Dental Blog - Harley Street Dental Clinic

Protecting your beautiful smile while wearing orthodontics in Harley Street

Orthodontic treatment is an important investment in your oral health. Having the best result possible will help ensure a beautiful and healthy smile for years to come. For all these reasons, it is really important to take good care of your teeth while wearing braces.

At Harley Street Dental Clinic, orthodontics in Harley Street is what we do best. We are passionate about educating our patients, since we strongly believe that prevention is better than cure. By learning about proper orthodontic care in advance, you will be better prepared no matter what type of braces you are wearing.

Intensify your oral hygiene routine

If you opt for fixed braces, you will soon realise that your brackets have more nooks and crevices that you probably thought. These can be an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. For this reason, you need to pay extra attention when cleaning your teeth. If needed, invest in an electric toothbrush or use an interdental soft-bristled brush to ensure that all food remains are safely removed from your brackets.

Flossing can be tricky when wearing braces, yet there are techniques which can help achieve a great result, so ask your dentist or do your own research. It goes without saying that while you are having orthodontic treatment, you will need to have your teeth cleaned and checked by our dental hygienist. This way any minor problems will be addressed quickly and appropriately.

Alter your diet

Unless you opt for Invisalign or any other removable teeth-straightening device that can be taken out when you eat, chances are than you will need to be careful about the foods you eat. Sticky and chewy foods tend to linger on your braces, facilitating the formation of plaque. Starchy and sugary foods, on the other hand, can cause tooth decay. Instead of consuming sugary drinks, drink plenty of water and eat loads of non-chewy fruits, nuts and vegetables.

Additional tips

If you don’t have access to your toothbrush after a meal, vigorously rinse your mouth with water to ensure that all food remains that are trapped inbetween your brackets are gone.

Get in touch

To find out more about orthodontics in Harley Street, contact us today.

No more excuses – avoiding the dentist in Harley Street can be dangerous

In general, most people should visit the dentist twice a year for check-ups and cleanings. Some people with problems such as poor oral hygiene and genetic factors may need more regular supervision. Unfortunately, not everyone visits the dentist regularly and check-ups can quickly slip off the radar. This practice is dangerous and can lead to many problems in the long run.

Too expensive?

Many people avoid the dentist in Harley Street because it is too expensive. However, most standard, preventive dental services at Harley Street Dental Clinic are very affordable, since we offer competitive prices and affordable payment schemes. However, if you think that avoiding the dentist will be cheaper in the long run, think again. Dental problems such as undetected gum disease and tooth decay can transform into serious oral health issues. Even if you don’t experience any problems, preventive care is really important, since it could help you save thousands of pounds in the future.

Fear of the dentist

Another reason why many people avoid the dentist in Harley Street is dental phobia. Some people get more stressed at the prospect of a dental visit than others. The mere thought of visiting the dentist can cause panic attacks for some people, and serious episodes of uncontrollable stress. Luckily, if you suffer from dental stress or dental phobia, you can still benefit from dental treatments with the help of dental sedation. At Harley Street Dental Clinic, we offer different types of dental sedation including oral sedation and IV sedation.

Too busy?

If you feel that you are too busy to visit the dentist, maybe you should reconsider your priorities. We all lead busy lives and we often have difficulty fitting things into our schedule. However, oral care is really important and should be a priority for everyone. Instead of cancelling yet another appointment to the dentist in Harley Street, you should make some time for it in your schedule.

Prevention is better than cure

To keep your teeth and gums healthy and save time and money in the long run, it is highly recommended to see the dentist regularly before there are any worrying signs that something may be wrong.

Sealing out cavities and tooth decay

For many decades, dental sealants have been placed on the surfaces of the back teeth of children to prevent the formation of cavities and tooth decay. These thin, plastic, transparent layers are painless. They are painted on the teeth in liquid form and quickly harden to form a shield that protects the teeth from deterioration.

At Harley Street Dental Clinic, we are a dental clinic in W1 that offers specialised dental services for children. We are very serious about decay among youngsters and for this reason, we offer dental sealants as a measure against cavities.

How are dental sealants put on?

If you decide to have dental sealants in our dental clinic in W1, our friendly dentist will prepare your teeth by cleaning them thoroughly. After this process, the teeth that will receive sealants will be thoroughly dried. Your dentist will place a solution on top of your teeth in order to make their surface a bit rough. This will enable the sealants to stick better.

Once the solution is dry, your dentist will apply the sealant in liquid form, ensuring that all nooks and crevices of your teeth are adequately covered. Once it dries, the sealant will turn into a solid plastic coat that will protect the teeth from bacteria.

Why get dental sealants?

The most important reason for getting dental sealants in our dental clinic in W1 is to avoid tooth decay. Back teeth are hard to reach when brushing and flossing and are more vulnerable to bacteria. Having sealants before cavities are formed is also beneficial for your wallet, since you will save time and money in the long run.

Can sealants be put on baby teeth?

Sealants are safe to use on baby teeth and your dentist may recommend them if they think that tooth decay is a possibility. Protecting your child’s baby teeth from cavities will be beneficial for the formation of their permanent teeth. Prematurely lost teeth can lead to all sorts of dental problems, including misalignment and jaw issues.

Learn more about dental sealants

To learn more about dental sealants and other preventive dental services for children offered by our dental clinic in W1, contact us today.

Dental implant surgery expectations

If you are thinking about getting dental implants, you are probably trying to learn as much as possible about them. To some, the mere thought of implant surgery is scary but that is usually because they don’t understand how dental implants work.

If you are experiencing a little apprehension about dental implants in Harley Street, we are here to help. While dental implants are by no means a simple procedure, our experienced dentists at Harley Street Dental Clinic will let you know what to expect in advance and this will make all the difference.

Duration of the treatment

Implant surgery is determined by many factors including the state of your teeth prior to the treatment, the number of missing teeth as well as which teeth need to be replaced. These factors will determine the overall number of surgeries, the total number of visits to the dentist and the type of dental implants used. For instance, a single tooth implant surgery is more straightforward than a full-arch implant surgery.

Surgery preparation

Patients who are undergoing surgery for dental implants in Harley Street will need to follow a few simple guidelines prior to the operation. These include using a special antibacterial mouthwash and ensuring that someone brings you to the appointment and drives you home after the surgery. In some cases, your dentist may prescribe antibiotics a few days prior to the surgery as a preventive measure.

Implant surgery

Surgery for dental implants in Harley Street is quite straightforward and will not cause any unnecessary pain. Unless you are opting for same-day dental implants in Harley Street, your dentist will install the dental implants in your mouth in two phases. The first phase is done with local anaesthesia, but patients can also have intravenous or oral sedation.

During this surgery, the dentist will expose the implant sites in your jawbone and attach the dental implants into them. After the implants are stabilised in place, an abutment will be screwed into them and will remain in place during the healing process.

The second phase involves the placement of replacement teeth on top of the dental implants – these can be crowns, bridges or dentures.

Invisible braces in Harley Street – your options

For many people, braces are still associated with children and teenagers. However, a growing braces market for adults has emerged in recent years. These people either never had teeth-straightening treatment as children, or their condition has deteriorated later in life. Whatever the reasons for needing adult teeth-straightening treatment, there are now more discreet options than ever.

At Harley Street Dental Clinic, we appreciate that not everyone enjoys a mouthful of metal brackets and wires and for this reason, we offer a series of invisible braces in Harley Street. These braces can be fixed on the teeth or can be removed for more comfort and convenience. If you are unsure about the type of braces you should go after, our experienced dentists will help you decide the best option for you.

Prior to treatment

Before you start treatment with invisible braces in Harley Street, we will examine your teeth in detail to determine what type of misalignment you are suffering from. We will also check for pre-existing dental problems since some dental issues such as gum disease and tooth decay can affect teeth straightening. Please be aware that not all dental conditions can be treated with invisible braces in Harley Street. If your teeth are severely crooked, twisted or heavily misaligned we will probably recommend metal braces.

Types of adult braces

Our patients at Harley Street Dental Clinic can choose from a wide variety of invisible braces in Harley Street. These include:

Lingual braces
Invisalign aligners
Clear braces.

Lingual braces are attached to the back of the teeth for maximum discretion. Compared with other types of invisible braces, lingual braces are very powerful and can fix pretty much the same problems that regular metal braces fix. If you suffer from mild or moderate misalignment and/or you have bite issues, you may wish to consider Invisalign, an innovative treatment that consists of a series of plastic, removable, clear aligners. These aligners are created with the help of 3D technology; they are customised to fit your teeth perfectly and are made from a special thermoplastic material for extra comfort and safety. Last but not least, patients who do not mind wearing fixed brackets and wires, can opt for clear, tooth-coloured invisible braces.

Cosmetic dentistry in Harley Street – your questions answered

Cosmetic dentistry is a combination of art and science that can create a straighter, whiter and more symmetrical smile through the use of innovative dental technology. Cosmetic dentistry is not just about aesthetics though. A cosmetic dentist can also improve the structure, shape, function and overall health of the teeth and gums by using several dental treatments such as teeth whitening, dental veneers, bonding and dental implants.

At Harley Street Dental Clinic, we are passionate about providing cosmetic dentistry that is beautiful and long-lasting. Our cosmetic dentist in Harley Street will evaluate your smile on an individual basis and propose changes.

Will cosmetic dentistry results look natural?

Every person is different and has a different facial anatomy. Our cosmetic dentist in Harley Street is specially trained to ensure that your results look as natural as possible. By taking into consideration your facial characteristics, the shape of your mouth, the colour of your teeth, your age, lifestyle and other factors, they will create an individualised treatment plan consisting of one or more cosmetic dental treatments such as teeth whitening, dental veneers, gum contouring and dental implants among others.

How long will it take before I can enjoy my new smile?

In general terms, it is impossible to say how much time a cosmetic treatment will take, since many factors are involved. Treatments such as teeth whitening can be performed within a single visit to the cosmetic dentist in Harley Street, whereas other treatments such as porcelain veneers and gum contouring can take up to three visits, depending on the complexity of the treatment and the materials used. In any case, your cosmetic dentist in Harley Street will let you know about the duration of your treatment in advance.

What results can I expect?

The results you can expect from your cosmetic dentist in Harley Street will depend on the state of your teeth and the treatments you will undergo. Our cosmetic dentists will do their best to help you achieve your smile goals and ensure that your teeth remain healthy. We will discuss your goals during your consultation and see whether you are eligible for certain treatments before you start.

The future of your teeth

Caring for your teeth by cleaning them properly is a vital part of your bodily health, but a dentist in W1 will provide a level of care that you can’t give yourself at home. At Harley Street Dental Clinic, we can give you a better dental future by regularly assessing your oral health. Our range of skills and wealth of experience mean we can deal with any problems before they have effects you’d notice at home.

As well as preventing problems, we make considerate repairs to damaged teeth that preserve your dental aesthetics. As a cosmetic dentist in W1, we have a range of ways to improve your appearance, from the long-term to the one-off. We are also able to replace lost teeth with customised new ones, and restore what you’ve been missing.

Help for teeth and gums

Our contemporary dentistry can improve your oral health in many ways. Our oral hygiene advice is based on up-to-date industry knowledge. As well as improving the health of your teeth, we can enhance their appearance.

Having your teeth whitened at the W1 dentist is an experience of cosmetic transformation. We’ll construct a customised tray to precisely fit over your teeth. Inside the tray is a whitening agent, which applies a brilliant brightness to your smile. While discolouration happens gradually over many years, whitening can be done in a couple of hours at our practice, or a couple of weeks at home.

To restore chipped teeth, we can use dental veneers. These finely-crafted pieces of porcelain are securely bonded to your teeth’s surfaces, restoring their natural contours. Fillings to cavities can be carried out using tooth-coloured material, to minimise the visual impact.

Replacements

If you’re missing one tooth, several, or even all of them, we have impressive options to replace them. Custom-made dentures and bridges will give you back some of what you’ve been missing, while fully-integrated dental implants will restore natural dental function.

You don’t always have to pay a big lump sum when you visit the W1 dentist. We provide payment plans so you don’t have to wait to access the treatment you need.

When is the best time to consult an orthodontist in Harley Street?

Whether you are 15 or 50, you may be eligible for orthodontic care, since everyone deserves a beautiful, healthy and straight smile. Ideally, orthodontic work should be undertaken at an early age to ensure that adult teeth appear properly. However, a lot of people who have had orthodontic treatment during childhood, develop more problems while growing up. Today, more and more adults are seeking the help of an orthodontist and this has led to the creation and development of many innovative discreet teeth-straightening methods with great results.

At Harley Street Dental Clinic, we specialise in adult orthodontics. Our orthodontist in Harley Street will examine your teeth thoroughly and locate potential problems with crowding, alignment, protruding teeth, underbites, overbites, crossbites and more. Instead of wearing metal braces, these problems can be addressed with discreet orthodontic devices such as Invisalign and lingual braces.

What are some obvious signs that I may need to see an orthodontist?

If your child, a member of your family or yourself, experience one or more of the following symptoms, then it is time to book an appointment with an orthodontist in Harley Street:

Overlapping teeth
Overcrowded teeth
Jaws that ‘pop’
Difficulty chewing
Migraines
Mouth grinding
Tooth grinding
Tooth clenching
Protruding teeth
Twisted teeth.

Orthodontic treatment can be successful at any age, and adults especially, can fully appreciate the advantages of a beautiful smile. However, not all adult orthodontic treatments are ideal for misaligned teeth. Whereas lingual braces can fix a wide variety of dental problems (including serious ones), Invisalign and clear braces can only fix mild-to-moderate alignment issues. This is because they are designed to move teeth in a different way and cannot apply as much pressure as regular braces. In some cases, patients start with regular braces and gradually move to discreet braces as their treatment progresses.

We are happy to answer your questions

If you are still not sure about visiting the orthodontist in Harley Street, contact our friendly team and ask any questions you may have about your visit. We are here to help you feel at ease and make you feel confident about changing your smile.

Is autumn incompatible with good oral health?

Autumn has officially arrived and it is time to take our hats, coats and gloves out of storage. However, with hot drinks and Hallowe’en around the corner, autumn is filled with an abundance of traps for our oral health.

Dentist in Harley Street At Harley Street Dental Clinic, we welcome patients of all ages who wish to protect their teeth while enjoying sugary treats and hot drinks. It is no secret that coffee, tea and sticky candy often cling to our teeth, increasing the likelihood of discolouration and cavities. Luckily, our dentist in Harley Street can provide helpful tips to maintain good oral health throughout the season.

Moderate your intake of coffee and tea

Tea and coffee are great beverages and they are best enjoyed hot in the autumn, ideally with the company of a good book. Black tea and coffee can stain the teeth, and also the high temperatures from these beverages can accelerate the staining process. Instead of sacrificing your favourite drink, your dentist in Harley Street will recommend switching to green tea, which is packed with benefits for your health. Alternatively, if you cannot abandon black tea or coffee, make sure to brush and floss your teeth regularly.

Avoid sticky candy

Sticky candy tends to cling to your teeth, creating an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Instead of eating gummy bears, switch to dissolvable candy, but do not consume candy without moderation, if you don’t want the risk of tooth decay to increase.

Drink plenty of water

Water will not only help you stay hydrated, but will also remove traces of sweets and candy from your teeth. Instead of bottled water, drink fluorinated tap water, which can help prevent cavities.

Protect your mouth with certain foods

Autumn is the season that rewards us with food that helps facilitate our oral hygiene. Pears and apples, for instance, are very nutritious and help clean the surface of the teeth and the gums naturally.

Visit your dentist in Harley Street

The best way to ensure that your teeth and gums remain healthy is to visit the dentist regularly. No matter what your problem is, we are here to help you be smart about your oral health.

Learn more about the health risks of gum disease

Gum disease is the reason why so many people around the world lose their teeth and yet it is a highly preventable condition. Lack of dental education and insufficient funds prevent many people from visiting the dentist in the UK regularly and the statistics are alarming – in recent years, younger people are most likely to suffer from gum disease.

At Harley Street Dental Clinic, a W1 dental clinic for all the family, we strongly believe that oral health is as important as general health and for this reason, we promote gum health awareness. Gum disease is an insidious condition and can only be diagnosed during its early stages by a dentist in a W1 dental clinic.

What is gum disease?

Gum disease has two stages – gingivitis (early stage) and periodontitis (advanced stage). Gum disease occurs when bacterial build-up affects the ligaments that support the teeth and keep them stable. Inflamed, red, swollen and sensitive teeth are indicative of early-stage gum disease, but these symptoms can easily be overlooked especially if they are not painful.

If the infection continues to deteriorate, deep pockets will form around the teeth and gums leading to infection, soreness and loose teeth. At this stage, gingivitis has turned into periodontitis and can still be treated, provided that the ligaments that hold the bone tissue have not completely deteriorated.

Gum disease can be prevented

Gingivitis is easily preventable. A dentist in a dental clinic in W1 will routinely check for symptoms of early-stage gum disease during your regular check-up. You can prevent gum disease with a healthy diet and lifestyle, as well as regular visits to the dentist. You must ensure that you not only brush often, but also thoroughly. Your dentist will recommend dividing your mouth into quadrants and brushing each section diligently for at least 30 seconds. Using a dental floss after that will help ensure that no food remains will be trapped inbetween your teeth. A healthy diet will also help prevent gum disease. Drink plenty of water and eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Foods which are rich in sugar and starch promote the build-up of bacteria that cause inflammation.

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