Brace yourself - Part II

So now you have decided that you or your child would like to undergo treatment to correct the teeth alignment. Your head must be bursting with questions so let me try to answer a few as simply as possible. 

WHAT IS ORTHODONTICS?

The process of straightening teeth with the help of an appliance ( wires etc) is called Orthodontics. 

WHO REQUIRES ORTHODONTICS?

Any child or adult with teeth that are:

1. Crooked
2. Protruding
3. Irregular
4. With gaps in between
5. In the wrong bite

WHAT DOES THE TREATMENT INVOLVE?

It involves putting a wire/brackets on your teeth and regular visits ( once a month mostly) for tightening/changing the wire. After the initial few longish sittings the rest  take only 10-15 minutes.

HOW LONG WILL MY TREATMENT TAKE?

Treatment time depends on 

1. Severity of Problem
2. Age of patient
3. Regularity of visits
4. Type of bone/pace of movement of teeth
5. The inclusion of chin caps/headgear or any myofunctional appliance treatment prior to braces
6. Teeth stuck deep in the jaw.

Therefore treatment time can vary between 1-3 years. On an average it takes about 16-18 MONTHS (1-1.5 years)

IS THE TREATMENT PAINFUL?

For the most part there is no pain or discomfort. However for a couple of days after the wire is tightened - you may experience mild to moderate discomfort easily borne or corrected with a mild painkiller. 

WHY DO SOME PATIENTS HAVE TO EXTRACT TEETH AND SOME NOT?

Teeth removal is needed in patients where space is required to move the teeth and none is available. In certain cases this is avoided by expanding the jaws but many times this is not possible. The space created by the removal of teeth is closed during treatment by the movement of other teeth into the space. THIS IS NOT A PAINFUL PROCESS. Healing in children in particular is extremely fast compared to adults after tooth removal. Most children don't even need painkillers beyond a day or two. 

IS BRACES THE ONLY SOLUTION FOR ALL CASES?

Sometimes only a single tooth may be the problem and you can choose to forgo orthodontics and consider esthetic dentistry/smile designing with ceramics ( veneers etc).Also certain jaw malformations can only be treated by surgery. However your dentist will inform you if you fall into these categories.

ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BRACES?

Yes. The very basic kind are metal and ceramic braces. The metal ones are the typical and most common type seen. The ceramic braces are tooth colored. Hence it is less obvious that you are undergoing treatment. Another kind is Lingual braces - The brackets are applied on the teeth from the tongue side - hence cannot be seen at all when you smile. The last kind is the one which is gaining popularity - INVISALIGN or CLEARALIGNER. Your treatment time and expenses will differ from the type of treatment you opt for.

PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN DURING FIXED BRACES TREATMENT

1. Regular and proper brushing of teeth TWICE DAILY is a MUST to avoid cavities and gum disease.
2. Very sticky foods like chikki/Eclairs etc are to be avoided.
3. Foods like corn on the cob ( Bhutta), popcorn, hard nuts/fruits, paani puri, non veg on the bone etc are to be avoided. 
4. Regular checkups and scaling if required are a must.

PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE 

The doctor would like for your treatment to be completed as soon as possible. However there is no way to hasten treatment beyond a certain point. The entire point of the treatment is to give you your best possible smile. The whole treatment goal is to make YOU look beautiful at the same time establishing a stable and comfortable bite. Have the patience to get through it.

 DO NOT BEGIN TREATMENT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE PATIENCE TO SEE IT TO COMPLETION.

For more information call on 9011013232 and fix an appointment. 

Dramatic smile Makeovers

The patient was unhappy with the length of her front teeth, the fact that they were protruding out and that there were spaces. She wanted to change her smile and change it fast. In a the space of one day – she walked out of the clinic with a brand new smile that met all her requirements. Here’s to creating confident smiles.

For more information mail us at Smile@aryasdentalclinic.com
Or Log on to www.AryasDentalClinic.com

Choose a better smile

Have you received the best treatment possible? This is a question every patient must ask themselves.

When we talk about the best treatment possible – we don’t mean whether your dentist did a wonderful RCT or a beautiful crown. What we mean is – Did your dentist see your potential? Did he inform you of everything that COULD be done instead of only what SHOULD be done?

A lot of dental practitioners have blinkers on – just like horses. You tell them you have a tooth hurting and all they see is THAT tooth. There may be stains and tartar all over your mouth which could be easily removed. There may be crooked teeth which could be straightened. There may be big gaps between teeth which could be corrected.

But all they see is THAT ONE TOOTH which they will treat. And you will leave the clinic happy in your ignorance. There could have been so much more done to improve your teeth – health wise and cosmetic value wise.

So in case your dentist is one of those people – YOU take charge. Ask him or her to look at your mouth as a whole. Request him to tell you what is wrong and what is not. What can be improved and what cannot. Then choose. You may choose not to do anything at all or you may like to change a lot of things.

Grasp that power of choice. Make informed decisions.

"We cannot become what we need to be, remaining what we are."

Max Depree

Teeth in a day

Everybody is in a hurry these days. We know it by the incessant honking while driving. We see it by the number of traffic signals people break. We sense it when people keep looking at their watches in the middle of a conversation. We read it in the abbreviated smses we receive. 

It doesn't matter what it is that has to be done next. It may not even be significant. The important thing is to finish what we are doing right now and get on with the next thing on the schedule even if it is just driving to the next pan shop and lighting up a cigarette. :)

This perpetual hurrying extends to everything - it even extends to medical and dental treatment. For years these same people may have lived with a broken tooth but when they finally start treatment they want it done in a day. :)

In the past - this blog post may have focussed on patience however with dentistry evolving at the speed that it is we'd much rather focus on the fact that hurrying is now possible. Hurrying WITHOUT compromising on quality. 

Technologies like CEREC are here to save the day and how. Technologies which allow a tooth to be fabricated in a day. Right in front of a patient. No more impression taking and waiting for 4-5 days for the laboratory to send back a crown. Now this can be done chair side. Beautiful esthetic and life like restorations fabricated right beside you. 

People who come into town just for dental treatment will no longer need to keep travelling back and forth or stay at hotels till treatment is completed. They merely take an appointment, come in, get treatment done, and travel back the same day. (Of course this means that consultation either physically or online has been done previously and the plan is in place)

What is more - cosmetic/esthetic cases where the patients don't want to stay 4-5 with temporary teeth in their mouth CEREC will be a godsend. Wait a few hours in the clinic and you walk out with a glowing smile with permanent restorations. 

More and more innovations are directed today at time saving preserving quality at the same time. Single sitting root canals, single sitting crowns, dental implants and a whole host of other treatments done in one sitting. One day. 


We understand the world is running. Dentistry is catching up. 

To know more mail us at draryasclinic@gmail.com 

Myths and Facts about Professional tooth cleaning

On an average every other patient who comes in to see a dentist requires some degree of professional tooth cleaning. But from experience we have seen that most patients baulk at the idea. The reason being all kinds of beliefs right from 'my enamel will wear off to loosening of teeth.'

We have one answer for all the non believers.

"We ensure that we undergo scaling and polishing ourselves twice a year every year. If there were so many side effects of scaling - do you really think we would subject ourselves voluntarily ?"

Before and after scaling

So lets take a look at the myths and lets shatter them.

MYTH I: Scaling makes teeth loose

FACT I : SCALING MAY ACTUALLY HELP YOUR TEETH BE MORE STRONGLY HELD BY THE SURROUNDING GUMS AND BONE

Have you undergone an extraction or watched a tooth being removed? It requires considerable amount of leverage and force to pull out a firm tooth. Even a tooth which is relatively loose requires some degree of pressure. So do you really think that ultrasonic scaling, in which the tip is barely touching your teeth for a few seconds at a time, can cause tooth loosening?

So why do teeth feel a little loose after scaling? When tartar(calculus) accumulates around your teeth over time, it causes gum disease which in turn causes bone loss and tooth weakening. However because the tartar is so tightly stuck around your teeth- they feel firm. When we remove the stuff thats holding them together - naturally they will be loose. The tartar made them loose and then held them together ironically. So a lot of patients say - at least its holding them together so why not leave it in? The reason is - the longer the tartar is in your mouth - the disease is continuing to progress. The gum bleeding, bad breath continues. Therefore to stop the disease it is essential to remove the cause.

In fact after the gum heals a couple of weeks later - the teeth may actually feel firmer.

MYTH II:  Scaling make teeth sensitive

FACT II: SCALING MAY ACTUALLY PREVENT TEETH SENSITIVITY IN THE LONG RUN BY PREVENTING GUM RECESSION AND INFLAMMATION

Imagine you are wearing a jacket/shawl in the winter and suddenly you are asked to remove it. Wouldn't it make you cold for a few minutes at least till you adjust to the temperature? It would, wouldn't it? Now imagine your teeth wearing a jacket of tartar for weeks and months and all of a sudden you remove it. Wouldn't it take your teeth a few days at least to adjust to the new temperatures? It doesn't mean they have become sensitive - they just need time to recover.

Of course scaling done by untrained hands/outdated machinery can cause prolonged sensitivity. So choose your dentist well.

MYTH III: Scaling and polishing is a cosmetic procedure

FACT III: SCALING IS NECESSARY FOR GUM HEALTH - THEREFORE IT IS NOT MERELY COSMETIC BUT THERAPEUTIC

The cosmetic aspect of scaling ( the removal of stains to make teeth look whiter) is a pleasant side effect. Actually scaling is important for its therapeutic uses. Scaling is essential for gum health. The removal of local irritants improves gum health, increases tooth support, decreases bad breath and gum bleeding.

MYTH IV: Scaling increases gaps/spaces between teeth

FACT IV: BY PREVENTING BONE LOSS AND GUM DISEASE SCALING MAY PREVENT OPENING UP OF GAPS (caused by weakened periodontium leading to pathologic migration)

Like we said before it is not possible to physically move teeth with a scaler. Moreover enamel cannot be cut with this machine either. Therefore obviously scaling cannot cause spacing. Then why do spaces appear post scaling sometime?The gaps exist from much before - however the teeth being covered by yellowish tooth colored tartar - it appears as if there are no spaces. The moment the disease causing tartar is removed - the spaces reappear. 

MYTH V: If there is no problem/symptom one does not require scaling

FACT V: ALMOST EVERYONE REQUIRES SCALING - AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR

The unfortunate part about gum disease is that it almost never pains. There are very few symptoms (like bleeding gums/pus discharge) and often they are mild enough to be missed completely by the patient. So why wait till the disease is so severe that your teeth begin to shake? Besides what is the harm in going for a regular cleaning once every year - definitely only something better can come out of it. 

So now what do you want to believe? Rumors spread by people who know only half the story or Facts backed by scientific evidence??

Value your smile. It is worth more than most other possessions. 

Write to us for more information at Smile@aryasdentalclinic.com or visit our website http://www.aryasdentalclinic.com

Bad breath - the worst PR manager!!

Have you tried in vain to keep a straight face while your Boss is 'killing you softly' with his breath which smells of rotten eggs?

Or you have decided to go without kissing your spouse rather than rock the marital boat by telling him/her that they smell like a chemical experiment gone terribly wrong ?

Have you been at the receiving end or worse still - are you the perpetrator of the crime ?



Frankly - it may not be your fault at all.  You probably haven't had the opportunity to be educated about the possibilities of treatment. Bad breath is a condition just like any other disease - its cause requires to be diagnosed properly and treated accordingly.

People's perception of bad breath have made mouthwash and chewing gum companies - multi multi billionaires!!!  Even toothpaste companies advertisements focus on propagating the 'fresh breath' aspect rather than the clean teeth bit! Unfortunately - most mouthwashes and mints are only cosmetic and not therapeutic. Simply put - they will only mask your bad odor and not eliminate the cause. Since they are only masking the odor - they act much like the foundation and cosmetics on skin - it only masks the blemishes underneath and does not get rid of them.

So what really causes bad mouth odor???

The causes are divided between those to be found in the mouth and those that are extra oral.

The intra Oral causes are:

1. poor oral hygiene
2. Deposits on the teeth
3. Deep cavities in your teeth which act as a food trap
4. Coated tongues ( when you do not clean your tongue everyday)
5. Gum disease
6. Dry mouth 
7. Dentures

The causes of bad odor that is extra oral ( rest of the body) are:

1. Throat infections and colds
2. Sinusitis/tonsillitis
3. Lung diseases
4. Some liver and kidney diseases
5. diabetes
6. A few other systemic conditions


The above are just some of the causes. There are more. Almost all of the causes within the mouth can be treated and most of those outside the mouth too.

Sometimes all you will require is a professional tooth cleaning ( scaling), correct toothbrushing technique demonstration and a nudge to take better care of your dental health. Do you think it makes sense to suffer a lifetime of self consciousness just because you are scared/ashamed or hesitant to get professional help from a dentist ?

And even if you need more treatment than the above because the cause is more complicated - wouldn't you want to know?

Bad breath is a deal breaker. Why keep it so close to you at the cost of you losing potential relationships, being made fun of by friends,  or maybe even be passed up for a promotion?

Bad Breath is much like body odor - it is an instant turn off. So instead - you can turn bad breath off. 

Find the cause and eliminate it. And maybe then - like those ads on TV - you could make a heart on the fresh breath that you blow onto a glass window when you see the love of your life :) 


www.aryasdentalclinic.com

How to Choose your dentist?

I never cease to wonder when I see people talking about their doctors/dentists. Conversations often run like this -






Scenario 1:
Patient 1: hey... I need to see a skin doctor....you know anyone?
P2: yeah... but whats the problem? rashes? why don't you apply so and so cream? Its miraculous....
P1: Oh I tried that...didn't work...
P2: alright then ... there is this doctor practicing at xyz...he's good....
P1: yes...i have heard of him too.... but I want someone closer to my home in abc area... 






Scenario 2:

Patient 1: hey... I need to see a skin doctor....you know anyone?

P2: yeah... but whats the problem? rashes? why don't you apply so and so cream? Its miraculous....

P1: Oh I tried that...didn't work...

P2: alright then ... there is this doctor practising at xyz...he's good....

P1: yes...I have heard good things of him too.... but he's expensive.... Know someone cheaper??..

It is always interesting the factors that people consider - convenience, cost and recommendations. The latter is fine by me - and to an extent maybe even the cost.... but convenience?




Why'd you risk your health/smile with someone just because he/she set up clinic close to where you live/work?




How do you choose a good piece of jewellery? Do you go to the first shop near your home? or do you check up on several outlets? Do you prefer a place with a reputation for selling genuine stuff or do you write out cheques for anything that glitters?

The following guidelines should help you get a good dentist:

1. REPUTATION: People don't acquire reputations overnight. Talk to people -friends and family. Find out their experiences. If someone has something good to say - make a mental note of the name of the dentist. (remember no one likes dentistry - so its difficult to find someone who will rave about a dentist - but even if he/she agrees that the dentist was good - its a truly positive sign)
2. AMBIANCE: Check out the general appearance of the clinic - is it clean/hygienic? Does the ambiance put you off or is it pleasant?If the doctor has gone to the trouble of ensuring that you are seated in clean/neat/pleasant surroundings - it means the dentist is interested that you have a pleasant experience.
3. STERILIZATION AND SAFETY: Inquire about their sterilization protocol. Are all instruments put through the proper cycle of autoclaving and sterilization? Are they stored properly? Are disposables actually disposed of - after every patient? 
4. PERSONAL ATTENTION: Note the way the dentist speaks to you. The general vibe from the dentist should be friendly and confident. Does he allot sufficient time to listen to your queries? Does he/she take note of your requirements or does he thrust his own treatment plan onto you without your proper explanation? A doctor who listens to you fully, then formulates a treatment plan with more than one option - is someone who cares about what you need. The dentist should explain to you your condition, how he diagnosed it(showing you x-rays and photographs ) and possible reasons for its occurrence.
5. PATIENT CASE PHOTOGRAPHS: If you are going in for aesthetic/cosmetic procedures or dental implants - request to see previous cases done by the dentist. Most well established dentists have a patient case gallery. This is well within your rights as a patient. Moreover it will give you a fair idea what to expect, the possibilities available and the skill/experience of the dentist. 
6. DO YOUR HOMEWORK: If you have been referred a dentist's name - check online to see if they have a website. This way you have a basic idea about the doctor, the kind of work they do and also the facilities available. Also most dental procedures/products can be googled up anytime. Ask your dentist for names of procedures and products. If you need to decide about a procedure in a hurry - use the dental office computer to educate yourself immediately. Every good dental office has patient treatment related books/pamphlets/brochures available too for those not too net savvy.
7. COSTS: Do not reject a dentist on the basis of his/her treatment charges being higher than someone else. Ask the dentist politely to justify/explain the charges. Remember - there are a wide variety of materials used. Dental materials come in various qualities - and their prices differ naturally. Also a more experienced dentist will naturally charge you slightly higher than someone with less qualifications and experience. Listen - question - and then choose. ( A little note here for compulsive bargainers - please do not embarrass your doctor by attempting to bargain. Instead - if you cannot afford a certain treatment - explain your budget restrictions and request him for an alternative treatment plan).
8. CONVENIENCE: Nobody likes travelling miles to visit a dentist but forsaking a good doctor for convenience is foolishness. If you have identified a good dentist but he/she practices some distance from your place - ask him/her to reduce the number of appointments required. If you are co-operative and do not mind keeping your mouth open for larger amounts of time- the dentist will be willing to accommodate longer appointments for the sake of your convenience. This way you have achieved your objective of visiting a doctor of repute as well as decreased your travel time. Also identify convenience stores/relatives nearby - this way you can get some shopping/visiting done on the same day - justifying the distance you have traveled. 

Just like your health - your smile is something that enhances your life. It makes you feel good about yourself. It make you confident when you face the world. Entrust your smile to someone qualified, experienced and caring. 

Entrust your smile to someone who cares about your smile as much as you do. 

www.aryasdentalclinic.com 

Are you one of those people who keeps covering their mouth with their hands whenever they smile?

You really are not the only one. And even if you do not do that - you definitely know someone who does.

The reason - Too conscious of teeth which are protruded or discolored or have spaces between them...

All so easily treated.

A little lady walked in - with spacing in the upper front teeth. She wanted to be rid of them...and soon!

On a closer look we realized that not only she had spaces between her teeth, the teeth were not shaped normally and one tooth was missing congenitally.

We explored possibilities for treatment and found given the time limit ( she had 1 week) , Porcelain veneers were the best option. We also advised her a depigmentation procedure for her blackened gums but she decided to defer that for a later date.


 Two sittings and a week later, the result -

Porcelain veneers can correct -

spaces between teeth
imperfections in tooth positions
discolored teeth
worn/oldish looking teeth
fractured teeth
and a few other things.....


She came in with a self-conscious smile- and a week later went out feeling like a million bucks because of a brand new smile.....


Now if only other things took only that short a while to fix, we'd all be the ideal weight and height :)


www.aryasdentalclinic.com