Many of us tend to think of veneers as the answer to cover up discoloured teeth, but they have a lot more going for them these days says a South east London dentist. Cracked teeth, a chipped tooth or even a misaligned tooth can all be covered by a veneer. Veneer design and technology has come a long way in the last few years alone, and they are still often the cheapest and most effective method of covering up embarrassing problems. The main types are Porcelain Veneers and Lumineers, with Porcelain Veneers being the ones that we are more familiar with. In order to have them fitted you have to have some enamel taken off the tooth, this amounts to about the same thickness as the veneer and it never grows back. They last from 5 to 15 years and then they are easily replaced with new ones; they discolour around the 10-15 year mark. They are very affective and the tooth can be used in the normal way, it is also kept clean in the usual manner and your usual visits to the dentist are still needed. With Lumineers the story is much different; they are made from a fairly new formula and are much harder wearing than conventional veneers. Because of this they can be made much thinner, the advantage here is that no enamel is taken off the tooth and the procedure is reversible in the future. They also last longer and it is estimated that they will last up to 20 years in most cases.

Dental Implants aren`t that complicated, although they do take a good few months to have them fitted as the process involves a lot of work and waiting. A South east London dentist says that many people who cannot get on with dentures, find that the time and investment in dental Implants is well worth it in the end though. They were developed in the 1950s in British and Swedish universities, but it wasn’t until the early 60s that the first successful operation was carried out in Sweden. It involves inserting a Titanium plate under the gums and then screwing it down to the jaw bone. That part is usually done under a local anaesthetic; it is the next part that takes the time. The idea behind Dental Implants is that the new tooth, albeit a porcelain one, integrates with the bone of the jaw and the whole thing becomes part of the jaw. What happens is that the body produces new bone that covers the plate over a period of 3-6 months. Once that is done, posts are screwed into pre drilled holes in the plate, and then the new tooth is slide over the post to complete the procedure. What the patient ends up with is a new tooth that won`t become infected inside; will be hard wearing and a permanent part of the mouth. You can use it like a normal tooth and you care for it in the same way as your natural teeth. 6 monthly check ups will keep tartar away and if the tooth gets damaged it can be easily replaced in a few weeks.

When we sleep our mouth is a hive of acid producing activity, this acid rots the teeth and gums, and causes bad breath. However, it is all avoidable says a South east London dentist and all it takes is a little forward planning and discipline. We tend to think of our teeth cleaning regime being first thing in the morning and last thing at night, and to an extent that is true. At night our saliva gland is also resting and so the acid in the mouth isn`t being neutralised enough, in the dark hours our teeth suffer the most damage, and so does our bad breath problem. Everyone has bad breath; it is a fact of life and one that is easily brought under control without expensive sprays and loads of mints. Flossing is the most underrated way of bacteria control in the mouth, the very bacteria that is in all our food. When food gets trapped in between our teeth the acid producing bacteria feeds of it and that damages our teeth enamel. Simply flossing properly will go a long way to preparing for brushing which will also remove food debris. We also need to do this during the daytime, especially when we have a snack that contains sugar and fats. There are many reasons for bad breath, but the most common is acid production, it is also the easiest to keep under control. Drinking just plain ol` water throughout the day will also keep your liver, kidneys and other organs in peak condition, as well as neutralise acid and stop that damage and bad breath.

A root canal is a very skilful procedure in dentistry, but thanks to modern day technology and training procedures it is now a routine procedure for most dental surgeons. A  London SE1 dentist says that although it involves quite a lot of work, it is thankfully painless and usually quite affective. We have an inner chamber in our teeth, and through hairline cracks and gum infections bacteria gets into that inner chamber and breeds. The problems it causes are not only painful, but also ongoing. Your surgeon will deaden the tooth and then drill out all the inside of the tooth to get to the chamber itself, once there they will scrape out any obvious bacterial infection. The next stage involves an intense light that is shone on the area to kill off any bacteria still lurking. The hole is then coated with an anti-bacterial spray and filled with a special mix that will harden like your natural enamel. That usually cures the problem within, and then your dentist can look at ways to stop this happening to other teeth, this is usually just a simple matter of you changing your routine of oral hygiene procedures to ensure that you keep infections down to a minimum, the cracks will be covered by the inner filling. Root canal work can save a tooth that would otherwise be lost early; it is also cheaper to have this done than to lose the tooth and have it replaced with an artificial one.

You may not have heard of TMJ but it affects thousands of people, mostly young men between the ages of twenty and forty, causing severe pain that ranges form intermittent to constant, and is located entirely in the head, jaw and neck. The pain can also last for years without ever improving unless the right treatment is sought from a South East London dentist.

One of the major problems with TMJ is that it is so little known. This means that many people with the condition suffer in silence or are sent away by their doctors who have told them it is a temporary muscular condition. Because TMJ affects the jaw and is often caused by a bite misalignment, it is very often a dentist who first notices or diagnoses the symptoms.

TMJ was thought for many years to have been caused by stress or head trauma but recent opinion has moved towards interruption of bite as a major cause. Bite is the way the top and bottom rows of teeth sit together and greatly affects the movement of the jaw. If movement of teeth occurs possibly as a result of a missing tooth, this can be altered causing a misalignment of the jaw muscles which causes the condition.

As the jaw is used a great deal for both talking and eating amongst other things it can be the cause of a great deal of pain and misery for sufferers but there is a cure. Once diagnosed a dentist may need to adjust the bite artificially to restore its position. This may be a simple procedure or may involve complex muscular diagnostics but in either case there is a definite end to the pain of TMJ. Don’t suffer in silence. See a dentist if you think you may have TMJ.

Invisalign tooth aligners are rapidly becoming one of the most popular orthodontic treatments available in the UK and the reason is fairly clear. Invisalign offer invisible tooth straightening using one-millimetre thick clear plastic retainers which are almost impossible to see when in the mouth. This neatly sidesteps one of the major bugbears of brace wearers, namely that the braces ruin the cosmetic appearance of their teeth for up to three years.

But this is not the only benefit of the Invisalign treatment. They are also not fixed braces which means they can be removed at any time, which comes in very handy for teeth cleaning and at meal times. The braces need to be worn for between twenty and twenty-two hours a day which gives a large window for eating, playing sport and even social occasions where the braces do not have to be in your mouth. Of course, the more you wear them the more effective they will be.

Each brace is worn for about two weeks before being replaced by another with a minor adjustment. By using twenty or so braces over the course of treatment the Invisalign braces gradually move teeth into position. Treatment lasts on average about eighteen months, which is about six months shorter than most fixed-metal braces, but of course there is no reason for anybody to know you are wearing a brace during that time.

Invisalign braces are available from London SE1 dentists and the cost varies depending on the nature of treatment required by each patient. If you have uneven or crooked teeth but have always been out of by the sight of metal braces then ask your dentist about the invisible Invisalign braces and straighten your teeth in secret.