Dr. Mayank A Shah

Teeth can be whitened by procedure called Teeth whitening which should be done by your dentist after proper examination of the condition of the teeth and the gum, which is generally a safe procedure.

Do not use your teeth for doing something other than chewing food. Using them for cracking nuts, removing bottle tops or ripping open packaging can result in chipped or broken teeth.

Many parents mistakenly assume that baby teeth aren't important because they are eventually replaced by permanent teeth. In fact, early dental decay not only threatens the underlying secondary teeth, it can cause severe toothaches.

As soon as the first tooth comes in, parents should begin practicing preventive dental hygiene. Babies should not be permitted to fall asleep while nursing or sucking a bottle; this allows milk to pool in the mouth, and the sugar[lactose] in it can cause extensive tooth decay.

Offering a little water at the end of a feeding rinses any remaining milk from the baby's mouth. The gums and emerging teeth can be wiped gently with a gauze-wrapped finger.

Sugar is the major cause of childhood tooth decay; avoid offering sugary soft drinks and sweet snacks. A chunk of cheese or a piece of fruit are better alternatives that provide important nutrients without harming the teeth.

Few people are lucky enough to be born with a set of perfectly aligned teeth. This fact and the pursuit for beautiful smile led to the development of braces. Traditional braces did help realign teeth, but are uncomfortable and affect a person's appearance while they are in use. Ceramic braces are less noticeable as the brackets are clear or tooth coloured. Invisible braces are the latest in dental realignment therapy. They are virtually invisible and are not associated with any dietary restrictions unlike the earlier forms of braces.

Invisible braces are also known as aligners. Aligners are similar to mouth guards in appearance, but are custom built to fit tightly around the patient's teeth. These slip over the teeth and are designed to be removed and replaced every fortnight. Aligners may also be removed for eating, brushing and flossing. Each set of aligners vary slightly so as to move your teeth forcefully and correct your bite.

Treatment time of invisible braces depends on how much the teeth needs to be moved. In most cases, treatment takes between 10 months to 24 months. Aligners are also often used by adults who wore braces as children to correct slight displacement of teeth. In such cases, treatment could take as little as 10 weeks.

However, not everyone can get invisible braces. Aligners are custom built to fit tightly over teeth. This makes them unfit for use on children teeth as their teeth are constantly growing and developing. This is typically used for patients suffering from mild to moderately crowded teeth or those who have minor spacing issues between teeth. It can also be used as a follow up form of treatment for traditional braces.

Invisible braces are also slightly more expensive as compared to traditional braces as they are custom fitted.

The first step towards getting invisible braces is an X-ray, dental photographs and impression of the patient's teeth, gums and bite. These are then used to create a digital 3D representation of the patient's teeth in their current positions and their desired positions. The in-between stages are then created by moving the teeth .25 to .33 millimeters in each stage. The number of intermediate stages depend on the extent teeth need to be moved. Each stage is representative of an aligner to be worn for 2 weeks. If a tooth needs to be pulled away or rotated, a small, composite attachment may be bonded to the tooth.

The biggest advantage with invisible braces is that they can be worn without making a person self-conscious.