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Month: February 2019

Understanding Cosmetic Dentistry – Braces, Invisalign, Teeth Whitening & More

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Some people still believe dentistry is just a case of filling and taking out teeth. In our society today, many people turn to cosmetic dentistry or aesthetic dentistry as a way of improving their appearance. Cosmetic dentistry is dentistry aimed at creating a positive change to your teeth and to your smile. Cosmetic  treatments can be used to straighten, brighten, reshape and repair teeth. It must complement the overall general and oral health of the patient.

Cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty within the dental profession, it takes years of extensive study and training to be able to perform the many cosmetic dental procedures now available to the highest standards. A cosmetic dentist must have a good eye, a thorough understanding of dental anatomy and a mastery of dental materials. Cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of the teeth, mouth and smile and it may also provide restorative benefits.

All cosmetic dentistry treatments enhance the look of an individual’s teeth.

Cosmetic Dentistry Treatments include:

 

 

1. Teeth whitening:

Discoloration takes place in the enamel and can be caused by medication, coffee, tea and cigarettes. It can also be caused when we advance in age. Teeth whitening is a way to lighten up a discolored teeth and can be performed by the dentist in the office under dental supervision or at home.

2. Bonding:

A tooth-colored material used to fill in gaps or change the color of teeth. Broken, discolored or decayed teeth may be repaired or have their appearance corrected using this procedure.It requires very little preparation of the tooth. It can be used to cover the entire outside surface of a tooth to change its color and shape.

3. Porcelain Crown:

Crowns are also known as caps cover a tooth to restore it to its normal shape and appearance. Crowns have the longest life span of all cosmetic restorations, but are the most time-consuming.

4. Dental Veneers:

They are  thin pieces of porcelain or plastic placed over the front teeth to change the color or shape of your teeth. They are designed to substitute for tooth enamel and are used to treat some of the same problems as bonding. Veneers have a longer life span and color stability than bonding.

5. Tooth Contouring and Reshaping:

This procedure is ideal for individuals with normal, healthy teeth but who want subtle changes to their smile. An x-ray is used to evaluate the size and location of the pulp of each tooth to ensure that there’s enough bone between the teeth to support them.

 

In choosing a cosmetic dentist, the patient should verify that the dentist has taken education courses to keep up with the latest techniques in clinical cosmetic dentistry. The patient has to demand for a ‘before and after’ photo of treatments the doctor  has done.

These photos will allow the patient to examine the results of other patients being treated by the dentist to make sure his or her work fits his or her dental needs. The dentist should be able to answer the questions a patient has about the techniques used to improve  smile. The condition of the patient’s teeth and the desired result.

Understanding Dental Sleep Medicine & Its Purpose In Dentistry

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Recently, people have considered the value of working with a dentist to manage their sleep-breathing problems, even though dental sleep medicine has been around for over three decades. It was first pursued in conjunction with other treatments (namely continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP) for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Because dental technology has advanced in effectiveness and comfort for snoring mouthpieces and oral devices, dentists now find themselves at the forefront of sleep medicine, especially in support of alternatives, like oral appliance therapy (OAT), for patients with OSA who are unhappy with CPAP. Despite this, many patients (and even dentists and physicians) still don’t recognize the relationship between oral health and sleep-breathing disorders. This recent mainstream emergence of dental sleep medicine stands to change that.

What is Dental Sleep Medicine?

Dental sleep medicine is a branch of specialty dentistry which focuses on the use of oral appliance therapy, COAT (Continuous Open Airway Therapy) to treat sleep-disordered breathing, including snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Dentists work together with sleep physicians to identify the best treatment for each patient. Although people misplace Dental Sleep Medicine with Sleep dentistry, Dental Sleep Medicine is not sleep dentistry. Sleep dentistry refers to the use of sedation to perform dental work.

Dentists and COAT (Continuous Open Airway Therapy)

An oral appliance is a device worn in the mouth only during sleep. It fits like a sports mouth guard or orthodontic retainer. The oral device is an effective treatment that prevents the airway from collapsing by supporting the jaw in a forward position, resulting in COAT.

Snoring or Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Snoring is a universal warning sign for obstructive sleep apnea. Before treatment, you should be diagnosed by a board-certified sleep medicine physician. If you have to snore without sleep apnea, your doctor should give you a prescription for an oral sleep appliance. If you have sleep apnea, your doctor will discuss treatment options with you.

The most general form of treatment for sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. The CPAP machine keeps your airway open by forcing air through flexible tubing. CPAP therapy requires you wearing a mask while sleeping. Although CPAP therapy offers superb results, some people are unable to adhere to it. Your doctor may consider offering you a different prescription for a sleep apnea appliance if you are unable to comply with CPAP therapy or prefer an alternative treatment effectively. Many people like an oral appliance because it is comfortable, quiet, portable and easy to wear.

The Roles of Dentel Practitioners in Dental Sleep Medicine

  1. Recognize oral signs and symptoms of OSA
  2. Identify and screen patients who snore or may suffer from OSA
  3. Educate patients on potential sleep-disordered breathing issues
  4. Promote potential patients to be tested (PSG/HST)
  5. Provide alternative treatment to CPAP and Surgery
  6. Selection, fitting, adjustments, and follow-up care of the oral devices
  7. Be a part of the treatment team, along with physicians, dedicated to improving your patient’s quality of life through better sleep