Posts Tagged “Orthodontics”

Orthodontists Bearing Their Teeth At TV Show

Dentists have recently condemned the hit American TV Show ‘Ugly Betty’ for its negative portrayal of dental braces. In the show the lead character wears a pair of ‘train track’ wire braces. Orthodontics experts are worried that this could discourage people who need braces, as they may associate the unsightly train track style with orthodontic work. However, it is very rare for adults to be fitted with this style of braces and on the odd occasion when they are they are usually only ever required to wear them for a maximum of two years. The fact that braces are associated with ‘ugliness’, as portrayed in the program, has orthodontists worried about people avoiding having the treatment, when they may desperately need it.

However, if you’re one of these people who need corrective work done to their teeth, but are turned off by the idea of wearing braces then you should consult your orthodontist. They’ll be able to offer you a range of alternative treatments, and if it turns out that you are required to wear braces then it’s pretty unlikely you’ll have to wear the train track style wire braces. Modern braces are much more discrete and if some cosmetic dentistry experts are even able to offer their clients alternative corrective treatments that are just as effective as braces, but barely noticeable.

At the end of the day, you shouldn’t be worried about wearing braces as although popular TV shows may portray them as being typically unsightly, the fact is that most people probably won’t even notice you’re wearing them.

Posted in: Cosmetic Dentistry, Orthodontics, Orthodontists, braces
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| March 25, 2010 at 4:03 pm | No comment

Adult Orthodontics

BracesMany people will have had to wear braces during their childhood to correct teeth growing in at unusual angles. However, there is a small percentage of people who didn’t wear braces when they were younger, even though they really should have. In some cases this has caused a great deal of problems for these people in later life as their teeth may have grown in such a way that they have caused the individuals pain.

Not wearing braces during childhood, despite an apparent need can leave people with many different problems, some of which can be quite serious. However, in the majority of cases these problems will be purely aesthetic, and in the majority cases they can be corrected with cosmetic dentistry. The number of adults undergoing orthodontic treatments has increased sharply in recent years as more people who should have been wearing braces as children become aware of the fact that they can have the resultant dental problems corrected.

It’s quite common for people who didn’t undergo orthodontic treatment as a child to have very overcrowded teeth, as braces were not in place to control the direction of tooth growth. Most people will have this corrected for purely cosmetic reasons, however it some instances teeth that have gown in irregularly can cause some serious and quite painful problems!

Of courses, it would have been much better for these people if they could have prevented the problem in the first place, but thankfully adult orthodontics allows them an opportunity to sort out these problems in later life. If you think you could benefit from adult orthodontic treatment then get in touch with a cosmetic dentist today.

Posted in: Cosmetic Dentistry, Orthodontics, braces
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| March 3, 2010 at 10:50 am | No comment

The Right Angle For Your Teeth

OrthadonticsEven if you have never worn them yourself, everybody knows exactly what is meant by a “brace” or “braces” when it comes to cosmetic dentistry. Some countries have a higher usage rate than others, but chances are that if you went to school any time in the last 40 years that you will have had a friend who had to wear a brace. Back in those days most braces were obvious and ugly, often requiring a head strap or even face mask to be worn to apply the required pressures to the teeth and jaw.

Nowadays these obvious and demoralising rigs are rarely seen, and there are even some orthodontic systems available, such as Invisalign, that are subtle enough to go unnoticed by all but the keenest eyed observer. Realignment of teeth or bite will almost always have to be done by brute force alone, but the existence of such unobtrusive options as Invisalign compared to what was available 40 years ago is testament to how far this field of medicine has come.

People have been trying pseudo-medical methods to straighten teeth probably for as long as they have been combing their hair, but the modern field of orthodontics didn’t really come in to being until towards the end of the 19th Century, with the first school of orthodontics being founded by Englishman Edward H Angle in 1901. In fact the classification system laid out in Angle’s “Treatment of Malocclusion of the Teeth” was used worldwide and still forms the basis of the field today.

Modern orthodontists have a much better understanding of hygiene and infection control than they did in Angle’s day, but it his testament to his intellect and methodology that so much of his original teachings remain.

Posted in: Cosmetic Dentistry, Invisalign, Orthodontics, Orthodontist, braces
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| February 19, 2010 at 11:55 am | No comment

No Excuse For A Great Smile

Having crooked or misaligned teeth can have a serious impact on your confidence. Are you the only one not smiling in your holiday photos? Do you feel self conscious when giving a presentation at work? You are not alone, with surveys showing that a huge proportion of people in the Western world would change something about their teeth if they had the chance. Well perhaps you do.

Smile Makeovers  Porcelain Veneers
Before                                        After

The science of cosmetic dentistry is evolving all of the time and so if all you know of orthodontics is a mass of metal wires then perhaps you might want to look again. There are all kinds of different treatments available now, some that are best for making slight alterations and others that can completely transform your bite, face and smile.

The most striking and immediate effect you will see is with dental veneers. These are essentially little shields of material cemented on to the front of your existing teeth, covering up any discoloured, chipped or uneven teeth along the way. They can also be used to close gaps between teeth and can be used to literally build a brand new, perfect smile right over the top of your existing one. Dental veneers can be made from a variety of materials but the most popular is porcelain.

This kind of treatment can be expensive but the vast majority of dental clinics offer some kind of credit and payment scheme, allowing you to spread the cost over a number of months. Having the renewed confidence that a new, perfect smile can bring can transform your life, and with such easy finance options available there aren’t many reasons left not to go for it.

Posted in: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Veneers, Orthodontics
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| January 15, 2010 at 11:58 am | 1 comment

Counting the Cost

As we grow older, minor issues with the alignment of our teeth or bite can manifest themselves as serious problems, some causing discomfort, others leading to serious infection or damage to surrounding teeth and tissues. However, if you were to speak to most adults with slightly misaligned teeth, the vast majority would not put getting them fixed very highly on their list of priorities for the week, month or even year, even once made aware of the risks to their oral health that they are taking.

Part of the reason for this is the perceived cost of serious orthodontic work, as although a sick man will put no price on regaining his health, an otherwise healthy person with a busy lifestyle and multiple financial commitments will find it hard to justify the outlay on fixing a problem they consider to have not happened yet. The good news is that the vast majority of cosmetic dentists offer some kind of payment plans for large treatments, often at 0% interest. This of course takes a large lump sum that many people may struggle to find in one go and turns it in to little more than another phone bill each month – well worth your future dental health.

Another turn-off for a lot of people is the effect they fear having a mouth full of wires will have on their personal relationships, both at work and in their social lives. What they don’t realise is just how far cosmetic dentistry has come in recent years, and how inconspicuous modern orthodontic treatments can be. One such treatment is known as Invisalign, which involves the wearing of clear aligners that you remove for eating and teeth cleaning. Invisalign aligners are different to the “train-track” braces of old, not only because they can barely be seen when worn, but also because they require no permanent fixings within the mouth, making them significantly more comfortable to wear. We will cover these kinds of braces in more detail in another blog, but if you have been put off orthodontics in the past then it would be well worth your time to revisit the subject with an orthodontist and see what new treatments may be available to you.

Posted in: Orthodontics, Orthodontist
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| December 17, 2009 at 9:31 am | 5 comments