ABB is the UK’s answer to the American style Simon Cowellesque smile makeover. Rather than filing away your own teeth and replacing them with porcelain veneers, which can look too perfect, the UK approach is more subtle. Teeth are first aligned in a matter of just 8-12 weeks with an Inman aligner, then whitened, usually with peroxide gel in trays (more effective than laser whitening – another US export going out of fashion in many practices) and then any defects to the teeth repaired by bonding white filling material to them. Uber conservative. Highly aesthetic. And still YOU. And all at a fraction of the cost too. So what are you waiting for. In just 8-12 weeks you could have transformed your smile without looking like you have had anything done. No drilling, no pain, just a new confident you. Hasn’t dentistry changed. Of course all you Cowell wannabies we can help you too. But before we do, just try the UK approach first.
Archive for the ‘Smile Makeover’ Category
The Inman aligner has been used for many years in the USA and is quickly gaining popularity all over the world. The beauty of this appliance is that it will correct crooked, twisted and crowded teeth in just a matter of weeks. Patients love the speed of the treatment with this removable appliance. Dentists love the fact that it easier to get great results with an Inman aligner than with other systems including invisalign. It rotates incisors better than any other system and literally in a matter of weeks. Invisalign is more discreet but where patients just want the front teeth straightening they seem to prefer the Inman aligner. Dentists too prefer the short treatment time, as patients who previously would not have contemplated orthodontics, now can be persuaded. This allows a far more conservative approach when doing cosmetic dentistry, with a more aesthetic outcome than say a mouthful of veneers. These still have their place, but in most cases it is preferable to keep your own teeth.
Well it’s a starting point for some and a finishing post for others. Cosmetic dentistry courses keep pushing the idea of the ‘social six’ – the six front teeth that if sorted would keep most patients happy.
So go look in the mirror and take the test. What do your front six teeth, top and bottom say about you? Crooked, stained, worn, chipped, old crowns? The beauty of the social six is that they are relatively inenexpensive to sort out, much less than for a full makeover.
So if you don’t like your teeth and you want to start improving your smile, that’s where to start. You can always work backwards can’t you. Soon you’ll realise it’s the best investment you made in yourself.
Lumineers (and Durathin veneers and Empress Thin veneers) are like traditional porcelain veneers to the extent that they are bonded to the front of the tooth to improve the appearance of the tooth. They can be used to straighten, whiten, lengthen and generally improve the appearance of teeth. Unlike traditional teeth they have the advantage of needing little or no tooth preparation. The are simply bonded onto the existing tooth -after some careful planning. So for an instant long lasting way to improve your smile these have become very popular. Traditional veneers required 0.5mm (hardly any) tooth preparation and that put off many patients. Having your own tooth intact underneath is much more reassuring.
So there you are admiring yourself in the mirror. And what’s not to like? The San Tropez tan looks great, your botox has taken years off you and the teeth whitening just gets you smiling all the while. If only you could justify getting all those 1980s metal fillings replaced…
Remember when you put the car in for a simple service and without you knowing it the brake discs had gone, something called the big end had gone, the left front tyre was worn out etc all of which you were blissfully unaware.
Well the great news is that under every black filling that I have replaced (whether for cosmetic or other reasons) in my 28 years as dentist lurked so much decay you’d be amazed. Amazed that it didn’t hurt, couldn’t be detected even with xrays. Just there, quiety spreading eating away the toooth from the inside.
So don’t feel bad about removing old black fillings. The teeth are rotten underneath anyway.