IMPROVING YOUR SMILE
Dental
aesthetics is an integral part of facial aesthetics. An attractive smile
enhances one’s personality and self-confidence. Your gums and the shape,
position and colour of your teeth are important in making your smile look
healthy and attractive.
A better smile can be achieved by simple means. For instance, bleaching
discoloured teeth or using veneers to correct the shape of a malformed tooth.
Some cases however, may require treatment by different specialists in order to
achieve the desired result.
Bleaching
Bleaching is a process where the tooth discolouration is 'whitened' to a
lighter shade. It removes the staining agent through chemical means. It is a
safe procedure when carried out under professional supervision. Treatment results usually depends on the severity of the
discolouration. Both vital (ie. live) and non-vital teeth
(eg. Tooth with root removed) can be bleached and may take several
visits to complete. It is not effective on dental restorations such as amalgam
fillings, metal or porcelain crowns etc.
Teeth can discolour for various reasons. The dentist will recommend the most
ideal method based on your oral condition after an in-office examination to
establish the cause and nature of your tooth discolouration, as well as provide
you with more information on the various types of whitening procedures
available, duration & frequency of treatment.
Veneers
Veneers are thin, custom-made shells crafted of tooth-colored materials designed
to cover the front side of teeth to improve the overall appearance of teeth.
They are made of either thin plastic resin or porcelain and can be placed to
- correct poorly formed or mildly malpositioned
teeth,
- close gaps between teeth
- mask internal stains
- restore partially broken down teeth
Tooth
preparation is minimal and confined to the enamel structure. The veneer is
bonded to the tooth structure with a tooth coloured
resin cement. Several visits are necessary to complete treatment. Patients
should be aware that this is usually an irreversible process, because it's
necessary to remove a small amount of enamel from your teeth to accommodate the
shell
Inlays
and Onlays
Tooth coloured inlays and onlays are restorations placed usually on the chewing
surfaces of the back teeth. An inlay fits within the confines of the teeth. An
onlay covers the entire chewing surface of the tooth. These can be made of
either plastic resin or porcelain. The procedure involves removing decayed
tooth structure or old fillings, preparing the tooth cavity, taking an
impression of the cavity to fabricate a custom-fit inlay or onlay. Two visits
are required to complete the treatment
Orthodontics
(ie. Braces)
Orthodontic deals with the arrangement of teeth and the way teeth come together
(the bite). Orthodontic treatment aims at bringing teeth and jaws into a
harmonious position with the face. This may improve the appearance, oral health
and function. For more information on braces, click here.
Crown
lengthening surgery
If you have a ‘gummy’ smile because your teeth appear short (teeth are actually
of the proper length but are covered with too much gum tissue), a crown
lengthening procedure may be done to improve your gum line and to expose a
natural, broad smile. For more information on crown lengthening surgery, click here.
Combined
Management Cases
Some cases require multi-disciplinary management in order to achieve the full
desired aesthetic result. Eg. A person may need braces
to correct the alignment of his/her teeth, followed by veneers to correct the
shape of selected tooth/teeth.
