Dr. Jayanthi Anand

Today smile has become one of the most important of one's personality. Be it personal, or professional. There are so many people who come down to the dentist to get their teeth corrected either cosmetic which includes crowns (porcelain fused metal, metal free) or laminates, or veneers. Or orthodontic tooth movement which is done to move teeth naturally. These are of various types (metal, ceramic, lingual, or invagilin or clear braces. Which usually as per case takes one yr to 1.5 years to get into perfect alignment. For this one must visit the dentist to look for all the clinical details, which as a dentist would decide the time duration and type of braces one would want to go for. At times, there are difficult cases in which extraction may or may not be required, a monthly visit to the dentist. Mild pain during tooth movement. Before we start any treatment we take records in the form of model X-rays. (full mouth, lateral ceph, photographs as per case. All the above details are used to develop a customized treatment plan. This is commonly done by fixing braces to your teeth and using a thin guiding wire to straighten the irregular teeth. Various steps include

Leveling and aligning

Space closing

Detailing and finishing

Retention

Dental braces care

Brush teeth regularly with paste you have to pay special attention to the brackets placed. Use an orthodontic brush, an interdental brush to remove all debris stuck between brackets.

Foods to avoid while wearing brackets

Chewing gum, sticky chewy food.

Sugar substitutes

Hard foods like carrots, apple, nuts which might break brackets.

Lastly, dental retainers which need to be placed for 24 hours initially for a period of 3 months and after that only at night during sleep. Retailers have to be worn for a period of 6 months to one yr. If retainers not worn teeth might start moving back to original position (relapse) so please do as per dentist's recommendations.

A dental implant is a titanium post which mimics the root of the tooth and it’s surgically positioned into your jawbone beneath the gum line. After the implant is positioned, your dentist mounts replacement teeth or a bridge to replace a tooth or teeth that have fallen off, into that area.

Implants are a very useful new way to replace teeth that have been lost due to ageing, gum disease or trauma.

Benefits-
The options which were earlier available to replace missing teeth were an ordinary bridge which was attached to teeth on either side of the space left by the missing tooth.

1. A big advantage of implants is that no adjacent teeth need to be chipped or ground down to hold your new replacement tooth or teeth in place.
2. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that teeth might slip. It gives you improved speech. 
3. An implant also is better for maintaining dental health as it does not have to be anchored to other teeth, like bridges.
4. Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain.
5. Implants also don’t come loose as dentures can.

Because implants fuse to the jawbone, they provide stable support for artificial teeth. This means dentures and bridges mounted to implants don’t slip or shift in your mouth. This helps you eat and speak normally.

This secure fit also makes the dentures and bridges mounted over implants feel more natural than bridges or dentures.

Some people can’t get ordinary bridges and dentures because of sore spots, poor ridges or gagging and for them, implants are a heaven send.

Should you get implants?

You can only get implants if you must have healthy gums and adequate bone to support the implant. If your bone is too thin or soft you may have to get a bone graft first.

You should also be committed to keeping your implants healthy. For this, you should be committed to meticulous oral hygiene and regular dental visits as these will ensure the long-term success of your dental implants.

Types-

Two types of implants are considered safe by the American Dental Association. They are:

1. Endosteal implants —These are surgically implanted directly into your jawbone. This is followed by a second surgery to connect a post to the original implant after the surrounding gum tissue has healed. And finally, an artificial tooth or teeth is attached to the post. This can be done individually or grouped on a bridge or denture.
2. Subperiosteal implants — These consist of a metal frame that is fitted onto your jawbone. After the gums heal, the frame automatically becomes fixed to the jawbone. After these artificial teeth are mounted onto the posts, which are attached to the frame, and left to protrude through the gums just like with endosteal implants.
3. Implants are very natural but they are expensive than other dentures or bridges, the other methods of teeth replacement. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can ask a free question.