10 MOST FREQUENT PATIENTS’ QUESTIONS

1. IS TOOTH WHITENING HARMFUL?

Tooth whitening is one fo the most frequent procedures in aesthetic dentistry. It is a method that allows us to have 2-3 shades lighter teeth. This doesn’t work with whitening of fillings, ceramic crowns or any other artificial material in mouth.

Tooth whitening can be done in two ways:

  • Outpatient
  • At home

At the dentistry office it is done in 1 hour with carbamide peroxide. At home we need to use films for whitening and it takes 7-15 days to do the procedure. When the chemicals are applied they decompose to oxygen and water. The oxygen in the process of oxidation whitens the teeth. As neither water nor oxygen are toxic, this method isn’t harmful for enamel or dentine. After whitening, tooth mineralization (fluorization) should be done which closes dental tubules opened during the whitening process, and reduction of tooth sesitivity and prolonging of the whitening process. With the method of so called endogenous whitening it is possible to whiten some teeth that had changed color due to devitalization (dark, defunct tooth).

2. WHAT ARE BEVELS?

Modern aesthetic dentistry’s aim is minimum invasive interventions and preserving of as much healthy dental tissue as possible while providing maximum quality of prosthetic. When possible, we practice the technique of bevels (veneers). There areceramic and composite,bevels and they are like thin plates of desirable shape, dimension and color, and they are mostly applied in frontal region.

Bevels are used for:

  • Closing diastems (gaps between teeth),
  • Amend irregularly positioned teeth in patients who don’t want fixed orthodontic appliances
  • Change tooth color

The advantage of this technique in comparison to ceramic crowns production when indicated is much less preparation and therefore less damaged good dental tissue.

3. CHEWING GUMS – YES OR NO?

They stimulate saliva excreting and therefore improve tooth self-cleaning. They shouldn’t be used too often because they make stomach increasingly excrete acid. Of course, chewing gums are not used for tooth brushing. If you are prone to night grinding of the teeth (bruxism), avoid chewing gums fore they tend to accustom muscles to being active and increase your habit. If you have problems with stomach acid do not use chewing gums, they increase stomach activity.

4. WHY DO WE EXPERIENCE GRINDING OF THE TEETH?

Bruxism -is the excessive grinding and clenching of the teeth which causes non-physiological strong pressure on teeth and their supporting structures. It is mostly related to emotional stress, tension and fear. It is frequent especially in persons over 25 and it starts at night. Bruxism can cause permanent tooth damage – tooth enamel breaking, tooth fracture, temporomandibular joint damage, which causes a severe tooth sensitivity, joint pain, earache and headache.

How is bruxism treated? With the tooth prints of the patient a silicon protector so called night-guard tray is made and it is worn at night. That prevents tooth expenditure and temporomandibular joint pain.

5. PREGNANCY AND TOOTH BRUSHING

The hormone quantity changes during pregnancy so gingiva swelling and bleeding is possible. It often happens that women, due to being scared, stop their normal, usual hygiene, which is wrong. Regular, detailed and proper tooth brushing using tooth thread will calm the gingiva. Women with morning sickness and vomiting or stomach acid anxiety are prone to tooth problems because the acid damages the enamel that makes the protective tooth skin.

In order to reduce the risk of these kinds of damages:

  • wash immediately your mouth with water or soda (1 pack in a glass of water), rinse and spit out. You can also use mouthwash. Wait about 30 min and brush your teeth.

6. HOW TO CONSERVE FIXED PROSTHETICS FOR TOOTH CORRECTION?

Advice on hygiene

Brackets and wires on fixed prosthetics are often areas with food remains, so good hygiene is very important for tooth and gingiva disease prevention. Aside from normal tooth brush, you can use so called interdental tooth brush and mouth wash products.

Food to avoid

Patients with fixed prosthetics can usually eat everything, but they have to avoid hard bites (eg. apple, carrot…), in other words, to cut food into small pieces. Food items they definitely should avoid are almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts, popcorn, chewing gums and caramels.

7. FOOD THAT OVERCOLOR TEETH

Coffee and tea.

Tea,especially black tea, can overcolor teeth more than coffee. The new survey shows that even fruit and herb tea we call ”white tea” cause overcoloring of teeth. This regards patients whose enamel is not ideally leveled and has micro cracks due to taking too cold or hot drinks or smoking.

Sauces-especially red ones. After taking strong red sauces wash your mouth.
Wines-especially red wines contain certain acid and very pigmented molecules which is an ideal combination for tooth overcoloring.
Red fruits-blueberry, currant, blackberry and their juices.

Reduce the overcoloring

Do not hold drinks and food that overcolor too long in the mouth and wash your mouth after meals; take a chewing gum because it stimulates saliva excreting and helps that way the tooth color rinsing.

8. THE FIRST CONTACT WITH TOOTH BRUSH

Children should have their first contact with tooth brush at the milk teeth phase. The teeth growth is individual and parents are those whose responsibility is tooth brushing up to their children’s 12-13 age. At early age children are not able-motorically or motivated to maintain their oral hygiene. Therefore, parents, do that for your children. You have to know how to brush your teeth properly, so we recommend that your dentist shows you how.

9. WHERE DO WE USE HYALURONIC FILLERS?

UPPER FACE AREA:

eyebrow, temporal region, periorbital region, glabella, linear forehead wrinkles, nose root.

Middle face area:

cheek bones

Lower face area:

naso-labial region, marionettes, corrective lip therapy (volume and shape, lip edge lifting, wrinkles around lips), chin.

WHY IS HYALURON THAT POPULAR?
  • No total anesthesia
  • The intervention is short
  • No scars
  • Maximum comfortability
  • The patient continues with their daily routine immediately

10. WHAT ARE IMPLANTS?

Implants are optimal solution for patients with one or two missing teeth who do not want mobile prosthetics or drilling of the surrounding teeth for prosthetic restoration.

Implants replace lost teeth roots and can hold ceramic crowns or prosthetics. However, the most frequent usage of implants is for fixed prosthetics (crowns and bridges) which significantly improves patient’s life quality.

Implants are installed with local anesthesia, the procedure is relatively short and painless.

After putting implant it should take at least a month before putting a weight on it, that is to say before using the final upgrade.