One of our favourite treatments for cosmetic teeth straightening is the Social 6 lingual brace. This brace is the truly invisible brace as it is placed on the inside of the teeth. Even though lingual braces have been around for many decades, there is little awareness of the system as the treatment in the past has been kept within the realm of specialist orthodontists and the costs have been incredibly high compared to conventional braces. Now for complex cases, lingual brace treatment is an extremely difficult and technically demanding one for dentists and patients and the costs, quite rightly, relate to this. However, for more simple cosmetic alignment, the Social 6 lingual brace is a great option for simple, quick and affordable treatment.
 

Dental crowns are one of the best ways to protect badly damaged teeth. In most cases, crowns are needed on back teeth that may have needed a root canal treatment. For front teeth, the most common reason for the need of a crown is due to trauma . This could be from a childhood playground accident or a sports injury for example. Ouch!

If a front tooth crown was placed many years ago, over time there will have been changes in the mouth including the level of the gums and the shape and colour of the teeth. This often why there is a 'black' line around old crowns where the gum has receded and the underlying root becomes visible. Older crowns will have been made with a metal base, called a metal ceramic crown and the metal can also show as the tissues change.
 

Teeth straightening is one of the most common cosmetic dental treatments we undertake at the practice. There are huge benefits to having fully aligned teeth. Of course there are the aesthetic improvements which will enhance your smile but also the health benefits from being able to clean your teeth better and improvements in the bite. There are many options available and often, the decision lies between Invisalign and fixed braces. However, which one is best?

In reality, there is no one technique that we would consider the best one. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each option below.
 

One of the most topical subjects at the moment is the debate between composite and porcelain for dental restorations. In terms of cosmetic dentistry, this equates to the use of composite veneers and porcelain veneers. It is important to note that composite veneers can either be made by a laboratory or placed free hand by the dentist in the chair. Porcelain veneers can only be made by a dental laboratory or within a dental practice that has the necessary technology such as computer aided design and a milling machine, otherwise know as CAD-CAM.
 

Our case of the month for July involves a treatment to whiten a discoloured lower front tooth. We will often come across darker teeth when they have undergone a root canal treatment due to the loss of the nerve and blood supply. Often the degradation of blood products from the pulp tissue within the dentinal tubules cause the tooth dentine to be gradually discolour and give that inherent grey/ dark appearance. This can be quite unsightly especially on a front tooth. For back teeth, in almost every case, we will need to place a crown once a tooth has been root filled to maintain function. This will also improve the colour as the ceramic cover the dark dentine. However, for front teeth, crowns are not always needed as the access for the treatment is on the inside of the tooth and when done under microscope, can be extremely minimal. So how do we whiten the tooth?
 

One of our favourite cosmetic orthodontic treatments is the Social 6 lingual brace. This is a superb treatment to straighten the front teeth in a matter of weeks. In our experience, most treatments are just 3-4 months. With our 15 years experience with lingual braces, we have the know how to treat almost every imaginable case out there.

One of the most common cosmetic dental treatments we provide at our Fulham dental practice on a daily basis is composite bonding or composite edge bonding. Now, let us explain what composite edge bonding is exactly. This is where a tooth, normally a front tooth, is enhanced by adding composite ( which is a white filling material). This would usually be to change the shape such as the length or width, to repair a chip or fracture or protect a worn down tooth. For edge bonding, the composite typically just replaces PART of the tooth and there is usually a bevel finish where the composite is blended in with some sound tooth enamel. Most of the tooth away from the edge bonding remains exactly the same.

This is inherently different from a composite veneer where the composite covers ALL of the outer surface of the tooth right up to the gum level.
 

Our case of the month for April 2024 is one using one of our favourite treatments; Invisalign. As you may be aware, Invisalign is the most well know orthodontic system in the world and for good reason. The science and technology behind the system means that we can predictably correct even the most crooked teeth including severe rotations. The key is in the planning. Not all Invisalign is the same! We spend a great deal of time planning each and every case to achieve the best possible results. This case highlights that beautifully.
 

Composite bonding is a well know and popular technique that we have been using for over 15 years. The process is generally minimally invasive, requires very little tooth preparation, no needles or anaesthetic and is more affordable than other cosmetic dental options such as porcelain veneers. The procedure can be used for a number of treatments including closing spaces between teeth especially front teeth.