From an early age we are taught to toothbrush our teeth and not to eat too many sweets. In adulthood teeth may show signs of damage such as chipped enamel, decay, discolouration and gum disease which can detract from our smiles natural beauty. Never has there been a better time in dentistry to be able to restore the dentition to optimal health and enjoy a healthy smile once again.

Gum health
Regular visits to a dental hygienist for professional tooth cleaning or scaling and polishing help maintain gum health. Adult patients who have their own teeth should visit the hygienist every 3-months. It is advisable to use dental tape and a medium adult toothbrush or electric toothbrush with a flouridated toothpaste as directed by the dental team.

Replacing missing teeth – Dental Implants, Crowns and Bridges
Missing teeth can be replaced with bridges or dental implants. Partial dentures can be used to replace many missing teeth. Often the best treatment to replace missing teeth is to use dental implants to support crowns.

Crooked teeth & Orthodontics
Children often have their teeth straightened when they are at Secondary School with fixed braces. It is important to start to assess children’s developing dentitions between ages 6,8 and 10 years to monitor their development.

In adulthood orthodontic braces can be used to align crooked teeth and the number of adults seeking this type of treatment is increasing.

Gum surgery
Relatively simple procedures can be employed to correct gum recession that is visible in full smile. This can help to make teeth appear to be the same length.

Worn teeth, chipped teeth, misshapen and discoloured teeth
Tooth coloured porcelain crowns and porcelain veneers can be used to correct the colour and shapes of teeth. Chipped teeth can often be polished and repaired with tooth coloured fillings. Yellow or dark teeth can be given a lift with tooth whitening to give a frostier white and attractive smile.

Tooth dimensions
The average natural upper front tooth crown is 10.5mm to 11.0mm tall. This measurement is useful to incorporate into bridgework, crowns, veneers and dentures in order to make sure that the replacement teeth appear imperceptible from natural teeth.

Tooth characterisation
To help make replacement teeth imperceptible from natural teeth the surface texture is the most important aspect of seamlessly blending in dental repairs such as porcelain crowns or tooth coloured fillings. The texture of teeth varies between individuals. Some have a high gloss surface, others are more matt and this can be copied by our laboratory technician who polishes the surfaces according to the surface texture prescribed by the dentist.

Colour
It is a natural age change to develop more colour in our teeth. Teeth may be more yellow/orange and stained too! By reversing this aging process with subtle tooth whitening, porcelain veneers or crowns that are one or two shades lighter can give the appearance of a more youthful yet natural smile.

A Beautiful Smile on Your Wedding Day

Smile symmetry
Ordinarily our eyes appreciate symmetry and smiles are no different. We naturally appreciate ‘radial symmetry’ in faces and smiles. This means that our upper central incisors are a mirror image of each other and then our lateral incisors, and then canines and so on.  Obviously there are little imperfections but this radial symmetry can be incorporated into veneers, bridges and dentures to help create very natural and beautiful smiles.

If you have any further questions  about cosmetic dentistry please do not hesitate to contact our dental clinic by calling 0151 423 1601 or email your questions to us via the contact page on this site.