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For a super smile always

Dr P C Jacob shares the advancement made in dentistry and how a visit to the dentist need not be a thing to dread.

Dental care has undergone tremendous changes over the past decade. From being a specialty, which patients visited only when a toothache became unbearable, it has evolved into an area where preservation of teeth and gums are given prime importance?

The improvements are two fold. There has been a substantial improvement in materials and techniques. With liberalisation, these materials are now available freely for the dentist to use. Secondly, there has been a demand for a higher level of dental care.

Early dental care

The awareness starts right from childhood. Earlier, children hardly ever visited a dentist, except when they had pain. Now, dental visits for children start at the age of around two years and from then on they visit the dentist regularly once or twice a year. Fluoride treatment is given to reduce decay, and growth is monitored to correct malocclusions early in life. As soon as the ‘permanent’ teeth erupt (around six years of age), they are covered with sealants to prevent decay. The types of braces used for correcting malaligned teeth have also improved. It is no longer necessary to wear braces made of metal. The brackets that are fixed to the teeth are now also made of ceramic and are tooth coloured so that they blend in better.

As with children, adults are also advised to visit the dentist at least once a year, so that problems can be identified and treated early. Fillings for decayed teeth, which used to be done with silver amalgam and were silver in colour are now done with tooth coloured filling materials called composites. These make the filled tooth look more natural. Teeth having extensive decay involving the pulp are root canalled and not extracted.

Root canal therapy can also save certain teeth where only the roots are left. After root canalling, the teeth are usually capped (crowned) because they become brittle otherwise. The crowns can be made from a variety of materials. The latest materials are the metal-free ceramics, which do not have a core of metal like the conventional porcelain fused to metal crowns. The metal free crowns are more esthetic, because they allow better transmission of light.

Cosmetic dentistry

People who are unhappy with the way their teeth and gums look now have a choice of getting them corrected. Discoloured teeth can be either be bleached or bonded with composite materials or ceramic laminate. Worn out teeth and teeth having spaces can be treated with composite bonding or ceramic laminates. Misaligned jaws can be treated with orthognathic surgery and those having a ‘gummy smile’ can have their teeth lengthened with gum surgery. Cosmetic dentistry has become extremely popular in the last decade.

If teeth are lost either due to decay or gum disease, there are a number of ways in which they can be replaced. The treatment plan depends on the area and the number of teeth lost. If a single tooth is missing it can be replaced with either an implant or a fixed bridge. Removable dentures are usually not recommended for this. If multiple teeth are missing and a fixed bridge is not possible, the only choice that was available earlier was a removable denture. However, due to the recent advances, implants can be placed and a fixed bridge can be given. After a healing period ranging from three to six months during which time the implant fuses with bone, the crown, bridge or denture can be placed on top. Implants have become an effective alternative to removable dentures.

Patients who have lost all their teeth need not wear complete dentures. Multiple implants can be placed in the upper and lower jaws and a fixed prosthesis can be given. Implants can also be used to stabilise the dentures so they are more comfortable to wear. age bar for the use of implants.

For details call 080-25548099