Author Archives: Wimbledon Dental Care

Looking for Straighter Teeth

Lots of adults dream of having straighter teeth. For many, though, the first thing that springs to mind when they hear the word “orthodontics” is metal bracket and wire braces, sometimes called train-track-style braces, that are commonly worn by teenagers. The thought of having to wear such metal braces, which in addition to being very obvious are also associated in many people’s minds with lengthy treatment times and discomfort, is enough to stop many adults seeking treatment.

straighter teethAt Wimbledon Dental Care we believe everyone deserves a smile to be proud of. That’s why we’re delighted that there are a number of discreet options available to patients who want straighter teeth. Depending on your individual case, you may not even need orthodontic treatment at all!

For teeth that are mildly crooked or have fairly small irregular gaps between them, porcelain veneers may be the best option. Veneers are very thin slivers of porcelain that are custom-made to fit over the front surface of your teeth. They have several advantages over other cosmetic dental treatments, not least the fact that veneers are fitted with the absolute minimum work on your teeth.

As well as avoiding damage to otherwise healthy teeth, this means that treatment with veneers is very quick, usually needing just two appointments – perfect if you’d like a new smile for a special occasion. Veneers are highly natural-looking and long-lasting.

For more complex cases we offer orthodontic treatment with Six-Month Smiles. Six-Month Smiles are one of the most popular orthodontic solutions in the world, combing a fast treatment time (hence the name) with maximum discretion. They comprise tooth-coloured wires and brackets so nobody will notice you are wearing them, and work so quickly because they focus on the front six teeth – those that show when you smile.

If you’ve always dreamt of straighter teeth, please get in touch with us. We’re confident that we can help you get the smile you’ve always dreamt of.

Children’s Teeth

Looking after children’s teeth is vitally important. Many studies have shown that getting a child used to visiting the dentist from an early age not only helps to prevent childhood tooth decay, but also increases the chances of your child having healthy teeth for life. Early visits to the dental practice help to make it an everyday, positive experience and let youngsters get to know the dentist as a friendly face.

childrens teethAlthough rates of childhood tooth decay are starting to fall, the UK still has a very high proportion of children who suffer from caries (decayed teeth). Diets rich in sugar – including natural sugars found in healthier options such as fruit juice or honey – can lead to tooth decay, as can a poor brushing routine and failure to visit the dentist. Like adults, some children are also just more prone to decay, which makes visiting the dentist even more important.

The team at Wimbledon Dental Care are passionate about preventative dentistry – stopping problems before they start, whenever possible. We recommend you bring your children in to see us as soon as they get their first tooth. By visiting from a young age they get used to opening their mouth to let the dentist look inside, and it may even help for them to watch Mum, Dad or an older sibling having their teeth examined then copying what they saw.

As well as regular examinations to spot caries early, your dentist may also recommend the application of fluoride varnish or fissure sealant, both of which help to prevent decay. Fissure sealant is a tooth-coloured coating applied to the back teeth to help prevent food particles or bacteria getting trapped in tooth ridges, while fluoride varnish is painted on to all the teeth to strengthen the enamel.

Early intervention also helps to spot orthodontic problems such as overbites or crossbites sooner rather than later, making treatment easier.

Patients with Sensitive Teeth

Many patients walk through our doors complaining of sensitive teeth. It’s a very common problem and can make you miserable, as it’s difficult to enjoy many foods and drinks when your teeth are affected by temperature.

You might find yourself leaving your cup of tea until it’s lukewarm because otherwise you’ll get a shooting pain through your teeth, or avoiding popular summer treats such as ice cream because it’s just too painful to eat. Even biting into something healthy, a fresh, cold, apple, for example, might be impossible.

The good news is you are not alone, and there is help available. We’ve helped lots of patients with sensitivity issues and we know how unhappy it can make you.

The most important thing when treating sensitive teeth is to find the root cause. The market is flooded with products that claim to cure tooth sensitivity, but in many cases such products treat only the symptoms, rather than the underlying reasons for your sensitivity. Sensitive teeth toothpaste may help initially, but when you switch back to standard toothpaste you may find your sensitivity returns.

As dentists, we are committed to finding out what is causing any oral health problems you may have, not just alleviating the symptoms. Once we’ve worked out what’s causing your sensitive teeth, we can treat it accordingly.

One of the most common causes of tooth sensitivity is enamel erosion, which can be caused by a diet rich in acidic or sugary foods and drinks. Incorrect or over-vigorous brushing can also damage tooth enamel, exposing the sensitive dentine beneath.

Your dentist or hygienist can help with dietary advice and can also show you the best way to brush your teeth, removing plaque but leaving the enamel intact. They can also advise you on the best type of toothbrush and toothpaste to use.

Enamel erosion may also be caused by night-time tooth grinding or by certain medical conditions, particularly eating disorders. By establishing the cause of your sensitivity, we are better-placed to treat it effectively.

Using Cosmetic Dentistry For a More Beautiful Smile

Are you slightly dissatisfied with your smile? If so you might have wondered how cosmetic dentistry in Wimbledon could help. In fact Wimbledon Dental Care offers a range of cosmetic dental treatments to help improve the appearance of your teeth. Treatments that might be useful include white fillings, porcelain inlays and onlays, beautiful porcelain veneers and teeth whitening.

If your teeth are slightly crooked then we may suggest teeth straightening, as this is often a quick and straightforward process using Six Months Smiles in Wimbledon, a cosmetic braces system that concentrates on only moving teeth that are visible. The beauty of having cosmetic dentistry is that often it only requires small changes to make a big difference.

Finding out More about Our Cosmetic Dentistry

If you are interested in finding out more about cosmetic dentistry and it’s best to book an appointment with our principal dentist, Dr Kultej Sihra in Wimbledon as he can gently examine your teeth and gums before recommending the most suitable treatments. It could be all that’s required is a simple hygiene appointment to professionally clean your teeth, followed by perhaps tooth whitening and renewing any old or stained fillings with white fillings. We use the very latest tooth coloured composite resins to mend teeth; this material is very hard wearing and creates beautiful results. Our inlays and onlays are made from porcelain and are ideal for repairing larger areas of decay in your back teeth. You’d be amazed at the difference a few nice white fillings can make, particularly when they are used to replace older style silver amalgams.

Porcelain veneers are ideal for covering up teeth that are too badly stained to respond to tooth whitening, or which might be chipped. They can also be used to close up or minimise spaces in between your teeth.

Wimbledon Dental Care uses Zoom whitening to lift stains from your teeth, creating results that can lost an average of two years. This treatment includes custom-fitting whitening trays that can be used to top up the results. Zoom whitening is one of the best known and safest whitening systems on the market and treatment should be very comfortable with few, if any side effects.

Using a Combination of Treatments to Get a Perfect Smile

Quite often a combination of different treatments will work best and may well be the most conservative option. For example, we might suggest using Six Months Smiles to straighten your teeth before perfecting the results with perhaps teeth whitening, dental bonding or porcelain veneers in Wimbledon.

Using braces to straighten your teeth first is far more advantageous than cutting down your teeth to crown or veneer them in order to change their position and will help preserve the maximum amount of healthy tooth structure. Once your teeth are straightened, it’s usually a simple matter of perhaps veneering or crowning one or two teeth that might be a less than perfect shape or which are perhaps damaged due to trauma or decay. As dental professionals, we will always recommend more conservative choices that we feel will help your natural teeth last as long as possible. This may also be the option that is cheaper in the longer term.

An appointment with our dentist will soon determine the best way to enhance your smile, so why not call us on 020 8946 6546 today.

Zoom Teeth Whitening: An Easy Way to Get a Whiter Smile

Do your teeth look discoloured or stained? A liking for tea, coffee and red wine as well as highly coloured foods can all take its toll on your teeth. Nowadays there is an easy way to get a much whiter smile in a very short space of time. Wimbledon Dental Care uses Zoom whitening to gently and safely lift the overall colour of your teeth in as little as an hour. It’s a great way to get a whiter smile, perhaps in time for some special event or just before you go on holiday. You can also choose to whiten at home with our custom-made whitening trays.

Why Whiten Professionally?

You might wonder why you should have professional teeth whitening in Wimbledon, especially as there are so many over-the-counter kits that promise miraculous results. It’s important not to lose sight of the fact that tooth whitening is a dental treatment which is why it is regulated to ensure only dentists are allowed to use professional strength whitening gels.

A Dental Checkup Is Essential before Any Form of Whitening

Before you whiten, our dentist in Wimbledon, Dr Kultej Sihra, will carefully examine your teeth and gums. This is essential to make sure they are healthy enough to be safely whitened. At the same time Dr Sihra can assess the reason for your tooth staining and will be able to decide if whitening is the right choice. Professional tooth whitening is far safer and more effective than any kit you can buy over-the-counter or online and each treatment is fully customised to reduce any tooth sensitivity and to ensure you are as comfortable as possible.

Deciding Which Form of Tooth Whitening to Have

If you decide to go ahead then you do have the choice of power whitening or a home whitening kit. However we find that most of our patients prefer to whiten in our surgery before topping up the results for a few days afterwards. During this treatment you will first have impressions taken of your mouth which are used to make custom-made whitening trays that will fit closely over your teeth. Your next step is to visit our surgery for your Zoom power whitening appointment which will take approximately one hour. Once it is over we will show you how to use your new whitening trays and you simply need to wear them for approximately an hour each day for the three days following your Zoom whitening.

What Happens If Some Teeth Can’t Be Whitened?

Not all teeth will respond to tooth whitening which is another reason why a dental checkup beforehand is so important. This might be the case if the tooth is internally stained. If Dr Sihra thinks certain teeth won’t respond well to tooth whitening then he’ll recommend another way of masking their colour. One of the easiest and most permanent ways to do this is through using dental veneers in Wimbledon that completely cover up the front surface of the tooth while other methods include bonding teeth or even covering them up completely with full crowns. It’s best to whiten first and then have any veneers or other restorations matched to your newly bleached teeth. This will give far better results than trying to cover up these teeth with new veneers and to whiten your teeth to match.

Are you ready for a whiter smile? Call us today on 020 8946 6546 to book your appointment with Dr Kultej Sihra in Wimbledon.

Preventative Dentistry: an Easy Way to Keep Your Smile at its Best

All of our dental team at Wimbledon Dental Care is passionate about preventative dentistry. We know this is the best way to help maintain healthy teeth and gums, greatly reducing your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. We’d far rather work with you to prevent any problems from occurring than have to offer emergency dental care for toothache. Gum disease is another huge problem and particularly as in the early stages it often creates few if any symptoms. It’s the major reason for tooth loss in the developed world, and just like tooth decay is generally highly preventable. In addition, looking after your teeth and gums will help lower your dental bills in the longer term and ensures your smile is always looking its best.

Regular Check-ups

We suggest you visit our dentist, Dr Kulej Sihra in Wimbledon every six months as this will enable us to detect any problems, hopefully at a stage when treatment is quick and straightforward and we can keep an eye on your oral health. Oral cancer checks are an important part of your regular check-ups, particularly as your dentist is most likely the only health professional who regularly examines the inside of your mouth.

Regular Oral Hygiene Appointments

We thoroughly recommend all our patients book regular hygiene appointments. Good oral hygiene in Wimbledon is vitally important and most people will need to see a hygienist every six months, or at every regular check-up, but some will benefit from more frequent cleanings. This might be the case if you have any conditions that affect your immune system and which might increase your risk of gum disease, or if you are pregnant as the hormonal changes during pregnancy can increase the risk of developing a condition called pregnancy gingivitis, a form of gum disease.

The main reason for having your teeth professionally cleaned is to remove hardened plaque, a substance called tartar from your teeth. Plaque and tartar tend to build up around the gum line and if not regularly removed will increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. This is because the bacteria in plaque and tartar release toxins that gradually infect and inflame the gums.

During your professional teeth cleaning, all hardened tartar will be scaled or scraped away from around the gum line and just below. Treatment finishes with your teeth being gently polished which helps to remove some surface stains and is great for just putting a bit more sparkle into your smile.

Get Customised Advice on How to Look after Your Teeth and Gums at Home

As part of your regular oral hygiene treatments, we can offer instructions on the best way to look after your teeth and gums at home. We know many people struggle with flossing and you’d be surprised at how much easier this task can be when you’re shown how to do it properly. We can also advise you on the best tools to use at home, so you make the most of every single second spent brushing and flossing.

Has it been a while since you last visited a hygienist? Call us today to book your appointment on 020 8946 6546.

Six Months Smiles in Wimbledon

If you have slightly crooked teeth then you might have already looked into ways of straightening them, and perhaps quickly discounted wearing braces due to the hassle and time required. However there have been huge advances in orthodontics in Wimbledon over the past few years, and nowadays treatment is often quick, discreet and very effective. If you think braces means wearing highly visible ‘train tracks’ then we have some extremely good news for you; now you can straighten your teeth with braces that are much less noticeable. Wimbledon Dental Care is an accredited provider of Six Month Smiles, arguably one of the fastest orthodontic systems in the world.

Why Choose Six Month Smiles?

Six Month Smiles is what is known as a cosmetic braces system. This means it concentrates on moving the teeth you can see when you smile or talk, the so-called ‘social six.’ For many adults, this is often all that is required to create a beautiful smile and it can be particularly good for people who perhaps had orthodontics as a child and have since had an orthodontic relapse. An orthodontic relapse can occur when retainers are not worn as recommended, enabling teeth to shift their position slightly. Six Month Smiles can soon correct problems with rotated or crooked teeth and can close up or minimise unwanted spaces.

Treatment Is Much Faster

Conventional orthodontics often focus on correcting problems with the way teeth bite together which involves moving multiple teeth including those right at the back of the mouth. Six Month Smiles only concentrates on moving the front teeth so the overall treatment times are far quicker, taking an average of just six months. The great thing about having fixed braces such as Six Months Smiles is that the brackets can be positioned to precisely move teeth, and unlike removable aligners they are continually working to straighten your smile. You will also find these braces pretty comfortable to wear as they are specially designed to use mild but effective forces to gently move teeth.

Less Visible Than Conventional Orthodontics

Conventional fixed braces often use heavy and highly visible metal brackets whereas Six Months Smiles uses tooth coloured brackets and wires that are virtually invisible. In addition, you’ll only be wearing them for a very short while so it’s unlikely that very many people won’t notice you are wearing braces.

What Is Treatment like?

Our dentist in Wimbledon, Dr Kultej Sihra, will need to examine your teeth to decide if Six Month Smiles is suitable. If he thinks you will benefit from more comprehensive treatment then you can be referred to an orthodontic specialist. Otherwise we will take impressions and photographs of your teeth and these are used to fabricate your braces. The next step is for the braces to be bonded onto your teeth. You’ll need to visit our surgery every four or five weeks so we can make any necessary adjustments. In no time at all you’ll begin to see the results as your teeth moved into predetermined positions, creating a beautifully straighter smile. After your braces are removed, you’ll need to wear a retainer. This is a comfortable device that is bonded permanently onto the inside surfaces of your teeth, ensuring you maintain the benefits of having Six Months Smiles in Wimbledon.

Want to find out more? Contact Wimbledon Dental Care on 020 8946 6546 to book your appointment today.