sure they are doing a good job! Visits to the dentist are very important for children, as early diagnosis of problems like cavities or tooth decay are essential to treat the condition effectively.

Sparkle Dental are here to add a little ‘sparkle’ to your smile

Make sure you register with a local dentist in the Ealing area to check that your oral hygiene routine is keeping you and your family healthy.

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Bonding can fix up your teeth

February 18th, 2011

Smarten up the appearance of discoloured or damaged teeth with cosmetic bonding to help you smile with confidence.

Cosmetic bonding is a useful technique if you only have one or two teeth that are discoloured or damaged. After all, the rest of your teeth might be fine, meaning that treatment with veneers would be a bit over the top! Bonding involves fixing material to the front of the tooth to cover up any unsightly stains, blemishes or even to repair any imperfections.

The material used is quite malleable, and is made from a resin that hardens once applied. So even though the dentist is able to bend and shape the bonding while they are applying it to your teeth, it is actually pretty strong stuff and will be indistinguishable from the surrounding teeth – especially once your dentist has matched up the colour of the material with the teeth around it! It’s not quite like picking out house paint from colour charts, but the bonding material is available in lots of different shades of “tooth” so you will be able to find a colour that matches your own very closely.

Obviously, this smaller-scale treatment is cheaper than having a whole set of porcelain veneers made up, which is why people who only have one stained or damaged tooth might prefer to use bonding. Even having one tooth that you don’t like the look of can be enough to affect your confidence and stop you from smiling with confidence, which is why procedures like this are becoming more and more popular.

And having the treatment carried out couldn’t be simpler. Unlike lots of other, more complex cosmetic dentistry treatments you only need to go to the dentist once for the material to be applied – though you have to make sure to keep on attending your regular check-ups too. Although the resin does harden so it is tough enough to stand daily wear and tear, it isn’t as strong as porcelain veneers, so you are likely to have to replace them more often. You still have to work hard to keep your mouth clean, with daily brushing and mouthwash, as the resin can be stained by tea, coffee, red wine and smoking, just like your natural teeth.

Sparkle Dental are here to add a little ‘sparkle’ to your smile

If you have a damaged tooth that you would like covered up with cosmetic bonding, then consult your local dentist in the Hounslow area to see of the procedure is suitable for you.

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Cover up tooth imperfections the right way

February 16th, 2011

Now there’s an easier way to get the perfect smile you’ve always dreamed off – forget teeth whitening, braces or just old fashioned elbow grease.

It can be hard work to keep your smile looking perfect, can’t it? We might all dream of having a Hollywood grin, but these stars have an army of beauticians and personal assistants on hand to keep them looking great. All we have in our arsenal is fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash.

Teeth whitening treatments are now widely available, but even they will only work so well on badly stained teeth; and they can’t do anything to fix that small gap or correct that crooked bit. So that’s where porcelain veneers come in.

You can be measured for a set of veneers that will be cemented to the front of your natural teeth to create a brand new smile. These are becoming a really popular way of fixing crooked or stained teeth quickly and effectively – but not necessarily cheaply. Even the best smiles in the land are rumoured to have been created with veneers, with gossip columnists suggesting that the royal bride Kate Middleton recently had porcelain veneers fitted ahead of her spring wedding.

While the veneers will be cleaner and brighter than your natural teeth, and will cover up any blemishes or imperfections, you shouldn’t get brilliant white veneers, as these will just look fake. I’m sure you can all think of someone from the gossip magazine who has one of those dazzling smiles, which just don’t look quite right…

After all the aim is to have a beautiful, clean, straight natural smile. Dentists will work hard to make sure no-one will be able to tell you’ve had veneers fitted, filing down the edge of your natural teeth to make room for the additions and giving you tips on how to keep your veneers in good condition. If you’re someone who upholds good oral hygiene your veneers can last up to ten years, when you will then need a new set made; veneers can become damaged and stained just like ordinary teeth.

Sparkle Dental are here to add a little ‘sparkle’ to your smile

Porcelain veneers are a popular and widely-available dental treatment, available in many surgeries including those in the Brentford area.

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Turn back time and rejuvenate your look

February 14th, 2011

Women and men are never too old to consider cosmetic dentistry to improve their appearance.

If you look at the celebrity magazines that dominate High Street stores, then you may think that every famous person out there has had some sort of cosmetic surgery. From Jordan and her changing boob size to speculation about which older celebs have had face lifts, the gutter press seems obsessed with stars going under the knife. This obsession has lead to an increase in enquiries from “normal” people about cosmetic procedures, including cosmetic dentistry.

Cosmetic dentistry is one of the easiest procedures to undergo. After all, most are superficial changes, involving no actual surgery. While it may have been mainly younger men and women asking about treatments like braces, veneers and tooth whitening in the past, a greater proportion of older people are starting to see the benefits of cosmetic dentistry.

In India, dentists are even reporting that children are bringing their older parents in for treatment to help them find a new partner! As the workplace gets younger and younger, older execs are feeling the pressure to keep up a young and energetic appearance. What better way to do that than with a quick tooth whitening session or a set of smiling bright veneers?

There’s no reason why patients of any age can’t undergo cosmetic dentistry procedures, although individual practitioners will have to take each case on merit and look into any potential health problems. Having cosmetic dentistry when you’re older can even help improve the appearance of your face and lower jaw, without having to go under the knife. Though, if you want to give Mother Nature a helping hand, a lot of dental surgeries are also offering Botox injections, so they can fix up your wrinkles while they fix up your teeth, to give you the dazzling smile – even better than the one you had in your twenties!

If you are thinking about undergoing any type of cosmetic dentistry, you should arrange a consultation with a dentist first before making any decision. Talk to them about what you want the procedure to achieve and they will be able to recommend what is the right treatment for you.

Sparkle Dental are here to add a little ‘sparkle’ to your smile

Dentists in the Kew area will be able to help you with the decision to have cosmetic dentistry work carried out and will conduct detailed check-ups after the treatment is over.

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Get to the root of the problem

February 11th, 2011

Fix your damaged or infected teeth from the inside, through root canal treatment at your local dentist.

Root canal is one of those phrases that can strike fear into the heart of any dental phobia patient. Along with fillings and extractions they’re one of those procedures that everyone will do anything they can to avoid! Yet actually, a root canal can be fairly painless, apart from some discomfort once the local anaesthetic has worn off, and is usually essential for the health of the tooth involved.

Root canal may sound like a hi-tech name for the treatment, but it actually refers to the part of the tooth involved; the root canal system of the inner part of the tooth. Sometimes this can become infected or damaged, through tooth decay, leaky fillings or even injuries and accidents. However it happens, damage to the root of a tooth is very painful. Much worse than any minor pain you might experience during root canal treatment.

Sometimes the infection in the tooth can travel all the way down the root and into the gums. In these cases, dentists may decide it is better to remove the tooth, but most professionals will try and save a tooth where possible, which is where root canal treatment comes in. The procedure itself is something like a filling.

Once the nasty bacteria has been removed then the root canal is filled, to prevent any infection returning and to repair any damage it has already done, and then the treatment finishes with the sealing of the tooth itself with either a crown or a filling. Once this has been done, you should notice a reduction in the inflammation around the gums, and hopefully less pain, as the tooth starts to heal.

Obviously, no-one wants to lose a tooth. Aside from all the hassle of having dentures or implants fitted, it doesn’t look good to have gaps in your smile. Root canal is a simple and time-honoured way to try and save your damaged teeth.

Sparkle Dental are here to add a little ‘sparkle’ to your smile

Most dentists are able to carry out root canal treatment so you should be able to find someone to carry out the procedure in the Acton area.

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Don’t let missing teeth get you down

February 9th, 2011

Dental implants can replace dentures for a more comfortable, secure fit.

For decades, the only thing you could do when you lost your teeth was replace them with a set of false teeth or dentures. These could be quite cumbersome; a row of fake teeth fixed to a plate that slotted into either the roof of your mouth or lower jaw. They could cause all sorts of problems with a patient’s gums, rubbing away causing them to recede or bleed, leading to infections. But, of course, dentistry has come a long way since then.

Now, if you have a tooth knocked out or have lost some to decay, you can have a dental implant fitted instead. This works on the same principle as dentures, with a fake tooth fitted into the gap in your mouth, but in this case the dental implant is actually fused into the jawbone during a short, minor operation. Your gum tissue will actually grow back around the implant so the implant will look and feel like a real tooth.

Dental implants may seem like a perfect solution to tooth loss, but like most medical procedures they do have some negative aspects. For one thing, they are a lot more expensive than dentures. This can be balanced out by the fact that they require less maintenance and once they’re fitted, that should be the end of it – apart from your regular check-ups, obviously! The positives are much more numerous; patients have described implants as comfortable, secure, natural-looking and functional.

Of course, in the bad old days you had to take your dentures out to clean them effectively and make sure you’d got rid of all those annoying bits of food stuck under the bridge. While this is less likely with implants, you still have to maintain a very strict oral hygiene routine and there are lots of dedicated toothbrushes and types of dental floss, specifically aimed at the dental implant wearer.

Sparkle Dental are here to add a little ‘sparkle’ to your smile

If you live in the Chiswick area and currently have missing teeth issues, you could talk to your dentist and see if you are a suitable case for dental implants. Your quality of life is bound to improve, and you will find that you can eat all of your favourite foods once again!

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