Our case of the month for July 2018 involves teeth straightening using lingual braces. Lingual braces are placed on the inside of the teeth rather than on the outside, which makes them the only INVISIBLE brace. If you dread the thought of traditional metal train tracks or just could not commit to the regimented regime of Invisalign, this could be the technique for you. Here is our case:
 

Our case of the month for June is a Social 6 lingual brace to correct the upper front teeth. The Social 6 lingual brace is excellent for straightening the front 4 teeth, or the incisor teeth. The canine teeth are the anchors of the brace. Hence, the brace is placed on 6 teeth but can only correct the front 4 teeth.
 

Our case of the month involves the removal of a fibro epithelial polyp using the Waterlase iPlus laser.
 

Our case of the month for April is simply stunning. A smile transformation in the truest sense of the term. For those of you who have read our posts, we believe in minimally invasive dentistry. Essentially, this means working with your own natural teeth rather than cutting them down. After all, tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in the body- why destroy it? Our case presented with severe crowding, discolouration, occlusal problems (bite) and he wanted to correct the problems at hand with a minimally invasive solution. With a combination of orthodontics, tooth whitening and cosmetic bonding, Dr Nissit Patel was able to transform his smile in the most dramatic way. Please view the photographs below:
 

Our case of the month for March is simply astounding. Smile transformation in the true sense of the word. There were three treatments involved in the process:
 

1. Lingual full arch braces
2. Tooth whitening
3. Cosmetic bonding

Lingual braces are braces placed on the inside of the teeth. If your lifestyle does not support traditional outside braces, then this is the option for you. They are the only invisible brace and can correct teeth in the same manner as conventional braces. We use self ligating lingual braces as a rule- these types of brackets do not require any additional wires or elastic bands to be placed around them. This reduces friction and speeds up treatment. Examples of the types of brackets we use are MTM, GC Experience and Forestadent 2-D brackets.
 

Our case of the month for February 2018 involves the treatment of tooth wear. Tooth wear is an increasing problem with modern day life. Stress, night time grinding and acidic diets all lead to loss of tooth enamel which is the hardest tissue in the body! The loss of tooth enamel leads to a weakening of the overall tooth structure exposing the underlying dentine which is much weaker and more susceptible to tooth decay and sensitivity. In the first instance, prevention is better than cure. Therefore, if you love acidic drinks and food, sorry, but you will have to change your diet. If you grind at night, a simple night guard will protect your teeth. 
 

Our case this month involved the replacement of existing veneers which were failing with new ones. For those of you who know very little about veneers, here are 5 key points:
 

1. Porcelain veneers are placed over the facial surface of the tooth to improve the aesthetic appearance
2. Almost all veneers require some level of tooth preparation i.e we have to cut your teeth!
3. Veneers can change the symmetry of the teeth to golden proportions i.e even central, lateral, canine teeth for example. This is particularly useful when one tooth is small in comparison to the adjacent teeth.
4. The veneer can be fully customized in terms of shade, differential contours, translucency at the edge, craze lines and light reflection.
5. Porcelain can be bonded to tooth enamel extremely well with a bond strength of up to 95kg/cm3. However, the bond strength to dentine is much less. Therefore, minimal preparation is best into enamel only.

The end result of our case is fabulous and truly world class. Please take a look:
 

We forgot to post our case of the month for December! With the excitement of Christmas, this completely slipped our mind. Well here it is. A dental implant case which involves replacing missing back teeth. Although not a cosmetic issue as such, replacing missing back teeth can have a major impact on ones lifestyle. Being able to eat properly should not be underestimated. After all, eating is one of life's great joys. Dental implants are the next best thing to natural teeth. If you have lost one, several or all of your teeth, implants are the gold standard replacement. Here are before and after photographs:
 

Our case of the month for November 2017 is one of our favourite treatments. This technique can completely transform your smile without the need for cutting teeth, without any injections, without any pain and it is affordable. We call it ABC. A is for alignment. Aligning teeth into the correct position is essential for cosmetic dentistry. Without correct alignment, a great smile cannot be achieved. We use a number of teeth alignment systems. In this case, a Social 6 lingual brace was used. This is an amazing brace and one that we have great experience with. B is for bleaching. Tooth whitening enhances a smile ten fold. Clean, fresh and white looking teeth illuminates a smile and radiates confidence. Our favourite system is the Philips ZOOM LED in chair whitening, which is simply astounding. C is for cosmetic bonding. As adults, often our teeth have been subject to wear and tear. This leaves them uneven at the edges which can be unslightly once they are straight. Composite bonding is a great option to enhance the smile without having to cut teeth down for porcelain veneers or crowns. Here are the before and after photographs: