Invisalign — What's It and How It Works?

Invisalign is a modern kind of invisible braces for straightening the teeth. Although itis a very effective solution, it’s not for everyone.A prior checkup is required to establish whether a patient is a good candidate for Invisalign. Here is the detailed process of how Invisalign works.

Are you thinking of straightening your teeth?The best way to proceed is to book an appointment with a good orthodontist. Your orthodontist will determine whether you qualify for the treatment or not. If you do, he will take photos of your teeth and your face, X-rays and dental impressions of your upper and lower jaws. All reports will be sent to Invisalign lab for processing and producing patient-specific custom aligners.

Invisalign technicians will use these reports to make a 3D model of your mouth. With the help of software, virtual movement of your teeth will be projected andthen reviewed by your orthodontist.

Your orthodontist will review the movement created in the virtual space by the technicians and give them correction instructions, if needed. The correction process is repeated for as many times as required to get to the desired result.

When everything is perfect from the orthodontist's point of view, the model will be sent ahead for production.

It takes about 4 weeks for the Invisalign trays to be produced.

Each set of trays, also known as aligners, should be worn for two weeks at a time before progressing to the next set in line. The aligners apply pressure on the teeth, encouraging them to gradually move towards the desired position.

This movement happens only 1/10mm per each set of aligners.This is why multiple aligners are needed in order to achieve the end result.

Invisalign aligners are worn almost permanently. Unlike typical braces, they can be removed for eating. However, they should be put on again as soon as you finished your meal. You also have to remove the aligners when you brush and floss.

When you’re done cleaning your aligners as suggested by your dentist, put them back on and wear them while sleeping, too.

You should wear the aligners for about 20 hours a day, every day, otherwise your teeth won't move enough for that particular set of aligners. And the next ones will have trouble fitting.

This effect accumulates from a set of aligners to the next one, so the straightening process will fail if you aren't committed to it.

In about 70% of the patients,there will still beafew teeth slightly misaligned by the end of the treatment. In order to correct this situation, a new set of impressions is taken and new Invisalign trays are made. The procedure is similar to the initial one and it takes the same amount of time, which is 3-4 weeks. In most cases, there's only one set of refinement trays needed in order to have all teeth properly aligned. Some people may require up to three such refinement trays, but this doesn't happen too often.

When the straightening process is over, the patient will need to wear retainers in order to prevent the teeth from migrating back into their old positions.

You can choose between two options:

• Clear, removable retainers which look just like the Invisalign trays; or 
• Wire-shaped, fixed retainer mounted on the back side of the lower front teeth 

Regardless of their option, patients will have to wear the retainers almost permanently for two months. After this period, it's OK to wear them only while sleeping.

In time, wearing retainers may only be needed for one of two nights a week. Wearing retainers is important because teeth may change with age, the simple fact of repeated chewing and biting may determine them to change position.

Invisalign may not work properly in certain typical situation that demands greater attention like highly crowded or overlapped teeth. In this situation,consult with your family dentist to determine whether Invisalign will be able to straighten your teeth or not.

Dental Implants Vs Dental Bridges

There are two options available to you if you have lost a tooth - either you can choose a dental implant or dental bridge. Replacing a lost tooth prevents other teeth from moving from their original position, which may cause orthodontic issues later if not treated in a timely manner and enables you to eat and speak naturally and efficiently.

Dental Implants 

This procedure serves the basis for a new artificial replacement tooth. This implant is inserted into the jawbone. With the growth of bone, it blends with the titanium post to consolidate it.

A temporary crown is placed on the implant, while it heals and blends; this healing may take six weeks to 40 weeks, which differs from individual to individual and the placement of the implant. Once it is healed, a permanent crown is created and placed on the implant. In the case of more than one missing teeth, dentures or a bridge can be affixed to one or multiple implants. Know the complete procedure and benefits of Dental Implants.

Bridges 

Bridges are comprised of two crowns that are placed on the two teeth that are adjacent to the gap. The two teeth, to which the bridge is anchored, are termed the abutment teeth. The false tooth or teeth that are between the abutment teeth are termed pontics. Therefore, dental bridges receive their support from implants or healthy teeth.

Traditional Bridges

With traditional bridges a crown is created for the implant or tooth that is adjacent to the area of the missing tooth or teeth, and a pontic fills in the remaining space. This is the type of bridge used most often and it is constructed of ceramics or metal with porcelain fused to it.  

Cantilever Bridges

When there is only one tooth, rather than two, adjacent to the missing tooth, dentists use cantilever bridges.

Resin-bonded Bridges

This type of bridge is constructed from plastic gums and teeth and uses a metal framework for support. Metal wings on opposite sides of the bridge are bonded to the adjacent existing teeth.

Dental Implant Vis-à-vis Bridges 

Dental implants are often not noticeable to onlookers and they offer a more natural feel and look. They also offer more effective and efficient chewing in comparison to bridges, which may slip. A traditional bridge requires sound teeth on either side of the location of the missing teeth, whereas this is not the case in dental implants. The teeth to which a bridge are fixed are permanently altered in the process of crowning. With dental implants, adjacent teeth remain unaltered. If a tooth, to which a bridge is fixed, develops any problem, the entire bridge will be compromised. However, dental implants are normally more expensive than bridges.

Life Span

The life span of a dental bridge is normally up to 15 years and sometimes longer if proper oral hygiene is maintained. Dental implants will often last for the life of the patient, however their crowns may need to be replaced if there is excessive wear. In either case, adequate oral hygiene goes a long way toward ensuring a long life for any restorative dental work.

Interesting Points Regarding Dental Implants

A dental implant, which is embedded in the jaw bone, can actually serve to stimulate the jaw bone during the chewing process. This stimulation inhibits the process of osteoporosis in this portion of the jaw bone, and can actually lead to the growth of the bone. People without adequate jaw bone density, due to osteoporosis, are not good candidates for dental implants. There is ongoing medical research to examine the possibility of bone grafting to make dental implants possible in this population.

Dental implants and crowns are two dental procedures that are used to occupy the space that is vacated by missing teeth. In most cases, an implant will be superior to a bridge in eligible candidates. For people that are not candidates for implants, dental bridges may be a viable alternative. However, implants are generally more expensive than bridges.

If adopted as a cosmetic dental procedure to enhance the appearance of your smile, dental implant definitely wins over dental bridge due to its ability to provide natural look which can’t be noticed easily and functionality delivered after the procedure considering that patient has healthy bones to apply implant successfully.

Professional Teeth Whitening At Dental Clinic

Now stained and dull teeth can no more come your way of great white pearly smile! You can have access to world class and highly professional laser teeth whitening team of dentists at Dental Monash Group. We are result-oriented and highly qualified dentists in Victoria, Australia.

Teeth Whitening

It is often asked are teeth whitening effective. For better understanding of the entire process and its effect we have tried to explain the entire process underneath!

Types of Teeth Whitening

There are two types of teeth whitener – at Home Teeth Whitening and Professional Teeth Whitening.

Home Teeth Whitening

This home kit is over-the-counter solution for teeth whitening. It can be used by you at home after getting the kit from the medical store. Hydrogen peroxide (the key teeth whitening component) is in less quantity in home kit compared to professionally whiten. So if you want to use home kit, you should use it for a longer time to get the best results due to less quantity of whitening component.

You may require few weeks and often months getting the desired results with home kits.

Professional Teeth Whitening

In this whitening process the results are almost instant; which is performed at our clinic; due to high concentration of the key ingredient - hydrogen peroxide.

Procedure

The process begins with cleaning of teeth and removal of plaque from the gum line. Next, we apply whitener gel on your teeth separating lips and gums away. Once it’s done, laser light is applied to your teeth to consolidate the gel’s effect and expedite the process of whitening. We take nearly one hour to complete the process, which can whiten your teeth by 10-shades. 

What, if you have Sensitive Teeth

The whitening process often increases the sensitivity of your teeth! Even you have sensitive teeth avoiding very hot and cold food and drinks you can easily undergo professional teeth whitening solution to get whiter teeth.

Who can Undergo Professional Teeth Whitening

You should be above 16 years of age. You should consult your dentist if you have sensitive teeth and allergic to hydrogen peroxide. Pregnant and breast feeding women are not suggested to go through this process. You should not have any gum disease or dental problem. Heavily stain teeth may not get the desired results. 

Is it a Safe?

If you’re going to take help of professional, qualified and experienced dentist, there is no reason of this process not being safe. Just ensure you’re in healthy dental condition and not suffering from above stated dental or physical conditions. You can become the right candidate for teeth whitening and we would help you lead a confident life. 

Any Guarantees?

Guarantee is unpredictable! No product is better than your natural teeth! But we put our best effort leveraging all our expertise, technology and dental evolution to offer you a better and confident smile with professional teeth whitening process.

So, do you think you’re the right candidate? We are there to offer a makeover to your personality and smile!

What Dental Treatments are Covered Under Insurance?

Often, it is asked by our patients whether particular dental treatment will be covered under dental insurance or not or kind of surgery or procedures their insurance provide security of. Other than basic diagnosis and minor treatment, major dental treatments like root canal, jaw and neck surgery, braces and periodontal treatments are bit expensive and it is necessary to be aware of price and actual coverage under medical insurance, before proceeding. 

 

Furthermore, modern lifestyle, not consuming food that contains calcium, vitamins and minerals creates different problems in today’s generation even following good habits of brushing on a daily basis. One may need to undergo through various dental treatment or surgery which are expensive and having dental insurance and the right information is necessary at the time of enrolling with any insurance firm. 

In this post, we have tried to explain some basic procedures and connection to these procedures with dental insurance. So, it becomes easier for you to select the right insurance plan and understanding the benefits covered under that plan. 

Preventive Dental Care: 

Most of the insurance companies provide coverage for routine checkup and dental cleaning in their insurance plan. So, you can have a free check up and cleaning at certain interval of time in a year, as specified in your dental insurance plan. 

Apart from that, pre-formalities like examining the fluoride level and x-ray sealants aren’t considered as preventive measure and may not get covered under insurance. 

Certain companies also have partnered with specific dental care centers and hospitals, you also need to check whether there is a center located nearby your suburb or not. 

Treatments for Tooth Restoration:  

When your tooth is damaged heavily due to decay or any other condition which requires treatments like root canal, wisdom tooth removal, tooth extraction or dental fillings for its restoration, it is majorly covered under an insurance plan. 

Most of the insurance plans are divided in two types, general/preventive dentistry and major dental surgery. So, according to your plan, various procedures may or may not get covered. 

One thing should be noted, in certain plan, the consulting cost with the dentist or surgeon may get covered by your insurance but the additional cost of crown, filling material or denture may or may not get covered. So, need to ask insurance customer support or agent for the same. 

Generally, to cover the surgeries like dental implant, crown and bridge treatment for multiple teeth, partial or full dentures are considered as a major tooth restoration treatment and aren’t covered under the basic insurance plan. You need to consult with your agent and collect precise and complete information about all these situations and the scenario. 

Orthodontic Care: 

Treatment for orthodontic braces costs 5000-10,000 $ or more depending on the type of braces and technology used along with performing basic dental procedures. 

Certain insurance provider also considers braces under cosmetic treatment and isn’t covered under the basic insurance plan. 

Gum Disease Treatment: 

Basic procedures for conditions like plaque, gingivitis or gum infections are covered by insurance. Albeit, you may need to pay extra in conditions like laser treatment or gum regeneration procedure. Basic plan may just cover the consulting fees and one may need to pay extra for additional major treatment. 

Cosmetic Treatment: 

Cosmetic treatment like teeth whitening, laser treatment, veneers, crown, dental implant (in certain condition) and all other procedures which are meant to improve the cosmetic appearance of your teeth, aren’t covered under the basic insurance plan. 

While buying insurance for a specific procedure or knowing whether your health insurance policy covers the cost for specific dental treatment or not, it is recommended to consult your dentist to have precise information of cost coverage or discuss with your dentist which is the right plan for you as per your need.

Fluoride Treatment - Why, When And How?

Fluoride, a type of mineral, is found in several foods and water naturally. Each day, some types of minerals are added to and eroded from our tooth's enamel – the top layer of our teeth. This process of gaining and losing minerals is called remineralization and demineralization. Minerals like fluoride, phosphate and calcium are remineralized to the enamel through various foods and water ingested. If both the process does not reciprocate in the same quantity it leads to oral issue. 

Why Fluoride is Necessary 

Fluoride prevents tooth decay by consolidating the tooth to resist acid attacks from sugar and plaque bacteria. It also slows down the process of decay. It is suggested that in children within 6 years of age, fluoride plays a great role in the growth and development of permanent teeth and protects the teeth from the acids to demineralize it. This mineral also expedites remineralization and disrupts production of acid in growing teeth of children and already existing teeth of adults. 

Sources of Fluoride 

General dentistry products and drinking water are considered to be the most common sources of fluoride and the most effective and instant source of this mineral is available in the clinic of dental professionals. The fluoride treatment can be availed by applying a concentration of fluoride and is left on the teeth to absorb into the enamel. As per the recommendation of the Australian Dental Association the paste and gel used for brushing or rinsing stay for a short while in our mouth vis-à-vis those gels applied in a dentist’s office. 

How Fluoride Works 

Fluoride works in three phases - before, during and after application and plays multiple roles for people of various ages. When used prior to eating or drinking it inhibits specific acid and prohibits from attacking the tooth enamel. When used directly on the teeth it sits in and helps the process of remineralization. After fluoridate treatment the fluoride-containing drinking water reaches the mouth and goes down the hatch and works to offer fluoride reservoirs from the inside. 

Who Should Get a Fluoride Treatment 

Minerals and vitamins are very important for healthy bodies and are particularly imperative for the growing kids. As calcium provides strong teeth and bones, fluoride solidifies the tooth enamel. People prone to develop cavities are provided with concentrated fluoride treatments frequently, and individuals with following aspects should be the right candidate for receiving fluoride treatment dental plan: 

• Poor oral diet and hygiene 
• Prolonged cavities or any bacterial infection 
• Health conditions or illnesses influencing teeth, like wrong eating habits, diabetes, cancer, alcohol and drug abuse 
• A long gap between professional teeth exams and cleanings 
• Dry mouth 
• Exposed roots 
• Split in tooth enamel 
• A great deal of dental procedures or types of orthodontia leading to difficult to clean areas 

 How Fluoride Treatment is Performed 

When a professional fluoride treatment is due, it follows a cleaning and examination of teeth. Your teeth will be coated with a gel, foam, liquid, or paste or it can also be applied with trays having fluoride compound. After the teeth are layered, the dentist will leave the substance to stay on for a few minutes before finally rinsing it and you will be asked to spit out any excess solution without using water. After this process you will be instructed to avoid eating or drinking anything for 30 minutes or more, including water. You may feel your teeth sticky, slimy, or fuzzy as per the solution applied. You can consult with your Family Dentist to know whether you really need the treatment or after treatment benefits specific to your oral condition.  

Fluoride Treatment Results 

Fluoride treatments are quite result-oriented when fused with great oral hygiene. Thorough bushing at least two times a day, flossing regularly and eating a balanced diet high in minerals and vitamins can keep you out of the dental category risk. Some people may experience slight discomfort or irritation in gum during or post fluoride treatment, in case sensitive teeth are an issue. In majority of case the treatment is performed without any pain and discomfort. 

Risks Associated 

Fluoride is quite safe and highly effective if administered as directed; but it may lead to hazardous situations if taken high doses. The "toxic" dosage level depends on the weight of different individuals. It is suggested to the parents to carefully monitor their kids’ use of fluoride-based products and to store fluoride products out of reach of the kids, particularly children below 6 years of age. 

Apart from this, excessive dose of fluoride may lead to defects in enamels of teeth like slightly noticeable white mark or streaks or aesthetically objectionable brown spots. These are called fluorosis and are seen during the formation of teeth generally when the child is not more than 6 years. 

This tooth staining caused due to fluoride cannot be cleaned practicing normal hygiene, the dentist can help you lighten it or remove it leveraging professional abrasives or bleaches.  

Some Useful Tips

Some useful and tips about fluoride usage include:

• Keep fluoride supplements out of the reach of your young children. 
• Don’t use flavored toothpastes as these can tempt children to swallow toothpaste. 
• Give only a pea-sized quantity of fluoridated toothpaste to your children to brush their teeth. 
• Be carefully about offering fluoridated toothpaste to your children within 6 years of age as they are of the tendency to swallow toothpaste instead of spitting.

If you're expecting some high risk dental issues, a fluoride treatment is the best option in every routine cleaning and even if there is no dental issue, it is mostly expected that your dentist would recommend coating of this mineral to offer your tooth strength to combat cavities and for the oral and as a Preventive care for teeth.

Reshaping your Gums For Beautiful Smile, Possible Treatments and After Care

So many factors works together to have a perfect smile, including whiteness of teeth, teeth shapes, alignment and perfect combination of the gum’s length. In many cases, the height of the gums is too high that makes the teeth look lengthy or too low that makes the teeth look shorter. To enhance the cosmetic appearance, such patient may needs to undergo through gum contouring surgery in which your dentist set the proper length of the gums a way which get adjusted properly with the length of the teeth or say crown. According to patient’s condition, treatment like crown lengthening, pocket reduction or gum regeneration treatment apply to correct the gum line. As the ultimate goal of the treatment is to enhance the look of your smile, in many cases, it is counted under cosmetic dental treatment and not covered under dental insurance. You need to discuss with your dentist for precise information on cost and insurance options.  

Possible Causes: 

• Excessive gum recession due to general health issue or oral problem 
• Genetic problems, condition like pregnancy or Menopause also cause genetic fluctuation 
• As a side effect due to excessive use of certain drugs 
• Any other kind of periodontal disease that directly impact on gum’s health  

Treatments for Gum Reshaping: 

When Teeth Look too Small: 

In this situation, crown lengthening is applied in which your dentist use instruments or laser treatment which increase the length of your crown and pull the gum tissues back or adjust a way which makes your gum line looks perfect. 

When Teeth Look Too Big: 

As described before, gum recession caused by oral issues makes your teeth look longer; Gum regeneration procedure is required to cover the exposed tooth. Also known as pocket reduction procedure, which is necessary for good oral hygiene purpose as well or bacteria can grow in pocket, leading to further gum disease or loss of soft tissues or gum bone. 

In any situation, treatment initiates by giving you local anesthesia, marking your gum line to have you an exact idea which part will be reduced or regenerated and finally, laser or scalpels is used to perform the surgery. In worst situation, when teeth supporting bone or gum tissues are damaged heavily, it is required to perform additional surgery like gum grafting for ensuring proper oral health. 

Cost of the treatment solely depends on the condition, area of gums which needs the surgery and additional cost of surgery in worst situations. 

Healing Process and Required Diet: 

Once the surgery is performed, it may take few days to heal the gums completely and support of certain medicines are requires boosting the healing process. 

If possible, avoid brushing or flossing on the area which has undergone through treatment for few days and use fluoride based mouthwash. 

Avoid eating hard and spicy food or chewing with the teeth where surgery is performed. Ice-cream, cheese, non-sugary liquid or soups, pasta and any other kind of soft food should be included in diet for few days. 

If you experience bleeding in gums, swelling or any kind of reaction surrounding gums, you need to consult your dentist immediately for avoiding further problems or medicine against it. 

Cosmetic and Oral Benefits: 

• Uneven, longer and shorter gums can be corrected for beautiful smile. 
• When tooth are exposed due to recession, it becomes mandatory to undergo through pocket reduction surgery or it may cause serious periodontal disease leading to tooth loss. 
• Correct position of gum line helps in maintaining oral hygiene with regular good habits like brushing and flossing. 

Most Asked Questions: 

Is it necessary to have this treatment? 

As far as oral health is concern, having high gums isn’t issue other that cosmetic appearance. If it’s too low, there is a risk that the tooth may exposed further over the time and which may lead to periodontal disease which requires immediate consultation. 

Whom to consult? Cosmetic dentist or Periodontist 

If the purpose of gum Contouring is to enhance the appearance, consulting cosmetic dentist will be fine. But if you experience symptoms of any periodontal disease, it is recommended to consult with periodontist for evaluating the base of the problem and required periodontal treatment. 

Does the cost of treatment is covered in insurance? 

The cost of any cosmetic treatment isn’t covered under insurance. Hence, if any of the treatment is adapted due to bad oral hygiene or bacterial infection, it may get covered. Don’t forget to discuss about this with your dentist prior to treatment.

Dental Biopsy – Need, Procedure, Risks and Precautions

What is Biopsy

A simple process of surgery to extract samples of bone or soft tissue from the body for further medical examination is called biopsy. In dental case, this could be gum tissue, a jaw piece or a tooth to examine better.

This Oral surgery is executed when the dentist wants to understand the collected sample in the laboratory. The basic objective of conducting biopsy is to detect the sources of the lesions or any irregularity. This irregularity may be the result of any injury or sickness. The lesions could be in the location of bone or the soft tissue that might not look normal. It could be a patch on the skin or lump, looking odd due to its different texture and color.

Types of Biopsies

Biopsies are of two kinds - incisional and the excisional. The formal biopsies will only extract a tiny piece of cell from the lesion and it will be considered as sample while the later biopsies will detach the whole lesion altogether.

Assertion of the type of biopsy entirely depends on multiple factors. Like, if the lesion is small and if your dentist hopes that it is not cancerous then an excisional biopsy can be conducted and if the patch is huge and it gives a reason to believe that it could be malignant your dental surgeon would apply incisional biopsy.

Why to Perform Biopsies

Biopsies are facilitated for taking off lesions completely or partially with a motive to examine it in the laboratory. This process is mostly done when your dental surgeon apprehends that the lesion is cancerous. Often biopsies are also conducted to diagnose some other non-cancerous conditions.

Preparations for Biopsy

For biopsy, you would be required to rinse your mouth with an antibacterial fluid to avoid any infections. Dentist will also taint your mouth to have a clearer view of the lesion. If you would require a bone biopsy then computed tomography scans or x-rays would be required before the surgery. Mostly the oral biopsies are conducted at the dentist’s office administering local anaesthesia and you remain fully conscious in this state.

Procedure of Biopsy

In the procedure or biopsy, the lesions of soft cells are taken off with the help of laser or a scalpel and post this procedure the location is stitched closed. In case the lesion is in the bone, a drill is used to access the right location of the lesion by removing bone and the cells capping the bone is closed through stitches once the sample is extracted.

Post Surgery Soreness and Swelling

Once the influence of the local anesthetic subsides after a couple of hours, you may feel slight pain or swelling in the area that has been operated upon. Your dentist would prescribe simple painkillers like ibuprofen and paracetamol to offer relief from the pain and cut down the swelling. More often than not, any type of discomfort can survive only for a couple of days.

Bleeding

Albeit, there could be some bleeding during the biopsy, this generally stops quickly and there is almost nil chances of further bleeding once the wound is stitched. If the biopsy site continues to bleed, you can stop this by applying pressure on the area for 10 minutes using a swab or clean rolled-up piece of cotton. Still, if the bleeding seizes to stop, immediately contact your oral dentist.

Resume Work

This entirely depends on your job and your personal comfort ability after this surgery. The majority of people resume their work in the later part of the same day. If you feel uncomfortable for some day you can take rest.

Follow-up Procedure

You would be advised to have over-the-counter pain killers in the event if you feel discomfort in the operated area. Eating soft foods, rinsing with warm salted water and especially rinsing with antibacterial solutions will be advisable for a few days. Your dental surgeon may also prescribe you some antibiotics to avoid infection. You would be asked to revisit clinic after two weeks of the surgery to examine the wound and ensure that your wound is recuperating properly.

It is suggested not to bite the numb location of your mouth. Don doesn't rinse your mouth too hard on the day of surgery, it may lead to bleeding. Clean your teeth as usual including the teeth sitting next to the location of the biopsy to avoid any infection. If you see some food particles lodged in and around the site of biopsy, rinse it gently to dislodge it using a mouthwash or warm salt water.

Risks Associated with a Biopsy

It may happen that the bleeding may continue for a few days and if it lasts for a long time you need to consult your dental surgeon to stop it. There is a thin possibility of the operated site being infected post surgery. This could be due to the presence of various bacteria in the mouth. Under these circumstances your surgeon would advise you to rely on antibacterial rinses, antibiotics medicines and often both also to reduce the risk of infection of any kind. There is a bleak chance that during the surgery, your surgeon may damage some blood vessels and nerves located nearby. This risk can be reduced by X-rays and expert knowledge of your surgeon about the mouth anatomy.

When to Seek Medical Help

If you witness increased swelling, fever, chills, continuous bleeding and numbness even after a successful biopsy, you should take help of your oral surgeon immediately. These are some unusual signs that require immediate medical attention.

 

Biopsy is a very simple process but you need to be prepared and knowledgeable to understand the risks associated; expectations from this surgery and the exact procedure of the same to face the surgery! So, have a closer understanding of this oral dental surgery, who knows if you ever have to undergo this procedure in future!