Cosmetic Dentistry In A New Era

Its been a while since I last blogged on all things dental and cosmetic. Finding time over the last 12 months has proved challenging to say the least but we are back! So what has changed since I last wrote here?
Probably the the biggest shift in cosmetic dentistry  that I haev noticed  seems to be towards the idea called ABB.   Or Align Bleach & Bond.  As a dentist who subscribes to a minimally invasive approach wherever possible this shift makes me very happy.

Align
There is a ( thankfully) growing realisation within dentistry that if we move the teeth towards a more optimal position first. The following stages of aesthetic or cosmetic treatment requires less or even no removal of healthy tooth tissue at all.
I have written a lot about  aligning teeth for cosmetic purposes in adults.  Generally we are looking to make small to medium moves to a few teeth and specifically looking to avoid reorganising the back teeth. Inman Aligner and   6 Month Smiles  are the two big brands in this area at the moment.

Bleach
Just as it sounds - teeth whitening, either a few shades lighter to wind the clock back a few years or deep bleaching for the whitest possible shade


Bond
Resin bonding is the use of colour matched highly aesthetic filling material to change the shape of your teeth. While not suitable for everyone it can be a great alternative to porcelain veneers. Resin bonding has advantages and disadvantages with we will chat more about in future. But if you have a specific question ow please leave a comment or e-mail us at the practice.

Inman Aligner Before and After Result

I just thought I would share a nice Inman Aligner result with you. This is a treatment that we recently completed at our Dental Practice in Edinburgh. The treatment  was provided following an initial  consultation where we found out that the main concern was  the crowded front teeth .
   
The view on the right is taken in a mirror and illustrates the crowding of the front teeth rather well. We discussed all of the available treatment options which included traditional cosmetic dentistry, Inman Aligners, fixed train track style braces, Invisalign or similar Clear Braces.  Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages and I believe it is really important to consider every option before starting treatment. After careful consideration and a good discussion about all of the options our patient opted to have the Inman Aligner treatment.

Here is the final photograph of the teeth after treatment, it was a result that both we and the patient were delighted with.   If you are curious if your smile might be suitable for an Inman Aligner we are always happy to look at photographs by e-mail and reply with our initial thoughts. Just visit our dedicated Inman Aligner Edinburgh web site  to find out how to do this and see a few more before and after examples.

Have a great week!

 



Inman Aligner vs Fixed Braces

There is no doubt that short term orthodontic treatment for adults is currently a hot topic. The ability to rapidly move a limited number of teeth into better position is without doubt an attractive proposition for many adults. A question I am often asked is what are the advantages and disadvantages of choosing what seems like a shortcut to the end result.  

 The key area is to consider how you view each treatment. For example the traditional fixed braces approach in the hands of an orthodontic specialist will  get you the result closest to perfection. By this I mean

• all teeth front and back in their optimum positions
• the roots of the teeth will be neatly aligned in the best possible arrangement
• the orthodontist will have very close control over the whole process and can move teeth in almost any direction.

The price that you pay for this level of control is time which is why the traditional approach takes 12 -18 months or longer.

Short term orthodontics such as the Inman Aligner  do not tick so many boxes.

• Generally no attempt is made to change the way your back teeth meet together
• Movements are limited to the front most teeth
• While great improvements can be achieved, this technique cannot achieve every single movement that traditional braces can.

For some examples of what can be achieved why not take a look at our Inman Aligner Edinburgh web site

So where do Inman Aligners fit in? overall my feeling is that they should be looked at first and foremost as an alternative to more aggressive cosmetic dental treatments such as crowns or veneers. If I had a choice to improve my smile by moving teeth over 12-18 weeks to a better position or having them ground away to receive crowns or veneers then I would choose the orthodontic option every time. If I had a problem with my bite or the way that my back teeth  met ase well then I would probably lean towards more traditional treatments.

Ultimately the only way to be really sure what the best option for you, is to speak to a suitably qualified professional. A good cosmetic dentistry consultation should follow a framework to make sure things are not missed and our patients leave with all of the information that they need. Here are just a few of the things that we talk about in a Cosmetic Consultation at our Edinburgh Dental Practice

• what are the things that bother you about your smile
• what are the most and least important items on your list?
• a clinical assessment of your mouth
• a discussion of  ALL of the options open to you as a patient
• what are the advantages and disadvantages of each option

Why not tell me what else do you like to speak about?