Veneers are ultra-thin shells of ceramic (porcelain) or a composite resin material, which are bonded to the front of teeth. Veneers are an excellent alternative to crowns in many situations. They provide a much more conservative approach to changing a tooth’s colour, size or shape. Veneers can mask undesirable defects,such as teeth stained by tetracycline or fluorosis or damage due to an injury. They are ideal for masking discoloured fillings in front teeth. Patients with gaps between their front teeth or teeth that are chipped or worn may consider veneers. If one tooth is slightly out of position, a veneer can sometimes be fitted to bring it into line with the others. Since they are very thin, very little or no preparation of the tooth may be needed. Veneers should last for many years; but they can chip or break, just as your own teeth can. Your dentist will tell you how long each individual veneer should last. Small chips can be repaired, or a new veneer fitted if necessary.

Orthodontic treatment is the science where the position and shape of the teeth is altered so as to make the teeth functionally and visibly more appropriate.
This type of treatment involves putting of small metallic brackets on the inner or outer surface of the teeth and then putting a wire through the brackets. This wire is held on with the help of little rubber bands, you can choose the color of the little bands and experiment with a variety of colors ranging from the traditional transparent ones or ones of neon colors.
The wire is then tightened approximately every month until the teeth reach the desired position.
The treatment once started cannot be stopped midway if the desired results want to be achieved.

PROS OF METAL BRACES
They are highly effective in bringing our teeth in alignment.

• need to be tightened only once a month
• most cost effective method for straightening teeth.
• can make even minor changes in later stages

Overview

Jaw surgery, also known as orthognathic surgery, corrects irregularities of the jaw bones and realigns the jaws and teeth to improve the way they work. Making these corrections may also improve your facial appearance.

Jaw surgery may be a corrective option if you have jaw problems that can’t be resolved with orthodontics alone. In most cases, you also have braces on your teeth before surgery and during recovery after surgery until healing and alignment are complete. Your orthodontist can work with your oral, jaw and face (maxillofacial) surgeon to determine your treatment plan.

Why it’s done

Jaw surgery may help to:

• Make biting and chewing easier and improve chewing overall
• Correct problems with swallowing or speech
• Minimize excessive wear and breakdown of the teeth
• Correct bite fit or jaw closure issues, such as when the molars touch but the front teeth don’t touch (open bite)
• Correct facial imbalance (asymmetry), such as small chins, underbites, overbites and crossbites
• Improve the ability of the lips to fully close comfortably
• Relieve pain caused by temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder and other jaw problems
• Repair facial injury or birth defects
• Provide relief for obstructive sleep apnea

Results

Correcting alignment of your jaws and teeth with jaw surgery can result in:

• Balanced appearance of your lower face
• Improved function of your teeth
• Health benefits from improved sleep, breathing, chewing and swallowing
• Improvement in speech impairments

Secondary benefits of jaw surgery may include:

• Improved appearance
• Improved self-esteem

Tongue thrust, also known as reverse swallow or deviate swallow, is a condition in which the tongue is pressed up against the teeth or between them while gulping. In many cases, this condition leads to the movement of the tongue incorrectly to the sides, instead of moving forward to the teeth. This improper positioning of the tongue can occur even as the tongue is at rest, and in this case, it will lie too far forward.

Types of Tongue Thrust

Tongue thrust is an orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD), having many different types.

• Unilateral thrust when the tongue pushes unilaterally to the sides between the back teeth during swallowing
• Anterior thrust refers to the case when the upper incisors are extremely protruded and lower lip is pulled in by the lower lip.
• Bilateral thrust, when the tongue pushes between the back teeth on both sides during swallowing. Large tongue can also be noted

Tongue thrust in babies

In babies who are breastfed or bottle-fed, tongue thrust is normal. As the child gets older, their swallowing and speaking pattern should evolve.

However, some types of bottle nipples — and prolonged use of a bottle — can lead to an abnormal tongue thrust that lasts past the infant stage and into early childhood.

There are several other potential causes for tongue thrust that begin in infancy. Some of these include:

• Long-term sucking habits that influence the tongue’s movement, like sucking of the thumb, fingers, or tongue
• Allergies accompanied by chronically swollen tonsils or adenoids
• Tongue-tie, where the band of tissue beneath the tongue is tight or short
• A swallowing pattern known as reverse swallow

Tongue thrust has a number of telltale signs that manifest in children who have developed the pattern. These can include:

• Tongue is visible between the teeth. The tip of the tongue sticks out between the teeth, whether the child is resting, swallowing, or speaking.
• Mouth breathing.
• Inability to close the lips completely. This could be due to a structural abnormality or habit.
• Open bite. This occurs when the front teeth don’t meet when the teeth are closed.
• Slow, fast, or messy eating.
• Speech impediment. Lisping of s and z sounds is common.

Treatment of Tongue thurst

Tongue thrust often corrects with time or at the age of 8-9 years. Self-correction is due to musculature Balance during swelling.

• Orthodontic treatment can be carried out.
• Speech therapy is indicated.
• If an associated habit is present like thumb sucking than it must be treated first.
• Training the tongue for correct swallow & posture.
• Use of appliances to correct position of tongue.
• Correction of Malocclusion.

Whether you love it or hate it, that space between your teeth has a name. A diastema is a gap between two teeth. Many celebrities are famous for their midline diastema, or space between their two upper front teeth.Diastemas are extremely common, especially among children. A diastema is a natural part of a child’s development and may correct on its own. In fact, up to 97 percent of children have diastemas, and that number significantly decreases as children grow and these spaces close up naturally. If a diastema remains after the eruption of adult teeth, it will become permanent and can only be corrected with professional dental treatment.

Diastema Causes

There are several reasons that permanent diastemas form. A diastema is often the result of a discrepancy between the size of the jaws and the size of the teeth. Crooked teeth usually come from overcrowding, where the teeth are too big for the jaw. The opposite is true for a diastema — teeth that are too small for the jaw may have gaps between them. Diastemas may also be caused by missing teeth, undersized teeth or bad oral habits, such as excessive thumb-sucking.A midline diastema can also be caused by a large labial frenum. Frenum is the tissue that connects your lips and gum.

Diastema Closure :- Diastemas usually cause no complications to your dental health, but many people choose diastema closure for cosmetic purposes. There are several types of diastema treatment available today.

Dental Braces — Most diastemas require a full set of dental braces and retainer therapy, as moving one tooth can affect the placement of the rest.

Cosmetic restoration—Esthetic composite resins generally used to close midline diastema especially in adult patients. It requires a gradual composite build-up on the mesial side of the tooth and stripping of distal surface of the tooth in order to achieve a natural shape and size of the tooth.

Make your teeth sparkle!

Tooth jewellery is basically an accessory which is fixed on any prominent front tooth.

A lot of jewellery designs in different sizes and colors are available to choose from, and you can pick depending on what you wish to express with your smile.

Advantages-

1.Dental jewellery is very affordable.

2.Very simple and short  procedure.

3.No pain.

4.Can be removed easily.

5.No tooth structure is damaged.

6.No drilling/holes required.

7.You can get them on your wedding matching with your attire.

Achieve a picture perfect on your big day.

Your shoes may be discreetly covered by your dress and you may choose jewellery with elegant simplicity, but you can be sure your smile will take center stage for every minute.

SHINE LIKE A STAR! KEEP ROCKING!!

KEEP SMILING!

Body piercing is a popular form of self-expression. Oral piercings or tongue splitting may look cool, but they can be dangerous to your health.  Oral piercing could also lead to more serious infections, like hepatitis or endocarditis.

If you pierce your tongue, lips, cheeks or uvula (the tiny tissue that hangs at the back of the throat,) it can interfere with speech, chewing or swallowing. It may also cause:

• Infection, pain and swelling. Your mouth is a moist environment, home to huge amounts of breeding bacteria, and an ideal place for infection. An infection can quickly become life threatening if not treated promptly. It’s also possible for a piercing to cause your tongue to swell, potentially blocking your airway.
• Damage to gums, teeth and fillings. biting or playing with the piercing can injure your gums and lead to cracked, scratched or sensitive teeth. Piercings can also damage fillings.
• Hypersensitivity to metals. Allergic reactions at the pierced site are also possible.
• Nerve damage. After a piercing, you may experience a numb tongue that is caused by nerve damage that is usually temporary, but can sometimes be permanent. The injured nerve may affect your sense of taste, or how you move your mouth. Damage to your tongue’s blood vessels can cause serious blood loss.
• Excessive drooling.

If you already have piercings:

• Contact your dentist or physician immediately if you have any signs of infection—swelling, pain, fever, chills, shaking or a red-streaked appearance around the site of the piercing.
• Keep the piercing site clean and free of any matter by using a mouth rinse after every meal.
• Try to avoid clicking the jewellery against teeth and avoid stress on the piercing.
• Check the tightness of your jewellery periodically (with clean hands).
• When taking part in sports, remove the jewellery and protect your mouth with a mouth guard.
• See your dentist regularly, and remember to brush twice a day and floss daily.

Of course the best option is to consider removing mouth jewellery before it causes a problem. Don’t pierce on a whim. The piercing will be an added responsibility to your life, requiring constant attention and upkeep. Talk to your dentist for more information.

Digital impressions represent cutting-edge technology that allows dentists to create a virtual, computer-generated replica of the hard and soft tissues in the mouth using lasers and other optical scanning devices. The digital technology captures clear and highly accurate impression data in mere minutes, without the need for traditional impression materials that some patients find inconvenient and messy. The impression information then is transferred to a computer and used to create restorations, often without the need for stone models.

Benefits of Digital Impressions

• Improved image/impression quality for better-fitting restorations
• Less chair time
• No need for distasteful impression materials that cause some patients to gag
• More comfortable, less anxious experience for patients and the dental team
• Reduced possibility of impression-taking errors and elimination of material inaccuracies for fewer restoration mistakes.
• The scan of the teeth being restored, as well as the opposing teeth and bite, can be completed in just three to five minutes.
• The digital impression can be stored electronically indefinitely, which saves space, contributes to efficient recordkeeping, and supports a paper-free environment.
• Green dentistry and eco-friendly aspects include eliminating the need for disposable plastic trays and impression materials, which otherwise would be polluting landfill space; digital data is eliminated with the “delete” button.
• With milled models, you have a solid model. Dies are precision-fit in the model with no movement, and all dies are captured in one model. This gives greater accuracy when restoring multiple units, such as veneer cases. There is no contamination from the patient and no die spacer is required.

Digital scanners offer many benefits that aren’t possible with traditional impression techniques, from time savings to patient education and accuracy to the ease of storing electronic data. Combine the benefits with the fact that the learning curve is small, and it’s clear that implementing a digital scanner in the dental practice is a “no brainer,”

Fluorosis is a cosmetic condition that affects the teeth. It’s caused by overexposure to fluoride during the first eight years of life. This is the time when most permanent teeth are being formed.

After the teeth come in, the teeth of those affected by fluorosis may appear mildly discolored. For instance, there may be lacy white markings that only dentists can detect. In more severe cases, however, the teeth may have:-

• Stains ranging from yellow to dark brown
• Surface irregularities
• Pits that are highly noticeable

Fluorosis Causes

A major cause of fluorosis is the inappropriate use of fluoride-containing dental products such as toothpaste and mouth rinses. Sometimes, children enjoy the taste of fluoridated toothpaste so much that they swallow it instead of spitting it out.

But there are other causes of fluorosis. For example, taking a higher-than-prescribed amount of a fluoride supplement during early childhood can cause it. So can taking a fluoride supplement when fluoridated drinking water or fluoride-fortified fruit juices and soft drinks already proviFluorosis Symptoms

 Fluorosis Treatments

In many cases, fluorosis is so mild that no treatment is needed. Or, it may only affect the back teeth where it can’t be seen.

The appearance of teeth affected by moderate-to-severe fluorosis can be significantly improved by a variety of techniques. Most of them are aimed at masking the stains.

Such techniques may include:

• Tooth whitening and other procedures to remove surface stains; note that bleaching teeth may temporarily worsen the appearance of fluorosis.
• Bonding, which coats the tooth with a hard resin that bonds to the enamel
• Crowns
• Veneers, which are custom-made shells that cover the front of the teeth to improve their appearance; these are used in cases of severe fluorosis.
• MI Paste, a calcium phosphate product that is sometimes combined with methods like microabrasion to minimize tooth discoloration.