Our case of the month for February is a dental implant case to restore missing back teeth. Dental implants are used to replace missing teeth to restore function, aesthetics and prevent further problems of shrinkage and teeth movement. In our case of the month, our patient had lost some back teeth and there was a baby tooth remaining which was about to fall out. This severely impacted on her eating and everyday function. Dental implants were the best way to replace the missing teeth with a fixed and secure final end result. Here are some before photographs:
 

After fitting your orthodontic appliance (brace), it is important to follow some simple but important instructions. We have also provided some useful information and advice regarding after care.
 

TOOTHBRUSHING AND ORAL HYGIENE

Oral hygiene is critical to the success of treatment. Please brush normally 2-3 times a day using a manual or electric toothbrush. It will be very difficult to floss your teeth but interdental brushes can still be used, which are very effective. The use of a mouthwash is advised on a regular basis, ideally containing fluoride. The latest developments in interdental hygiene include devices such as the Airfloss by Philips and Waterpik units. These are excellent adjunctive techniques and highly recommended for the hard to reach areas. They use a combination of pressure, air and water (or mouthwash) to flush debris away from the contact areas of the teeth.
 

PREVENTING TOOTH DECAY

Adhering to a sound oral hygiene regime coupled with the use of fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash will generally prevent any decay around the brace. However, you should also carefully monitor sugar intake throughout the day. High frequency of sugar throughout the day will increase the risk of tooth decay considerably especially when wearing braces. Now is the time to really cut down on those sugary snacks and drinks! We strongly advise using MI plus paste by GC. This is excellent at reversing early decay within the tooth enamel and will help to prevent decay or dimineralisation around the orthodontic brackets. Simply rub a small amount of the paste around the brace with your finger and tongue and discard the excess. Then leave overnight, do NOT rinse with water or mouthwash afterwards.
 

EATING 

It is important to adopt a soft diet for the first few weeks. This is especially important with lingual braces. Foods to avoid are:
 

• Hard crunchy foods such as crusty bread
• Sticky foods such as toffees
• Chewy meats
• Unpitted olives and stone fruits

If you have a tooth coloured brace, please avoid staining foods which could discolour the temporary elastics. These include:
 

• Curries
• Rich tomato based sauces with oil
• Beetroot
• Effervescent table drinks such as vitamin supplements and Berroca

LIP OR TONGUE IRRITATION

Braces can cause irritation to the tongue or lip after fitting. This will settle once you have become accustomed to the appliance. In the meantime, orthodontic wax or putty placed over the brackets can help to provide some temporary relief. We will provide this for you.
 

PAIN RELIEF

Due to the modern technology, there is much reduced pain compared to systems of the past. However, there may be some intermittent pain. Regular pain relief such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or a combination of both should be effective. If there is prolonged severe pain, please contact us. Of course, the most important aspect is that dental braces are temporary! Time will fly by and your teeth will be straight before you know it!

What is dental dam? Dental dam is essentially a drape for your teeth. It provides total isolation for the tooth or teeth in question. Thus it will keep the lip, cheeks, tongue and saliva away from the working field. This is vital in modern day dentistry where most treatment relies on adhesive bonding of some form. A dry field is crucial.

Dental dam is also essential for root canal treatment. Powerful irrigants are used to clean the canal which contain sodium hypochoride and EDTA. It is not pleasant if these are accidentally swallowed! Dental dam will protect the oral cavity from these substances and prevent the ingress of oral fluids into the root canal thus increasing the success rate of the treatment. So if your dentist is not using dental dam, ask them why not. 

For modern day dentistry, it is essential.
 

As we previously mentioned, our dentist Dr Veehar Malde has been shortlisted at the Aesthetic Dentistry Awards for the restorative case - full mouth. The case involved a highly complicated reconstruction of the lower arch in conjunction with restorative treatment on the upper teeth. Just take a look at the photos:
 

Following on from being nominated for the Best Aesthetic Practice South at the Aesthetic Dentistry Awards, we are delighted to announce that our dentist Dr Veehar Malde has been shortlisted for the best restorative case- full mouth. There is a shortlist of only eight cases throughout the UK, so to achieve the final is a fantastic achievement- well done! The awards are due to be held on March 20th and we will keep you posted.

We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for the title of Best Aesthetic Practice South at the Aesthetic Dentistry Awards. The Aesthetic Dentistry awards represent the pinnacle of aesthetic dentistry in the UK and to be shortlisted is a major achievement for the practice. There are five finalists and the awards are to be held on the 20th March. We will keep you posted!