Dr. K. Sarath Babu

Your mouth is the breeding place for various bacteria. These bacteria use the sugar in food and turn them into acids. These acids then react with a tooth, gradually drilling a hole in it, which is infamously known as a tooth cavity. 

You might wonder why exactly this happens. When your teeth are subjected to acid frequently, the repeated acid attacks on the enamel, the enamel starts losing its minerals. The first sign of tooth decay is when a white spot appears on the tooth. This white spot is the area from where the enamel has lost its minerals. If not taken care of from the time this early sign of decay makes an appearance, then the decay just gets more serious and the white spot will turn into a cavity.

Here are some tips to avoid tooth decay altogether:

1. Use fluoride based toothpaste and mouthwash: Fluoride prevents tooth decay from maturing. It can even reverse or stop tooth decay, which is in its early stage. It also protects the tooth from further decay and replenishes the lost minerals from the enamel and prevents any further loss. It also reduces the acid making ability of the bacteria present in the mouth.
2. Keep a check on food: Keep a study check on what you are eating. If you eat too much of junk food or food which contains a lot of sugar regularly, then suffering from a tooth decay is inevitable. Try to limit those foods to maybe once or twice a week.
3. Brush your teeth: Brush your teeth regularly, preferably with fluoride toothpaste. Not only will the fluoride toothpaste protect your teeth, the toothbrush will also take out any food particle stuck between two teeth.  Brush at least twice a day or preferably after every meal and before bed.
4. Use dental floss: Clean in between your teeth with a dental floss.
5. Eat cheese: Cheese contains casein which prevents tooth decay or cavity formation.
6. Visit your dentist regularly: Make sure you visit your dentist regularly to keep your teeth healthy.

A very interesting thing, that most people would have noticed during their visit to the clinic is the white light that is used on the teeth. This is laser light, which is used extensively over the last couple of decades in dentistry for a variety of treatments. The following are some procedures where laser is commonly used.

1. Whitening teeth: In-office bleaching is done by applying the whitening agent on the tooth and activating it by laser light. This instant result is whiter teeth and a brighter smile.

2. Caries: In some cases, laser light is used to remove the decayed portion of the tooth and shape the surrounding healthy tooth to receive the restorative material.

3. Restorations: When composite resins are used to fill the space left by tooth decay, the decayed portion is removed and the enamel etched to improve adhesion. The composite material is then filled in the tooth space to achieve the desired shape and then light-cured.

4. Veneers: Where a thin layer of the existing tooth is removed to provide a whiter tooth, then laser light is used. These chemicals are inactive and only become activated when exposed to laser light. In cases of both restorations and veneers, one big advantage is it gives sufficient working time for the dentist to shape the material to the desired form and then activate it.

5. Gingivitis: Laser is also used in gum diseases where bacteria are removed and the gums are reshaped. Using laser on the root surfaces ensures better removal of the hardened calculus and promotes gum reattachment of the gums to the tooth surfaces.

6. Root canal therapy: In the root spaces, if there was an infection, laser light can help remove the bacteria before filling up the root canal with gutta percha.

7. Soft tissue biopsy or lesion removal: Biopsies of the lips, gums, and tongue can be done using laser light. If the lesions are too small and require removal, it can be done by laser, thereby avoiding the need for surgery

Results: In all the above procedures, the laser is more effective than the conventional method that it is replacing. Some advantages include:

1. Less painful

2. Anesthesia not required

3. Avoids tooth drilling in some cases of very minor decay, so patient is at ease

4. Reduces bleeding and swelling when dealing with soft tissues

5. Reduces the amount of tooth removal during cavity preparation

Not all situations can be managed with a laser treatment though and conventional biopsies and drills will be required in some cases. As with all other dental situations, a detailed discussion with the dentist on the pros and cons and the patient condition will help make an informed decision.

Your smile holds great importance as it is one of the first things that a person will notice about you. A smile can leave a long lasting impression on people and is very important for self-esteem and confidence. Smile makeover is a process, which considers your facial appearance, tone of skin, color, width, length or shape of your teeth along with the gum tissues and lips in order to improve your smile. A smile makeover can be done according to your preference and choices.

Here are the areas on which a complete smile makeover concentrates and improves upon:

1. Teeth Color: For a perfect smile make over, natural, composite restorations can be used to replace silver and amalgam dental fillings. Teeth whitening process can be undertaken to improve upon the color of the teeth, which are stained or dull. The color and shade of teeth are taken into consideration for several things such as crowns, bridges or dental implants. White, glossy teeth give a youthful, fresh smile. The whitening is done to such an extent that it complements your other features.
2. Spacing and Alignment of Teeth: Teeth which overlap each other, have gaps in between or have a crooked appearance can be straightened, and the alignment can be modified by orthodontics or invisalign.
3. Replacing Missing Teeth: Missing teeth affect your appearance and your smile by a great deal. The risk of tooth decay is also enhanced. For an ideal smile make over, missing teeth should be replaced with dentures, bridges or other modes of dental implants.
4. Balancing Uneven Teeth: In case of uneven or chipped teeth with cracks on them, you can undergo cosmetic correction procedures to make your teeth appear balanced. In case you have a gummy smile, you can undergo recontouring procedures for improvement of your smile.
5. Modifying Lips and Cheeks: An unshapely face with wrinkles makes your smile unpleasant. This can be corrected using several procedures, which include orthodontics and oral maxillofacial surgery. Correction of your lips and cheeks will improve your smile to a great extent.
6. Tooth Length: Long teeth are responsible for a fresh, youthful smile. In case of short teeth, smile makeover techniques such as reshaping or lengthening of teeth can be undertaken. This will improve your smile. The proportion of your teeth can also be corrected to give you a perfect smile. The texture of the teeth can also be modified as a part of the smile makeover.

Treatments Used for Smile Makeover:

1. A dentist can use an entire range of treatment to achieve your ideal smile makeover. These include:
2. In-office, professional teeth whitening, Can brighten teeth up to 9 shades in a single visit
3. Porcelain veneers, Thin, natural-looking, ceramic shells that mask imperfections such as cracks and chips
4. Dental crowns, Tooth-shaped prosthetics that go over misshapen or worn teeth
5. Invisalign, Clear, removable, custom aligners that gradually straighten minor alignment issues
6. Dental bonding, Resin bonded to teeth that conceal cracks, gaps, and chips
7. Gum contouring, Removing excess gum tissue to improve appearance and conformity of smile

A complete smile makeover allows you to correct and improve your smile, according to your preference. This process involves several cosmetic methodologies, the proper execution of which gives you an enhanced smile.