How can I fix my crooked teeth?

July 15, 2009 by ·

Crooked teeth in the front of the mouth can be embarrassing and difficult to keep clean.   A person’s smile is the first thing noticed by others when they first meet or talk to another.

Lower teeth crowding is a normal part of late growth process of the lower jaw.  As the lower jaw grows until the 40′s the lower teeth are crowded out because they are locked in by the upper teeth overlap.  We normally see crowding of persons in their adult hood.   Many people think this is due to the wisdom teeth putting pressure on all of the teeth.  This has been dis-proven in many studies.

The upper teeth can become crowded if the teeth are too large for the size of the jawbone.  The teeth will tend to go where they are pushed on.  This pressure is usually from the lips pushing in and the tongue pushing out.  If one of these is greater than the other the teeth will be pushed out and the stronger force will win.

Crooked teeth present a number of problems:

  • Aesthetics-They look bad since the size of the teeth look altered as they are crowded into a smaller space than there is room for
  • Gum disease-Teeth that are crooked are difficult to clean and therefore periodontal disease is more likely to take place in these difficult to keep clean areas.
  • Cavities- Teeth that are crowded are difficult to keep clean and are more prone to decay.

So back the the question–How can i fix my crooked teeth in Macomb coutny-  There are a few options to consider:

  1. Braces will most conservatively straighten them up.  By applying a constant force to straighten the crooked teeth and making the teeth thinner to fit into the smaller arc.  This is accomplished by “stripping” the enamel between the teeth.
  2. Dental porcelain veneers- Are used to straighten the teeth.  The thin shells of porcelain work best on upper teeth considering that they can be made to widen the arch and giving a very attractive smile.
  3. Bonding- If the lower teeth are stained they can have composite bonding on them since this only adds to the surface of the teeth.
  4. Bleaching-This makes the teeth whiter and more attractive.

Call our Shelby dental office at (586)247-3500 for a free consultation appointment or visit our website at www.TheGentleDentist.com Our dental office is located in Shelby Township, Michigan – Macomb County.  We provide dental care to the communities of Shelby, Washington Twp., Macomb Township, Sterling Heights, Warren, Utica, Clinton Township, Rochester Hills and beyond.

Dr. Antolak excels in patient comfort and helps provide comprehensive treatment to their patients.  We provide Implant placement and restorations,  Cosmetic dentistry including bleaching, porcelain veneers and bonding and general dentistry for the family.  We are happy you have an interest in the dental practice and give us a call.

Filed Under: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Veneers, General Dentistry, Porcelain veneers, Teeth Whitening Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Zoom whitening

May 15, 2008 by ·


Question:
 I went through the Zoom whitening process 2 weeks ago.  I sat in the dental chair for over an hour.  It looked great when I left, but now I can’t notice any difference.   I paid quite a bit of money for the procedure, but feel mislead.  What should I do?
 Answer:
 

 I would like to explain how teeth stain and the different options in whitening before directly answering your question about the Power Whitening. 
 

 

 

 

Over time, your teeth darken as minerals penetrate their outer enamel layer. This darkening can be caused by foods and beverages that stain, such as coffee, colas, tea, red wine or berries. Tobacco products, like cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco, can cause teeth to take on a yellowish brown hue. And the natural aging process can also cause your teeth to darken. 
 

 

 

The bleaching process gently forces oxygen through the minute cracks in the enamel of the teeth.  There are a few active ingredients that cause the teeth to whiten:  They are carbimide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide.  They all come in different concentrations and different delivery systems.  The longer the teeth are in contact with a higher concentration of bleaching agent the whiter the teeth will become.  Of course if they are in contact too long or the concentration of the agent is too strong the teeth will become sensitive to cold or heat.  This side effect is short term and will go away soon after the whitening is completed.  When professionally administred, fluoride or other desentizing agents can be used with the whitening.  
 

 
 

Since whitening agents are considered cosmetic and not drugs they are not regulated by the FDA and have for many years been available to you, the consumer over the counter.  The pharmacy aisle is packed with all sorts of whitening agents and it can be very confusing.  You can see it in toothpastes, strips, bush on gels, and in “one size fits all” mouth trays.  The problem with these systems is that they can be unsafe and cause tooth/gum pain because they are not monitored by a dental professional.  If the material stays on the gums during the whitening they can cause great discomfort.  Also, the strips only cover the front 6 teeth and if your teeth are not in perfect alignment the gel will not penetrate the overlapped areas leading to uneven whitening. 
 

 

 

 There are two delivery systems that you will find at the dentist:  Either home whitening or power whitening.  
 

 
 

With home whitening we take impressions of your teeth and make a custom rubber form to accurately fit your teeth.  The tray is accurately trimmed to not allow the bleaching material to contact your gums.  If it is improperly trimmed, the gel will overflow on the gums and irritate them.  The accuracy of the fit is what makes the whitening the most effective because it keeps the bleaching gel in a very close contact with the teeth.  This is where the strips and the “over the counter” products fail.  You can wear the trays at night or during the day.  Once again the longer they are worn the most effective the result will be. 
 

 

 

You had the Zoom power whitening done.  This uses a very strong concentration of agent, but is contact with the teeth for a very short period of time.   The Zoom gives an instant result but must be followed up with home whitening or you will be dissapointed. If you fail to follow up with home whitening the teeth will almost always resort back to their original color.  The reason is because what I have previously described.  It requires time for the result to be long term.  The hour or so during the power whitening session in not long enough for the oxidization to take place.

 Dr. Antolak treats his dental patients in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where you are treated like a guest in the home.  His motto is to “relax while we take care of your smile”. He specializes in cosmetic dentistry, implant dentistry and general dentistry using sedation dentistry if necessary for his high fear patients. He has been treating patients for the past 21 years and is located in Shelby Township, Macomb county Michigan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Cosmetic Dentistry, General Dentistry, Teeth Whitening Tagged With: , , , , ,

Porcelain Veneers and Porcelain Dental Crowns.

March 3, 2008 by ·

Interview with cosmetic dentist Dr. Robert Antola

I was presenting information about cosmetic dentistry today to one of my patients and the question was brought up what the difference was between a crown and a veneer and what are the indications for each.

  • Both Porcelain Veneers and Porcelain Crowns are made in a dental laboratory.  The color (shade) is matched up with the rest of the teeth in the mouth so as to blend in and create the most beautiful and natural appearance.
  • I will usually recommend that the natural teeth are first bleached so that the color of the veneer/crown will match the adjacent teeth™s color.  This step is important since porcelain and fillings will not whiten with bleaching techniques.
  • Automatic Color matching instruments are used which are similar to those used to match paint shades.  We also use our professional digital camera to send emails to our laboratory to precisely obtain a great result.
–Porcelain Crowns extend completely around the tooth. This is done if there are large fillings in the existing teeth, or if there is need to strengthen the tooth.  These crowns are very strong especially since they get bonded to the remaining tooth.
– Porcelain veneers (also referred to as dental veneers, dental laminates, porcelain laminates, or even simply tooth veneers) are custom-made wafer-thin shells of porcelain that are bonded onto the front side of teeth so to mask imperfections associated with their color, shape, size, or positioning  The benefit of this very conservative technique is that it leaves the majority of the tooth intact and not altered.
Porcelain veneers are typically best suited for those situations where initially the tooth is still fairly intact (as opposed to having large portions missing due to fracture or decay) and when the tooth is not expected to be exposed to excessive loads (extreme chewing pressures or else tooth clenching and grinding habits). When some aspect of the ideal conditions for a porcelain veneer are (or are expected to be) exceeded then a dental crown is typically the preferred dental restoration.

Dr. Antolak treats his dental patients in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where you are treated like a guest in the home. His motto is to “relax while we take care of your smile”. He specializes in cosmetic dentistry, implant dentistry and general dentistry using sedation dentistry if necessary for his high fear patients. He has been treating patients for the past 21 years and is located in Shelby Township, Macomb county Michigan.

Filed Under: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Veneers, Fillings, General Dentistry, Teeth Whitening, Tooth replacement Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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