How to have a flawless smile: dentist advice

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Dentist Marina Kolesnichenko shared tips that will help get rid of plaque and put teeth and gums in order.

1. Get rid of plaque

Professional cleaning by a hygienist will help to brighten teeth and return the enamel to its natural shade.

The cleaner emits a high-pressure jet of air, water and abrasive (sodium bicarbonate crystals). The size of the crystals is so small that they remove plaque, stains from cigarettes, coffee, wine and other coloring products without harm to tooth enamel. And during the procedure, the doctor can reveal hidden problems, for example, incipient caries.

Cleaning takes 20-30 minutes. After it, you should refrain from eating and smoking for 2 hours.

Contraindications

No. If the enamel is highly sensitive, the doctor may recommend deep fluoridation - coating the teeth with varnish containing fluoride.

pros

• Safety as there is no chemical treatment of teeth.
• Painlessness, since there is no mechanical injury.
• Relatively low price.

Minuses

It is impossible to radically whiten teeth with the help of professional hygiene.

2. Whiten teeth at the dentist

To achieve the perfect smile color after brushing, you can resort to professional whitening. There are several methods: chemical (lightening by 5-7 tones), photobleaching (lightening by 8-10 tones) and laser whitening (lightening by 10-12 tones).

All types of bleaching are chemical, as they occur due to the action of a special gel based on hydrogen peroxide or carbamide.

The word "chemical" means that no catalyst is used and the whitening occurs by itself after the application of the gel. In photobleaching, the catalyst is the light of a halogen or ultraviolet lamp, in laser bleaching - a laser beam.

The session lasts 30-60 minutes. After the procedure, you should follow a white diet for several days - avoid coloring food and drinks.

Contraindications

• Age under 16.
• Pregnancy and the period of breastfeeding.
• Hypersensitivity of teeth and gums (not relevant for laser whitening).

pros

• Fast and radical teeth whitening.
• For long-term preservation of the effect, professional hygiene is sufficient 1-2 times a year.

Minuses

Fillings and crowns are not whitened and after the procedure may not match the color of the teeth. The doctor can lightly grind the fillings and cover them with a lighter material on top, but the crowns will have to be replaced.

Also, each type of whitening has its drawbacks: chemical aggressively affects tooth tissue and enamel, photobleaching can be painful and not suitable for patients with increased sensitivity of teeth, and laser is very expensive.

3. Whiten your teeth at home

If you don't have time to visit the dentist or if professional procedures are too expensive for you, you can do your whitening at home. But a doctor should still choose a home whitening system.

Such systems most often consist of a whitening compound and a tray that is filled with it and put on the teeth. You either wear them every day for 15-20 minutes, or leave them overnight.

Contraindications

• Age under 16.
• Pregnancy and the period of breastfeeding.
• Mobility of teeth and exposure of their roots.
• Gum disease.
• Allergy to hydrogen peroxide or carbamide.

pros

• Convenience: the procedure is carried out at home, there is no need to go to the doctor.
• Lower price compared to professional whitening.

Minuses

The duration of the course (from a week to a month) and a much less striking effect than from a professional procedure.

4. Carry out artistic restoration of teeth

If there are chips and cracks, the interdental spaces are increased, and the teeth themselves are not pleasing either in color or in shape, artistic restoration will help. It will correct the shape and color of the teeth, hide old unaesthetic fillings, stains, chips and cracks in the enamel. Sometimes, before the procedure, caries is treated and old fillings are replaced.

Contraindications

• Bruxism - teeth grinding during sleep.
• Malocclusion or missing chewing teeth.
• Extensive tooth decay.
• Metal or metal-ceramic crowns opposite those teeth that the patient wanted to restore.

pros

If there is no caries, the teeth do not require any grinding or any drilling, and the procedure itself is carried out in 1-2 visits to the doctor. The result is almost indistinguishable from the natural appearance of the teeth.

Minuses

This procedure is not suitable for everyone due to the substantial list of contraindications.

5. Install the "fast" crown

If a piece of a tooth is chipped or the enamel has lost its natural color, and the tooth stands out among its neighbors, then the installation of a ceramic crown - a prosthesis that covers the tooth from all sides - will help to solve these problems.

The crown is made from a solid ceramic block or veneer (a thin plate that the doctor places on the front of the tooth) and is installed in just one visit to the dentist.

The doctor will scan the teeth, and the computer will make a crown or veneer in 1–1.5 hours from ceramic or porcelain. After that, the dentist will install the finished crown on the tooth.

Contraindications

• Bruxism.
• Teeth mobility.

pros

Long-term restoration of the shape of the tooth, after which no one will guess that there is a crown or veneer on the tooth.

Minuses

Relatively high price.

6. Restore healthy color to the gums

Photodynamic therapy will be required to relieve gum inflammation. A gel is applied to the gums and after 10 minutes it is illuminated with a laser beam. Oxygen is released from the gel in the tissue, which quickly eliminates the inflamed cells. As a result, the gum becomes healthy, acquires a pleasant pale pink color, bleeding disappears, and hypersensitivity decreases.

Contraindications

No. This method of treatment is one of the safest in dentistry.

pros

Painlessness, because the gums are not subject to mechanical damage.

Minuses

No. It is a simple procedure that does not damage the gums, does not cause pain, and does not require antibiotics or other medications.

7. Return the gums to a beautiful shape

If, due to periodontitis or periodontal disease, the gums have dropped, and you want to prevent the development of this process, you can turn to mesotherapy with hyaluronic acid. This procedure ensures that the gums will neither sink nor atrophy by increasing the supply of nutrients. Mesotherapy is performed every 6-12 months and does not take much time.

Contraindications

• Low blood clotting.
• The presence of cancer.

pros

• Prevention of gum disease.
• Elimination of bleeding.
• Acceleration of tissue repair.

Minuses

Possible allergy to hyaluronic acid.

8. To restore a beautiful appearance to teeth after braces

After braces, you can get perfectly straight, but not the most beautiful teeth due to plaque, pigmentation or abrasion. In this case, a set of procedures will help.

When wearing braces, normal hygiene is difficult, because of this plaque and pigments accumulate on the teeth. Therefore, you will first need professional cleaning to get rid of them. Then - professional whitening to make the color of the enamel perfectly white.

You may need artistic restoration or the installation of veneers or crowns. Due to an irregular bite, the load is unevenly distributed, therefore, some teeth are subject to strong abrasion. After removing the braces, the load will begin to be distributed as needed, but the worn out teeth should be restored with the help of artistic restoration, crowns or veneers.

Contraindications, pros and cons

The same as for professional cleaning, professional whitening, artistic restoration and installation of veneers or crowns.