If you have ever had to wear a conventional metal brace you will know just how uncomfortable and unpleasant they can be. Furthermore, you will know just how long treatment can last, often extending up to and beyond three years. So it will be with some envy that you will learn of the Inman aligner, a new type of straightening device pioneered in the US that aims to straighten teeth in as little as six weeks.

Admittedly the Inman is best suited for smaller procline and retrocline corrections but even still, six weeks is an incredibly short time to achieve any kind of straightening. You may well have seen the Inman aligner being used on one of the many TV makeover shows that fill our screens, as part of a general dental makeover, and indeed the Inman aligner is specifically designed to work alongside veneers and other cosmetic dentistry treatments.

Not only is the Inman aligner faster-acting but it is also a great deal more discreet and comfortable than traditional fixed braces. The only part of the brace visible to others is a small metal bar that runs along the front of the teeth, but then again it is in your mouth for such a short period people may not even notice that. Because the Inman is so fast acting there is little need for time-consuming and uncomfortable tightening appointments at the dentist.

But perhaps best of all is the fact that the Inman aligner is completely removable, meaning it can be taken out for eating, sports and teeth cleaning. Obviously the more you wear the aligner the more effective it is but it is still a degree of flexibility of which conventional brace wearers could only dream. Inman aligners are rapidly becoming very popular with South East London dentists because of all these incredible benefits so if you have always wanted straighter teeth but never fancied fixed braces, make an appointment to see your dentist today.

Wouldn’t it be easy if there was a single quick fix to restore the appearance of badly worn or discoloured teeth? Or if there was just one single treatment to correct chipped, cracked or unevenly spaced teeth? Well, there is, in the shape of porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers are thin ceramic shells that can be fixed over the top of existing teeth with resin bonding to completely transform the appearance of damaged teeth in only a single afternoon.

Modern porcelain veneers are also so thin that not only do they have the translucent appearance of real tooth enamel but they no longer require the removal of substantial amounts of enamel in order to fit naturally in the dental arc. Modern techniques of manufacturing porcelain veneers utilise the latest digital x-ray and computer technology which has significantly reduced the amount of time needed to fabricate them. This has reduced the number of appointments needed, increased the comfort levels of the patient and reduced the overall treatment time.

Veneers will generally require two or three appointments with the dentist, with the first being an initial consultation to assess suitability. At the next appointment the London SE1 dentist will prepare the teeth for the veneers and then begin to attaché them with the resin bonding. At this stage adjustments can still be made to the size and shape of the veneers before the bonding is set firm using a dental laser.

Depending on how many veneers are being fitted at any one time, it may be possible to completely transform the teeth in only one appointment. When set firm, any excess bonding is removed and the veneers polished and buffed to match the existing teeth creating a stunning new smile.

For patients who want  but don’t like the idea of wearing fixed braces or having permanent porcelain veneers fitted at the expense of otherwise healthy tooth enamel, the good news is that there is now a treatment that can straighten teeth in only twelve to eighteen weeks. In fact, in some cases the Inman aligner has begun to show results after as little as six weeks.

The Inman aligner is a removable, fast and discreet straightening device that represents a radical departure form conventional cosmetic dentistry treatment. Because the aligner focuses solely on the teeth that can be seen when smiling, it is able to achieve such incredibly fast results.

South East London dentists will be able to assess suitability for treatment at an initial consultation. If you are suitable for the Inman aligner treatment will usually cost between £1,000 and £2,000 from start to finish, depending on the nature of your teeth. Treatment involves relatively little or no pain with only some mild discomfort when the Inman aligner is initially fitted. The number of appointments needed during the Inman aligner treatment is also significantly reduced compared to traditional fixed braces, making the treatment more convenient for you.

Dentists recommend that you wear the Inman aligner for between eighteen and twenty hours a day for maximum benefit of treatment. This means, however, that it can be taken out when eating or cleaning teeth, again reducing the impact a brace has on your life.

About 7 per cent of men and 14 per cent of women suffer from a condition known as a gummy smile, which is an excess of gum tissue making their teeth appear too short. The condition is not serious and has no real medicinal disadvantage but it can be responsible for a loss of confidence and low self esteem due to embarrassment.

It is very quick and easy to fix a gummy smile using modern technology in a process called laser gum contouring. In the past gum contouring would have been carried out with a scalpel but using the heat of a laser is a much healthier and easier process to perform.

With a diode laser, the dentist can simply sculpt the desired gum line form the existing excess tissue making the gums and teeth look more natural and healthy together. The heat of the laser vaporises the excess gum tissue while simultaneously cauterising it, preventing blood loss. The heat of the laser also sterilises the tissue reducing the chances of post-procedural infection. It may sound a little unpleasant to burn tissue, but contouring is a relatively painless procedure and your London SE1 dentist can administer anaesthetic before treatment.

The surgery usually lasts between 15 minutes and two hours depending on the amount of tissue that needs to be removed, with recovery time obviously increasing depending on the extent of surgery. All gum tissue will usually be completely healed after four weeks. Once gum contouring is complete some patients also opt for porcelain veneers to complete a more thorough smile makeover but this is not usually necessary.

Modern dentistry is one of the most technologically advanced areas of health care. As more and more importance is put on the appearance and health of our teeth, dentists have devised more efficient and remarkable procedures to help improve patient’s teeth. It is now possible to completely transform even the most neglected and unattractive teeth into a beautiful, white smile using a series of amazing dental procedures.

There are too many dental treatments available to name here but it is possible to give a few examples of what is possible. For teeth that are discoloured or worn dentists can cover the surface enamel with specially designed porcelain veneers, specifically designed for the patient in terms of size, shape and shade. These veneers can be manufactured in minutes and fitted in a matter of hours. This can completely transform a patient’s smile in only one afternoon.

Fitting veneers might not be possible with crooked or uneven teeth but the latest in orthodontic straightening means that teeth can now be straightened in less time than ever. Some braces such as the Inman aligner promise straighter teeth in as little as six weeks. When your teeth are straight you may prefer to keep the natural look of enamel rather than opt for veneers. In this case teeth can be whitened naturally with dental cleaning, or even artificially bleached to look whiter. Teeth whitening is capable of brightening a patient’s teeth by up to ten shades and is readily available at all London SE1 dentists.

By using one or a combination of these and other treatments it is easy to change the appearance of your teeth and give every patient the beautiful, confident smile they deserve. Dentistry has come a long way in the last twenty years so why don’t you make an appointment to see what is possible.