Correcting your bite with teeth braces

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:14:02 +0000

As awareness gets greater in dentistry, the more an orthodontist can pinpoint the minutest of problems and set out a plan to treat them, and over the years, a lot more emphasis has been placed on ensuring that every patient is aware of their bite (or occlusion) and how to look after it. Generally, occlusion problems start to develop from an early age, some even being hereditary and are caused by the poor growth of teeth and/or tooth decay. Most dentists at these early stages would try to resolve problems with fillings or dental sealants. However, as secondary teeth come through, this is the point at which your teeth are shaped for the rest of your life. Teeth can get very unpredictable at this stage and can go off at all directions, meaning that in order to protect the occlusion of the mouth, teeth braces will have to be fitted. That’s the scientific approach. In reality, the patient now has to go through a distressing period of having to have their mouth intruded upon for anywhere up to a couple of years, depending on how bad the teeth are. At this point, it’s important to decide exactly what sort of teeth braces or aligners are going to be the best to choose. A lot of this choice can be down to financial circumstances: fixed teeth braces are cheap but take longer to work than most others and can be very ugly in the mouth. But the other options can be incredible if you have the money and if your teeth are suitable for the treatment. Clear, fast working aligners can take the psychological sting out of wearing a brace, which can be very beneficial at a young age. Others are more suited to the more mature patient who may only require a quick tweak and here, there are a couple that can achieve the desired effect as quickly as 6 weeks.

What is Root Canal Treatment?

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:10:33 +0000

Root canal treatment is used when the portion of the tooth containing the nerves and blood supply (known as the pulp) becomes infected. If left untreated the infection can spread and become an abscess. The treatment involves two or more trips to the dentist and is performed under local anaesthetic. At the first, the dentist will drill into the tooth and clean out the canals using special cleaning tools. You will then be fitted with a temporary filling. At the second, you will again be given a local anaesthetic and your tooth drilled into, but this time the dentist will fill the canals with gutta percha, a type of rubber. You will be given a permanent filling.

How does the Pulp Become Infected?

The pulp can become infected because of untreated tooth decay which leads to bacteria spreading into the tooth, severe gum disease which creates gaps between the teeth and gums allowing bacteria entry to the tooth, and by injury or trauma. In the case of injury or trauma the nerves may die rather than be infected, but the treatment remains the same.

What are the Alternatives?

Root canal treatment is one of the most daunting dental jobs for most patients, but unfortunately there are few alternatives. The only real option is to have an extraction, and while many patients feel they would prefer this, it is always better to keep as many of your natural teeth as possible. Simply leaving the infection is not an option, since the risk of developing an abscess is high. Abscesses are more serious and can cause intense pain along with nausea, fever and difficulty swallowing.

Who can do this Treatment?

All dentists in Kent are capable of performing this treatment, but the specialist name for it is endodontics. If you decide you want specialist treatment, or there are complications in your treatment, you may be referred to a specialist endodontist.

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Correcting your bite with teeth braces

What is Root Canal Treatment?