How long does a tooth crown fitting take?

dental crownA ‘crown’ is a cap that is fitted in top of an existing tooth to improve its overall appearance. Usually a tooth crown fitting is an option if there has been a problem with the tooth, for example if it has become damaged, broken or discoloured. Unlike a filling, a crown covers the whole of the affected tooth and sits seamlessly along the gum line.

A crown is usually recommended if the problem is too significant to be fixed with a filling or another more superficial method of fixing the problem.

A tooth crown fitting is usually done over at least two separate appointments with your dentist:

  1. On the first visit the preparatory work is done, which can involve shaping the existing tooth so that it is ready to receive the crown. Once this is done your dentist will then take a mould of the tooth so that a crown can be made that fits it perfectly. The mould is taken by inserting a ‘putty’ into your mouth and taking an imprint of your tooth. It might feel a bit strange, but it is a quick process and the putty doesn’t have an unpleasant taste. You’ll often be given a temporary crown at this stage to wear while your permanent crown is being crafted.
  2. The second appointment is generally a minimum of two weeks after the initial one. This is because it takes time to create a perfect crown – it needs to be perfectly shaped and match the colour of your other teeth. If you and your dentist are happy with the look and feel of the permanent crown then this will be attached with strong adhesive (‘dental cement’). This cement is extremely hard wearing and (assuming it is looked after correctly and does not suffer a severe knock/impact) your crown will be attached for many years.

So overall, considering the longevity of a crown and the improvement that it can make to your smile, the process to have a crown fitted is pretty quick.

If you have a damaged tooth and feel that a crown would improve how confident you feel about your teeth, get in touch with the team here at CK Dental in Bristol and we can arrange an assessment for you. If other fixes are not suitable (fillings, cleansing, whitening etc) then we can arrange for you to be booked in to have a crown fitted.

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Understanding what ‘receding gums’ are and what to do about them

receding gumsGum disease takes various forms and is actually very common. Many people suffer with it – in fact some of these people won’t even realise that their gums are in need of attention. The term ‘receding gums’ refers to the condition whereby the roots of your teeth start to become visible instead of being neatly covered by your gums.

What causes receding gums?

Gum can begin to recede when you don’t look after your oral health well enough and plaque is allowed to build up on your teeth. Plaque is a breeding ground for bacteria, and it’s these bacteria that get into the gums and cause problems. Other factors that can contribute to this condition include overzealous tooth brushing, using a toothbrush that has very hard bristles, smoking, diabetes and hormonal changes (such as those that occur during pregnancy and the menopause). Some of these causes can be managed, others are much more challenging to address.

Knowing what to look out for

The tell-tale signs that your gums are receding are if your teeth begin to feel more sensitive than normal (although this can be symptomatic of various things) and also if your teeth begin to look a bit longer. If this is caught early and the symptoms are not too serious then it can be treated.

Here at CK Dental Practice in Bristol, we would recommend an intensive professional cleaning treatment as the first step to see if this alleviates the problem. In some instances, the gums may have become infected, and if this is the case there will also need to be a course of antibiotics to rid your gums of the infection.

In very serious, advanced cases, gum surgery may be required to help rectify the problem.

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Teeth whitening pens – gimmick or great idea?

A recent advert for a ‘teeth whitening pen’ caught our attention, so here at CK Dental we have been investigating what this is. Is it something that people can really benefit from or it is simply a fad and something that is more of a gimmick than a good innovation? Let’s investigate….

Apparently the whitening pen is to be used as part of your daily brushing routine, and within three weeks your teeth can expect to be three shades whiter. The dental pen claims to contain a whitening gel that begins working straight away to lighten the appearance of your teeth: “Apply the whitening pen directly to teeth. No waiting, no rinsing. Its stay on formula deeply whitens your teeth.”

Is the tooth whitening pen safe for my mouth?

According to the manufacturers, this dental pen is completely safe and is very unlikely to cause any discomfort in your mouth. They say that if you have particularly delicate gums then you may experience some slightly tingling and a slight sensitivity, but this should pass quickly. If you apply the whitening pen to your teeth and this does cause pain or discomfort then stop using this straight away and if the pain does not subside, seek a dentist’s opinion quickly.

So does it really work?

Interestingly, consumer feedback seems to be positive, with feedback sites suggesting that then pen is indeed true to its word: “After using for 7 days I have noticed remarkable results and am very happy with the purchase. Will definitely recommend”. However, at CK Dental we provide an at-home teeth whitening system using trays that are worn at night. Our chief concern with the teeth whitening pens are that they just won’t be effective rather than dangerous.

These over-the-counter products typically contain a much lower percentage of  hydrogen peroxide than the tray system that dentists can provide. A tray will also keep the bleaching agent in contact with the surface of the teeth and away from saliva that can wash it away.

It is also important to remember  that even though inventions such as this may indeed be able to increase the whiteness of our teeth, this is no substitute for regular check-ups with your dentist and a good dental hygiene routine. If you’re brushing twice a day for at least two minute per brush then this will ensure that your teeth and gums are kept as safe as possible from harmful bacteria and plaque that can build up if overall dental hygiene is poor.

Whitening products such as a dental pen can indeed help with the shade of your teeth, but there are also other ways to try and keep teeth whiter. These include reducing intake of liquids that can stain your teeth (such as red wine, tea and coffee) and stopping smoking, as nicotine will also cause discolouration.

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Is vaping bad for your teeth?

vaping and gum diseaseLast month, the new Tobacco Products Directive came into power, including its strict new laws on e-cigarettes. Health campaigners welcomed this new legislation, due to concerns over the unknown, long-term side effects of vaping.

Although a report published last month by the charity Action on Smoking and Health suggested that half of all British vapers have now given up smoking cigarettes, there are still some worries about vaping. Not all e-cigarettes contain nicotine, most do and nicotine is a highly addictive drug. Also vapers tend to smoke more than somebody that smokes cigarettes so are inhaling more nicotine overall.

Vaping and your teeth

Smoking cigarettes cause a range of oral health problems including plaque and tartar build-up, inflammation and mouth cancer, and although these are mainly linked to the chemicals found in cigarettes rather than nicotine, but that isn’t to say that nicotine is free of harm.

Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor which means it constricts your blood vessels, meaning there is less oxygenated blood reaching the tissues of the mouth. As a result, it can lead to gum recession, gingivitis and periodontitis, commonly known as gum disease. It can also mask the signs of gum disease which makes it even more dangerous; typically, there is increased blood flow to the gums when you’re suffering from periodontitis and one of the first signs is inflammed gums that bleed when you brush your teeth, but this is less likely to occur if you have a nicotine habit.

Nicotine is also a stimulant so if you have a tendency to grind your teeth then you may find your more likely to start grinding them more intensely. And, last but not least, nicotine limits your ability to produce saliva, one of the chief causes of bad breath!

Dr Nigel Carter, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, a charity dedicated to improving oral health in the UK, was one of the many health campaigners that praised these stricter regulations. “One of the biggest areas of concerns e-cigarettes remained that the industry operated without regulation. Given the sustained and rapid growth of the number of people switching to e-cigarettes, regulation was an absolute necessity and we’re delighted to see it finally being brought into force.”

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Evolution of the toothbrush

 

A toothbrush is such a common household staple that we completely take it for granted. Along with many bathroom accessories such as the hairbrush, the face sponge and the razor, these items exist to help make our lives and routines easier and better. But has anyone stopped to wonder who invented the humble toothbrush?

Early tooth and gum care

The first signs of man using an implement to clean teeth and gums date back thousands of years to 3500 BC, where historians have found evidence that people were chewing tatty-ended twigs to help keep their mouths clean. They used the frayed fibres within the twigs to help dislodge food from between teeth and prevent gum disease. Although this may sound far removed from our perceptions of a good teeth cleaning regime now, this is still practiced in some areas of the word today. In some areas of Africa, a tooth twig called a “datun” is used and can be surprisingly effective.

Bristol dentist evolution of toothbrushIn the fifteenth century, the Chinese first invented a bristled toothbrush. These resembled the modern toothbrushes we use today but were made from materials available then. The handle was something rigid, usually bone or bamboo, and the bristles were made from hair taken from a hog’s neck. These hairs were rough and thick, so essentially did the same job of removing food and bacteria from teeth and gums as the man-made toothbrushes we use today. Not the most appealing thing to put in your mouth though.

The modern toothbrush

Incredibly, toothbrushes with bristles made from animal hair survived all the way into the twentieth century, and it wasn’t until 1938 when they were replaced with nylon bristles. The French company DuPont de Nemours first thought to use nylon as a substitute for animal hairs and this approach has been used ever since. Nylon, although commonplace now, had only just been invented at this time, having been launched in 1935/36.

Interestingly, electric toothbrushes are a lot older than many people realise. They were pioneered in 1939 in Switzerland but were not readily available on the mass market until the 1960s. Nowadays people can choose whether they favour the manual or electric toothbrush and there are thousands of options available.

Here at CK Dental we have evaluated the benefits of brushing with electric versus manual toothbrushes (click here to read our post on this) and believe that both have merit. Providing you are using either type of brush correctly and spending an appropriate length of time brushing your teeth each day (we would recommend twice a day for at least two minutes per session) then this should help maintain healthy teeth and gums.

 

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Implications of knocked out milk teeth on adult teeth

baby teeth Bristol dentistsMilk teeth is the name given to the tiny teeth that young children get before their adult teeth come through. Milk teeth start to come through from as early as five to ten months old and stay with infants until they are around 5 or 6 years old before they gradually start falling out. This continues, with milk teeth being replaced by adult teeth for a number of years, with most children losing most of their milk teeth by around 10 or 12 years old. However, some people don’t lose their back milk teeth until well into their late teens.

Although the milk teeth are temporary, they are paving the way for the adult teeth that you’ll keep for the rest of your life. So what happens if one gets knocked out?

Prematurely lost milk teeth

If an adult tooth is knocked out, the advice is to put it back in as quickly as possible and to seek urgent dental help. If a milk tooth is knocked out it is important that you do not try and place it back into the hole it came from as it is impossible to tell how developed the adult tooth is underneath. If you try to re-insert a knocked out milk tooth then you can accidentally harm the adult tooth below.

If a child has lost a milk tooth prematurely, keep the tooth clean, don’t touch the root and store it in milk until you can get to the dentist – which you must do urgently.

If a milk tooth is knocked out before it is ready then it can have implications on the adult teeth below. Adult teeth will move in to fill spaces vacated by missing milk teeth, so if one gets knocked out and leaves a space earlier than it should do then this can lead to overcrowding of adult teeth later in life.

Overcrowded teeth can be fixed by a range of different orthodontic options like braces, but it is always better to try to avoid overcrowding occurring, rather than having to fix it later in life.

Here at CK Dental we advise taking great care of milk teeth as they set up your child’s mouth for the rest of their lives. Keep milk teeth clean, brush them regularly and if your child is interested in sports then encourage them to wear a gum shield to protect delicate milk teeth from taking a knock. Remember, if an accident occurs and a milk tooth is damaged, come to see us as quickly as possible so that we can help prevent further damage.

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Crowns – metal versus porcelain? Which should I choose?

choosing dental crownsCrowns are used in cosmetic dentistry to fix the appearance of a broken, unattractive or discoloured tooth. They are typically made of a base component, metal or porcelain and some people will then choose to have an outer layer of a different material on top of the base. This layer is often porcelain, but can be other materials such as glass or gold.

Opting for a metal base/porcelain cover

Many crowns are made from a metal base which has a layer of porcelain bonded to it. These are very popular as the metal makes it strong and durable, while the outer layer of porcelain makes for an aesthetically pleasing solution to the broken or unsightly tooth.

The challenge with having a metal base is that you will be able to see a small amount of the metal around the edge where it is bonded to the porcelain. This will be darker than the porcelain colour (which will match the ivory colour of your natural teeth). For some people, this isn’t ideal and they wish to look at alternatives.

Opting for purely porcelain

Some people will opt for a fully porcelain crown. This gets around the issue of the darker edge that a metal/bonded porcelain crown will give, and the wholly porcelain crown will match your other teeth perfectly. It looks very natural. The problem with a 100% porcelain crown is that it is a weaker material and therefore more likely to break and require replacing.

Fully porcelain crowns are not the only alternative to using a metal base; some people will choose a ceramic crown. This is a much newer solution for people who wish to avoid a crown bonded to a metal base. Ceramic is stronger than porcelain so offers a more long-lasting crown, however the price reflects this.

Our favoured approach

Here at CK Dental Practice in Bristol we will look at where your crown will be and discuss with you the best solution. One of the most important things to consider is the place in your mouth where the crown will be. If it is covering one of your front teeth and will be in clear view, you may wish to consider a more expensive material that will make the match with your other teeth more seamless.

Alternatively, if the crown is to be further back in your mouth your priorities may be different. A more cost effective, stronger component, one that offers very slightly less aesthetically pleasing results may be a better option to cover a tooth that will be less visible.

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Understanding root planing

gum disease treatmentThe variety of services and offerings that are available from our dentists has grown exponentially in recent years. Gone are the days of a simple scale and polish being the ‘upgrade’ on a routine check up, now dentists can offer an extensive suite of treatments to keep your teeth and gums in tip top condition.

One such new treatment is root planing, which is a non-surgical, deep-cleaning procedure. It is particularly helpful for patients who are suffering from (or who might be prone to developing) gum disease.

What is root planing?

Root planing involves ‘sanding down’ the rougher, accessible areas on the surface of the roots. Once these are perfectly smooth it makes it much harder for bacteria to survive, creates less of an opportunity for plaque and tartar to form and allows your teeth and gums the best possible conditions to bond together firmly.

The procedure is often carried out over several sittings to ensure that it is working effectively and to minimise patient discomfort. Patients will often be left with temporarily sensitive, tender gums after the procedure so it is advised by the dentist that one side at a time is done, so that it does not affect the ability of the patient to eat and drink afterwards. A local anaesthetic is usually administered to ensure that patients feel no pain during the procedure.

Root planing is often carried out in tandem with a tooth scaling procedure, ensuring that your teeth and gums are left pristine. It is sometimes undertaken by the dentist and sometimes by the dental hygienist

What happens next?

As well as adhering to a regular brushing schedule and ensuring that your oral hygiene is optimal, after a root planing treatment you will benefit from regular check ups to ensure that your teeth and gums are faring well and that if the need for additional treatment arises it is caught nice and early.

Here at CK Dental Practice in Bristol we know that prevention is better than cure, and will work with you to ensure that you know how to maintain healthy teeth and gums. We will also help you understand all the ways in which we can help support you with this.

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Technology and tooth brushing

technology and toothbrushing Bristol dentistEverything in our modern lives is eventually touched by technology, thanks to the technical wizards who are hard at work innovating, reinventing and modifying the things that we use on a day to day basis. From our phones to our fridges, our TVs to our heating, everything we use is being pushed to try and make it do more and more clever, useful things.

It was only a matter of time before the consumer dentistry market was the recipient of one of these new innovations, and here at CK Dental Practice in Bristol, we were interested to hear more.

Smart tooth brushes

At the recent Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas, a new type of ‘smart toothbrush’ was unveiled. This new innovation promises to sync with an app to try and help you make your teeth brushing routine as efficient as possible. The logic behind this new tooth brush is that in the long run, the intelligence garnered from its use will save you lots of money in future dentistry work.

Artificial intelligence

These smart tooth brushes even promise that they use the very latest in artificial intelligence (AI), as they will supposedly study the way in which you brush your teeth, learn from this and then make suggestions about how this can be improved. The tooth brush is designed to connect to an app on your phone via Bluetooth, which captures information about your brushing habits, such as how often you brush, how long for and which areas of your mouth you give most attention to.

Interestingly, according to one toothbrush innovator Kolibree, a tech firm specialising in dental products, their new toothbrush has the capability of storing usage data while it is not connected to the app, and then syncing when the connection feature is activated.

Sounds very futuristic, doesn’t it?

Some of the big, well-known brands in toothbrush manufacture are already investigating the potential behind using AI to keep our teeth cleaner and healthier. If you like the sound of this but aren’t in a position to invest in one of these new smart toothbrushes, then there are other dentistry apps available that can help add a bit of sparkle to your normal tooth brushing routine. This is a great idea too if you’re trying to encourage children to find tooth brushing more interesting.

When it comes to dentistry innovations, it sounds like the future’s bright, the future’s pearly-white.

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Interesting innovations in the world of dentistry

Bristol dental practiceThere are interesting innovations across all industries, and dentistry is no different. Electronic toothbrushes revolutionised the brushing experience when they were first introduced, but now there are so many more things that tooth brushes can offer.

Here at CK Dental practice in Bristol, we decided to take a  look at some of the latest innovations to have changed the humble tooth brush.

Tooth brushes with cameras

These clever electric toothbrushes have a tiny camera embedded within the handle which gives users the chance to film the inside of their mouths. With this knowledge and ability to see areas that are tough to see by looking in the mirror, this can help guide users to target problem areas and to ensure that problems such as plaque do not build up unnoticed.

Brushing for the correct amount of time

Another innovation is a toothbrush that comes with a built-in timer. It is recommended that teeth are brushed twice a day for at least two minutes, and with a timer available inside your toothbrush, there is no simpler way to ensure you’re meeting your daily brushing quota.

Tongue as well as teeth

Some toothbrushes come with special modes for cleaning your tongue, which are softer than modes required for brushing teeth. It is important to maintain a healthy tongue as part of your oral routine; otherwise it can become a breeding ground for bacteria which can be harmful for your teeth.

Applying just the right amount of pressure

There are also toothbrushes that have a pressure sensor to ensure that you’re applying enough – but not too much – pressure to the different areas of your mouth. Getting the pressure right is important, too little and you risk not leaving teeth fully clean, too much and you risk damaging tooth enamel or more sensitive gums.

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