Cosmetic dentist

Choosing a dentist can be quite difficult especially when travelling to an unknown city. However various guidelines can be followed to ensure that the dentist chosen is right for you.

When travelling from abroad

• Choose a city that is safe.
• Ask the dentist if he can arrange for a pick up drop service so you don’t have to hunt around for the clinic.
• Clinics in close proximity to airports and railway station are preferred.
• Have a telephonic conversation with your dentist at least 2-3 times before travelling to establish a comfort level with your dentist.

• Have your first appointment as a getting acquainted visit. Have a chat, discuss your problems and observe the dentist, the clinic and the staff to see whether your expectations match. Once a level of confidence and trust is achieved, proceed further.
• Dentistry is a licensed profession. Please verify that your dentist holds a license in the form of a registration number from the Dental Council of that country.
• Dentistry is an every changing profession, with newer techniques and materials being developed every day. The more updated your dentist is, the most modern, evidence-based, treatment he can deliver. Verify if your dentist is engaged in continuing education in dentistry on a regular level, since graduation.
• Check if your dentist is fully aware of modern sterilization methods to prevent cross-infection, including the use of Autoclaves and disposables.
• Overall cleanliness standards should be good and the staff courteous
• Word of mouth referrals are important guides to choosing a dentist. Friends, family, acquaintances and other health professionals can recommend good dentists. Ask the dentist if you can speak to cases similar to yours and treated by him/her.

When teeth are missing, the remaining ones can change position, drifting into the empty space. Teeth that are out of position can damage tissues in the mouth. In addition, it is difficult to clean thoroughly between crooked teeth. This can result in tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease and loss of additional teeth.

Unattended decay or attrition destroys the protective surface of the teeth i.e. the "enamel" of teeth. The next layer of the teeth is called “dentin” which is highly sensitive to extremes of temperature. This situation might give rise to sharp pain, when exposed to hot or cold food. If left unattended, the decay will spread giving rise to more serious problem.

• When you don't brush and floss regularly, bacteria accumulate on the bits of food left in your mouth and between your teeth, forming a biofilm called as plaque. Failure to remove plaque by regular tooth brushing allow the plaque to build up further and eventually harden to form tartar which is one of the main cause for bad breadth.


• Tartar once formed cannot be removed by regular brushing. It then requires professional cleaning by a dentist. Failure to do so leads to further deposition of tartar. This tartar can become covered by swollen gum tissue or otherwise spread below the gum line and cause destruction of the supporting structures of the tooth i.e. periodontal ligament and bone surrounding the tooth.


• If the tartar is allowed to build for a long period of time, bone loss is severe. In such extreme cases patients feel that cleaning causes loosening of teeth. The tooth doesn’t seem mobile at that time because layers of tartar around several teeth hold them together. When such layer of tartar is removed the tooth begins to move and appear mobile to the patient. What you need to understand is that failure to remove this tartar will make you feel that you have teeth which are not mobile but the destruction of bone will continue and eventually the teeth will lose all of its supporting bone and fall off. However regular cleaning of the teeth will help you maintain its supporting structures and definitely will not cause loosening of teeth.

There's no set age for a kid to visit the orthodontist, some kids go when they're 6, some kids go when they're 10, and some go while they're teens. Even adults visit the orthodontist for treatment. Many orthodontists say a kid should see an orthodontist before age 7 so any problems can be spotted early. That doesn't mean a kid will get braces right away. But the orthodontist will know which problems exist and can choose the best time to start treatment.

• While it's true that primary teeth are only in the mouth for a short period of time, they play a vital role.


• They reserve space for their permanent counterparts. There is an appropriate time for each milk tooth to fall and the permanent successor to take its place. If a milk tooth is lost for any reason much earlier than the scheduled time of eruption of the permanent successor, then it is very likely that the space created by loss of the milk tooth will reduce or even close due to drifting of the adjacent teeth, and when the time for the permanent tooth to erupt comes it may have no place, so it may either get locked within the jaws or erupt in an abnormal position.


• They give the face its normal appearance.


• They aid in the development of clear speech.


• They help attain good nutrition (missing or decayed teeth make it difficult to chew causing children to reject foods).


• They help give a healthy start to the permanent teeth (decay and infection in baby teeth can cause dark spots on the permanent teeth developing beneath it.


• That is why it is necessary to maintain the milk teeth till it’s time for it to fall off.

As mentioned in the earlier question milk teeth have a vital role to play, hence they need to be saved till it is time for it to fall off. If a milk tooth has decay reaching its nerve or pulp, the only option which remains is to do a root canal treatment. RCT of a milk tooth is different from that of the permanent teeth. After cleaning of the pulp tissue the canal is filled with a material which resorbs with the milk teeth causing no problem in the eruption of the permanent successor. If the decayed tooth is left in the mouth without treatment, it can cause recurrent infection and can also lead to decay of its permanent successor.

It depends on the tooth whitening system being used and the concentration. Generally it is best to let your dentist decide which system shall precisely work for you.

No permanent side effects are known (no clinical trials have been conducted on pregnant and lactating women)

Mild to moderate sensitivity can be controlled with pain- killers and mouthwash.

The effect of tooth whitening generally lasts for one and a half to two years.

Tooth whitening pens and toothpaste can prolong the effect a little longer.

Remember,

Cost of dental treatment is not the best judge of quality of care.

Dentistry is a combination art and a science. Quality dentistry takes time and patience, so plan your trip in accordance with the time required for your treatment.