Battersea Rise » Smile Makeover

The Social Six

elliot — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:57:58 +0000

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.

Porcelain veneers vs Lumineers

elliot — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:45:45 +0000

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.

Turning your black fillings white – without the guilt

elliot — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:05:15 +0000

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.