Dental Blog - Harley Street Dental Clinic

Visiting the dentist in Harley Street as an adult

Childhood visits

It is a common occurrence that as children our parents regularly take us for dental check- ups to ensure our teeth are healthy and growing in the desired places. From as young as 6 months old many parents begin this process and therefore preventive dentistry can work wonders, as any potential dental problems such as a crooked smile or overbite can be dealt with before the issue develops further. Not only do these regular appointments assist with the overall oral hygiene and development process, but, as studies have shown, reduces the fear of visits to the dentist dramatically.

So why as adults do we often allow our appointments to be pushed aside?

As our lives develop and we take charge of our own care, it is common that we consider our lives too busy to attend these mundane appointments. After all, if we are not suffering from toothache our teeth and gums must be healthy. Unfortunately it is not quite that simple.

Attending regular appointments throughout adulthood, which are around every 6 to 12 months for standard check-ups, ensures that the need for more extensive treatments and procedures are drastically reduced. As with childhood, the health of your overall mouth relies heavily on the daily care carried out by you, the patient. Without regular check-ups it is hard to know whether or not your oral hygiene regime is of a high standard. If the appointments can easily be avoided due to a hectic lifestyle, it may be that the oral hygiene process has also suffered on a day-to-day basis and this is where dental problems can begin to occur.

Contacting your dentist Harley Street for the first time

Whether you have been absent from the practice due to your hectic lifestyle, or whether you are wanting to start afresh with a new dental team, our dentist Harley Street is ready for your call. Our friendly, approachable team will assist you in getting your dental journey up and running again. This means if you are nervous and need extra measures taken to get you to attend your appointment, upon discussion with our team, we can assist in a variety of ways, including music, visits during less hectic times or by discussing the process before the visit. No matter what the fear, we will work with you.

Or perhaps the appointment times do not suit you or work well with your daily life. Have a chat with our team and together we will arrange something more suitable. Dental work, no matter how big or small, requires an extensive amount of teamwork from you, the patient, and our dentist Harley Street, so we will always strive to work with you and not against you. All procedures and treatments can carry potential risks and we therefore encourage all our patients to seek further information and advice with their dental team. No matter how small or large the question is, it is important to have peace of mind before undergoing any dental work so please feel free to contact our dental team to discuss further.

Why visit our dentist for teeth whitening?

There may be those who consider professional teeth whitening Harley Street, merely as a treatment that focuses on aesthetic value, but there is so much more to improving the look of your smile.

Patients who do opt for teeth whitening Harley Street know and value the role bright and beautiful looking teeth have on the way they look and feel. Consider for a moment just what the positive effects of looking good has on the way you feel about yourself and what this means for your confidence to live a more fulfilling life. More than this is the benefits to oral health which is always a serious consideration.

Patients wanting to brighten their teeth have mainly two avenues to pursue: do-it-yourself by purchasing dental products available off-the-shelf and professional teeth whitening Harley Street in the dentist’s chair. In choosing which avenue is the right one, we at Harley Street Dental Clinic, would like patients to prioritise the safety aspect of teeth whitening in order to not risk the health of teeth. We take a look at why teeth whitening should be left in the hands of a qualified and registered dentist.

Why teeth brightening treatment at the dentist makes more sense

In the same way that a patient would not leave their physical health issues to be treated by those not specifically trained in specialised medical knowledge of healing the human body, so too should a patient only allow a qualified dental practitioner to offer dental care (whether it be for cosmetic dentistry or preventive dentistry).

Brightening teeth treatments may not be equated with the same importance as, for example restorative dental treatment, but the consequences of something going wrong can be dire, like damaging teeth enamel.

In our teeth whitening treatments, we offer patients:

The opportunity to check on their oral health

There is always an underlying cause for teeth becoming discoloured. Sometimes these causes are minor like eating foods that cause staining issues. And then there are those times when discolouration is due to a poor oral health issue. Only a dental practitioner can reliably diagnose the cause of discolouration, and if it is due to poor dental health, can implement proper treatment before teeth whitening products can be used.

Safety

Brightening teeth is not as simple as the manufacturers of DIY products suggest which is why many who do use such products do not find them effective to do the job. Another reason is that these products often do not contain the right levels of all-important ingredients responsible for brightening teeth. Professional knowledge is required to use ingredients in the correct amounts as well as the accurate process of teeth whitening.

Strength of whitening, speed and reliability

DIY teeth whitening can be frustratingly slow and unreliable. Unlike professional teeth bleaching, most DIY products will only offer a limited brightening effect that is inadequate for deeper levels of staining. What is more is that professional treatments offer relatively longer-lasting results. Learn more about how we at Harley Street Dental Clinic approach teeth whitening to provide our patients with quality, pleasing results.

Lip fillers from your dentist?

Yes! In our clinic, lip fillers Harley Street have become one of our most popular cosmetic treatments, and although historically cosmetics have been associated with those who just want to change their own appearance rather being seen as part of self-improvement, receiving these treatments can also promote a state of self-change or growth. Why not address physical aspects of yourself if it improves your self-esteem? At one point hair dyeing and false eyelashes were considered cosmetic treatments and they have now entered the realms of everyday routine! Dermal fillers are a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure also becoming more normalised.

As people begin to seek out providers of dermal fillers, many high street outlets have started to offer the treatment. But dermal filling treatment exists on the cusp between art and science. It requires both an appreciation of aesthetic beauty, but also an in-depth knowledge of facial anatomy and medicine in order to provide the greatest results with the lowest risk.

Preparing for your dermal filler appointment

It’s important to go into your session knowing your eventual goals; it will be the role of our dental team to help you achieve your aesthetic plans, not to set your goals for you. You don’t need a procedure to be seen as drastic, many of our patients are looking for subtle improvements to reduce the signs of ageing and foster a general appearance of vitality. But if your goal is a rapid lip augmentation it is important to explain this at the beginning so we can guide you through the process.

It is important to to minimise your consumption of any blood thinning medication and to inform our staff of any blood conditions you may have, as this can result in post injection bruising.

If you wish to bring an example picture of the sort of lip fillers Harley Street alteration you wish to achieve, this can be a useful guide for our staff in establishing the goal of the procedure.

Are dermal fillers permanent?

Dermal fillers are temporary; their main ingredient is hyaluronic acid which naturally occurs in your skin and is constantly being created and broken down This just means that without any additional hyaluronic acid injected into your skin, it will be broken down over time and reabsorbed by your body, this usually takes about 5 months with many patients choosing to have their lip fillers reapplied every 4 months.

What do you do when you have just received lip fillers?

Thankfully, dermal fillers have very little after care or post-treatment care required.

You do not have to avoid alcohol or tobacco, but if a numbing agent was used in the treatment your lips might be unable to gauge temperature and you could easily burn yourself on hot drinks.

Some minor bruising should be expected after receiving lip fillers Harley Street, and as any numbing agents wear off, there may be an uncomfortable tingling sensation which you can treat with ice.

Any swelling and tenderness should be completely gone within 2 days, but if there is any persistent discomfort, you should call and report this to the clinic. We may ask you to come in for a check-up just to make sure everything is fine and advise you further.

Visits to the dentist at W1 and what to expect

New patients

From the moment you decide to visit our dentist W1 you will understand that for us, your patient journey is of the utmost importance. During our time spent together we want to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible and feel at home within the dental practice. Whether you are visiting for a routine check-up appointment or visiting for a treatment or procedure, your emotional well being is our priority.

Once the initial appointment has been booked we will begin our journey on understanding you as a patient. This means learning about your past, present and future aims in terms of your dental treatment, along with understanding previous dental work you may or may not have had carried out. On top of this, if you are a nervous patient we will ensure that we take note of anything we can do to put your mind at ease during each of your visits. After all, we want to see you for your regular check-ups along with any other appointments that you may need, so we want you to be comfortable throughout every part of your visit.

Nervous patients

Whilst there are many reasons that people decide to postpone or dismiss their dental appointments altogether. The most common reason for not attending our dentist W1 is down to fear. Recent studies have shown that around 1 in 6 patients suffer from a fear or phobia of visits to the dentist W1. Whether suffering from mild or severe fears, our dental team fully understands that a gentle approach is required and that each patient may require different aspects of their appointment to be altered wherever possible. It may be that a particular song needs to be played during the visit or that each treatment or procedure no matter how small is described in detail, so that the patient is always fully informed. In order for us to be able to help you in the best way possible please let our reception team know about any concerns you have when you call, so that we can ensure everything is in place for your visit.

The dental practice’s environment

Having a calming, comfortable environment is of the utmost importance when visiting your dental practice. With this in mind we have ensured that the waiting area is designed with comfort in mind. A homely environment is more likely to put our patients at ease as opposed to hard, cold plastic chairs. A comfortable environment to begin your visit with us helps to set up your visit in a positive light from the start. Comfortable sofas, tea, coffee and a TV are just some of the ways in which we have set the area up for our patients. This waiting area is designed with the intention of setting up a home away from home and whilst we do not expect you to kick off your shoes and socks, we do hope our patients can relax and settle in before having their appointment! Please note, we encourage all our patients to seek further information and advice on any treatments or procedures mentioned within this article, so they are fully aware of what they entail.

Top queries we get about composite bonding in London

Composite bonding Harley Street is a type of restorative dentistry which shares a similarity with veneers. Veneers are thin slivers of porcelain assembled by a dental technician and fitted by a dentist, whereas composite bonding is created in the patient’s mouth by layering UV cured resin over the tooth being treated which is then sculpted with a dental drill. However they both resolve a number of common problems.

Composite bonding Harley Street is appropriate to be able to achieve all of the aesthetic goals of standard veneering, providing a natural and healthy appearance to discoloured teeth or closing small gaps that have been left post orthodontic treatment. In many ways, composite bonding can act as a minor form of a crown by covering the entire tooth in the resin, not just its front surface. This can make it a better option for treating cracked teeth than veneers, with a longer useful lifespan.

For a great many of our patients one of the big advantages of composite bonding Harley Street is that it can be performed in a single session, rather than an initial session where measurements are taken followed by a wait. As it stands, veneers have to be manufactured before they are fitted in the clinic.

Could composite bonding fix a gap in my front teeth?

Both bondings and veneers are often used on front teeth based around an aesthetic priority. However, composite bonding is an excellent option for rectifying small gaps between teeth, but there is a limit to the size of the gap that composite bonding or any form of veneer would be appropriate to correct. This can only really be assessed by coming into our surgery and having a check-up and conversation with our dentist, so the best answer we could give you here is maybe, and even if bonding is inappropriate there will be other options to explore.

Is dental bonding uncomfortable?

Composite bonding and veneer fitting are considered painless.During composite bonding, no actual enamel is removed; the sculpting stages done with a dentist drill will only cut away at excessive resin in order to shape that resin into a convincing tooth.

Similarly, veneer techniques are used to cut away small quantities of enamel on the front of the teeth creating a textured surface in order to securely adhere the veneers to the front of the teeth. These grooves are very shallow and are not considered painful or anything like the drilling that has to take place to receive a filling.

Can I get composite bondings?

The majority of people can receive composite bonding. As a form of restorative dentistry, they are not often used with younger patients, but there is no upper age limit on receiving composite bonding although you do require healthy teeth; if there is any active decay, that has to be treated first with standard fillings or crowns. Composite bonding can be used to cover amalgam fillings, but the chances of success are highly variable based on the patient, as it would require a check-up with our dentist to see if this would be appropriate in your case. Applying composite bonding over crowns is also highly variable and requires a dental examination to assess likely success rates.

Recreating your youthful appearance with dermal fillers W1

What are they?

As we age the skin naturally loses some of its elasticity and firm appearance, which is why many people have begun to seek ways to reapply an element of youth to their physical appearance. This is where dermal fillers W1 come into play. This sterile hyaluronic acid gel is injected into the area that needs lifting and essentially refills the area removing any lines and wrinkles that have appeared as a result of ageing. These fillers are popular in a number of areas of the face, neck, hands and lips where signs of ageing are extremely common. By essentially refilling the areas under the skin the overall appearance becomes fuller and plumper providing a more youthful appearance to your skin.

Where can the process be carried out?

Whilst it is possible to buy some filler gel over the internet, this is certainly not advised, as not only does the precision of the insertion of the gel need to be carefully administered to gain the desired result, but also many of the safety checks that need to be in place are forged or not carried out at all. This can be extremely dangerous as you will be unaware of what is actually being injected into your skin. It is therefore always advised by us that people visit a professional establishment with knowledge on how to carry out the procedure and how to reverse the effects should the end result not be in line with your desired look.

How do dermal fillers W1 work?

Once the appointment has been booked and you are all set to go with your treatment a local anaesthetic will be administered to the area which will be having the filler applied. This ensures that any discomfort that may arise is prevented during the procedure. Once the area is numb the filler is then injected into the skin and within seconds you will be able to see the effect of the filler within your appearance. No waiting times needed or keeping your fingers crossed as the desired result is immediately visible.

Dermal fillers W1 can last between 6 to 12 months, but a variety of factors such as skin type, injection technique and the area of the face injected can affect the length of time the treatment lasts. It is therefore necessary to have follow-up appointments for replumping sessions should you wish to continue with the fuller appearance.

Can the filler be reversed?

Whilst many patients are happy with the outcome of their appearance after having dermal fillers W1, some patients do not like the end result and therefore may request a reversal of the treatment. Rest assured this is entirely possible and can in some cases be carried out within the same appointment. Please discuss this with our team should this be the case.

Please note, all treatments and procedures including the ones mentioned in this article carry potential risks. It is therefore important that all our patients seek further information and advice from our dental practice.

Teeth whitening – achieving a sparkling smile

Here at Harley Street Dental Clinic, teeth whitening Harley Street has become one of our most popular services. Whether you’re looking to subtly lighten your teeth or are wanting to achieve more dazzling results, we are here to help.

There are several options for tooth whitening and the one which is most suitable for you will depend on the nature of your tooth discolouration and the general health of your teeth. Extrinsic staining is caused by things on the outside of your teeth, most commonly plaque which has become calcified into tartar. It can also be caused by enamel staining from smoking, red wine and coffee consumption.

Intrinsic staining is the result of a colour change within the tooth originating from stain-causing particles or bacteria gaining access to dentine through the enamel; this sometimes occurs in ‘dead’ teeth which become darker over time or due to several genetic conditions which result in the build up of coloured metabolic compounds in the teeth. The most common and notable chemical reason for intrinsic staining would be fluorosis from the overconsumption of fluoride.

Operation techniques vs chemical whitening techniques

Certain techniques are only effective at treating extrinsic staining, they work by grinding off a small quantity of the enamel and anything that may be adhered to it. We achieve this with an air based grinding tool alongside a fine abrasive powder. Our skilled dentists and hygienists can significantly improve the shade of your teeth with the minimal loss of enamel.

Chemical whitening techniques work both on extrinsic and intrinsic staining, they can be performed at home or in the clinic and rely on peroxide based bleaching gel. The concentration of this procedure is tightly regulated in the UK, with only 3% available for home whitening compared to the 20% used in our clinic.

Clinical teeth whitening Harley Street is therefore much faster, allowing a similar shade change to occur in a single session of in-practice lightening that you would achieve in 3 months at home using a lower concentration gel.

Maintaining a bright white smile

Regardless of which techniques are used to lighten your teeth, maintenance of a bright white smile can almost always be achieved by diligent brushing and regular flossing. Unfortunately, this is not the case for several genetic conditions which will require repeated lightening treatments or the use of veneers to permanently resolve the staining.

Getting dental advice before tooth whitening

There is not a one-size-fits-all option for tooth whitening; not only may you be unsure about the type of staining you’re suffering from, but your general dental health and other medical history can affect which treatments are suitable. Veneers and crowns may respond differently to bleaching solutions than natural enamel, leaving them looking significantly different to your natural teeth. If you already have thinning or weakened enamel, tooth whitening may not be recommended either through abrasion or bleaching, as abrasion thins the enamel further and bleaching makes it more permeable.

To have all your questions answered and to explore the potential of teeth whitening Harley Street, please feel free to get in contact with our clinic. We would be happy to give you advice over the phone.

Intraoral scanners and how they have changed the way we work

3D scanning is older than you might think in medicine, it started to be adopted in the 1990s, but it is only in the last 5 years that 3D scanners have become especially small, fast and reliable. This allows them to enter an orthodontist’s tool set and plays a big part in how we provide Invisalign Harley Street.

In orthodontics, and other areas of dentistry, there have been times when we have needed to make extremely accurate measurements of a patient’s tooth structure, traditionally this has been done using dental notes and the techniques of moulding and casting that go back many years. Despite how effective dental moulds are at creating accurate and well-fitting crowns or sets of dentures, they have always been time consuming, uncomfortable and error prone, as any rough handling of the mould before it sets can distort the impression or leave bubbles which inevitably affect any future plaster casting of the mould.

Moving towards 3D scanning technology has reaped many benefits beyond the comfort and ease of our patients. The back-end handling of bulky moulds and the ingredients required to mix the polymers required in the mould and posting them to dental laboratories can all be done away with now we have adopted scanning methods. Invisalign Harley Street was one of the first to use a 3D model of a patient’s teeth; these were originally created by placing plaster moulds of a patient’s teeth in a 3D scanning studio. With this step removed, scanned files can immediately be sent to Invisalign to interact with their cloud-based software for the design stage of aligners, streamlining the aligner manufacturing process, allowing our patients to access clear aligners for the lowest cost in the shortest time frame.

Unforeseen advantages

Advantages that we have found with having our patients’ 3D dental records close to hand is the ability to communicate with other professionals around the world. Dentistry can become very complicated as every patient is different and sometimes a patient’s needs may exist outside the expertise of their dentist. By being able to send emails across the world to experts in far away regions with an attached copy of a 3D model, collaborative dentistry has been surprisingly effective at improving quality of care, the speed of treatment and level of specialisation, something that we did not expect.

Another unforeseen advantage is improved communication between dentist and patient, as now a dentist can show the 3D model of the patient’s teeth, pointing and describing exactly where an issue might be and how treatment resolves it. This is far easier than trying to describe the inside of a patient’s mouth to them, thus reducing treatment anxiety and also helping them to understand every stage of the treatment they are about to undergo.

Rapid manufacture of highly customised equipment

Having such a high quality record of the patient’s teeth in an easily transferable and communicable format allows for the manufacturing of highly customised pieces of equipment; things like bleaching trays, retainers and splints can be formed much faster than with traditional moulds. The benefits of Invisalign Harley Street have been extended far beyond what might first have been imagined.

How to achieve your desired smile with Invisalign

Suitability

Once you have taken the leap and decided to straighten out your smile to perfect it further you enter the world of orthodontics where numerous treatments come to light. Searches on the internet provide link after link of possible treatments and it soon becomes a minefield. Luckily our patients are never alone with this decision, as our dental team will be here to inform and guide them about their possible options.

Once the choices have been narrowed down and Invisalign W1 appears to be a possible choice you will be invited to a consultation. It is during this time that a series of photographs, X-rays and in some cases moulds will take place. This process allows our dental team to check how suitable this particular treatment will be for your individual case and present you with alternatives if they believe it to be unsuitable at that particular moment in time. This is rare though and in some cases where severe misalignment is apparent, patients begin with traditional braces and switch to Invisalign W1 after a certain amount of progress has been achieved.

If the treatment is suitable, the photographs and X-rays are then created into a custom-made 3D treatment plan to show you what your dream smile will look like by the end. Having a visual goal along with the support of our dental team ensures that your dream smile can be achieved.

How it works

Invisalign W1 consists of a series of custom-made, transparent aligners which are removable by the patient. Each aligner set provided to you is to be worn for 22 hours a day with each set being worn for approximately two weeks, your dental team will advise you about this. These aligners whilst inconspicuous in appearance work by pushing the teeth into a new aligned position. Each set pushes the teeth in a particular direction and is then followed by a number of different sets which guides them incrementally to their desired situation. This gentle approach ensures that there is minimal discomfort during the treatment and that the sought-after result is therefore easily attained.

Once you begin your Invisalign treatment, after the first appointment where the first aligners are fitted and you are instructed how to proceed with the following sets, the dental team will take a back seat and monitor your progress every one to two months depending on your alignment problem. This enables the patient to have more control over their treatment and puts some of the responsibility in their hands.

What happens after the treatment?

Whilst we would all love to have a one-off treatment and that be it for life, unfortunately our bodies often have a different point of view and this is the same with our teeth. When teeth have been realigned they can, if left to their own devices, gradually shift back into their original positions. This is why once the desired result has been achieved a final aligner will be created and is to be worn going forward. This aligner is exactly the same in appearance to the previous aligners, but will help maintain the improved smile and prevent any shifting of the teeth.

All dental treatments and procedures can carry potential risks, therefore please contact our dental team for more information and advice on Invisalign treatment to make sure it is the right teeth straightening procedure for you.

Are dental implants the ultimate in tooth restoration?

Dental implants Harley Street have long been a goal in dentistry with more than 100 years put into their research and development. Just before the first world war, the cage implant was tested; this mesh of iridion with a crown affixed upon it was inserted into the gum in order to replace teeth. Although groundbreaking for the time it was fundamentally unsuccessful.

It wasn’t until work in the 1950s showed how titanium could form a tight bond with bone in a process known as osseointegration that the modern dental implant was truly conceivable. Even then, the act of implanting it was considered the role of a specialist oral surgeon and primarily occurred in hospitals due to the need of a fully operating theatre.

Dental implants Harley Street are no longer performed that way and we regularly carry out implantation in our clinic in Harley Street. The dental implants we use come in two pieces with three distinct components. First the titanium component known as the dental implant that resides completely beneath the gum line, interacts with the jawbone and is essentially a metal screw that acts like an artificial root. Next upon this is a connector and then a prosthetic tooth, which may be temporarily locked onto the end of the titanium implant.

Implantation techniques require only local anaesthetic and although dental implanting is not part of standard dental training, all of our staff who offer it have additional qualifications in implant technology, followed up with significant experience in performing dental implants in the clinic.

How are they fitted?

In the first stage of implanting, the gum is opened and a retaining implant is either placed in a vacant socket, or a new one is drilled if the tooth that is being replaced has been missing for some time and its socket is now closed.

Once the implant is in place, we replace the gum over the implant and either glue or stitch it into place. This allows the soft tissues of the gum to hold the implant still and shield it from being disturbed as it forms close integration with the bone. The time it takes for this integration to occur depends on your rate of bone growth.

After the integration of the implant into the jawbone has been confirmed with an X-ray, a session can be booked to load the implant. During this session, the gum will be reopened and the prosthetic will be fitted via the connector to the end of the implant. As this is only done once the implant is fully integrated into the jaw, there is no risk of the implant becoming crooked or twisted in its socket; it should be fully usable within a few days of the loading.

Long-term care of dental implants

One of the best features of dental implants Harley Street is that their long term care is entirely comparable to your natural teeth; they only require simple brushing and flossing. With the standard 6-monthly check-up at our clinic, it can become second nature to see your implant as just another tooth and for many of our patients this is one of the greatest benefits of dental implants over removable bridges or dentures.

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