Dark Teeth – Teeth whitening
Problem: Teeth darkened following accident & root filling on two upper left front teeth 20 years ago – difficult to get a long term predictable result with veneers or crowns + high risk gum recession.
Treatment: Inside & outside, surgery + home whitening – patient happy with colour improvement & all other treatment options still available, the teeth are not the same colour as the adjacent teeth, but the colour difference is no longer noticable at conversation distance.
Stained teeth
Prevention: modify diet.
Treatment: polishing + spray jet polishing & whitening.
Gum problems
Prevention: understanding the cause + effective oral hygiene. Treatment: Oral hygiene instruction on how to be effective + root disinfection & polishing.
Veneers
Extremely thin custom made porcelain covers used to alter the shade, shape & contour of teeth. Most commonly used on upper front teeth.
Crowns
Used to protect back teeth and alter the colour, shape & form of teeth for functional and or cosmetic reasons.
Composites
Tooth coloured materials used to restore / alter the shape or form of teeth. The best systems are able to rebuild the tooth in layers to duplicate artificially the delicate micro anatomy. The practice uses the Vanini micro layering technique and a composite product developed in Italy to give the damaged tooth back its natural appearance and obtain the desired results.
Tooth wear
Problem: Severe tooth wear due to excessive soft drink consumption combined with tooth grinding.
Treatment: Reconstruction of tooth form & function with composites no tooth substance removal; non layering technique used to reduce costs.
White Spots on Front Teeth
There are many reasons for white spots / areas on teeth. Most of the time no treatment is required. If a person is concerned about the presence of these areas in many instances they can be either reduced in size or eliminated. One technique used to deal with this is enamel micro abrasion. This is carried out using a rubber dam (the green cover in the picture). The main advantage of this technique is that once it’s completed usually no other treatment is required.
Laser decay detection
This a device made by the Kavo dental company. It’s called the Diagnodent and it’s used for the accurate diagnosis of tooth decay problems on the biting & smooth surface of teeth. When combined with the appropriate x rays it is highly accurate. Allows the progression of decay to be accurately assessed & monitored over time; this is essential where preventive strategies are being used.
