Author Archives: Smilecraft Dental Care

It’s not about vanity, it’s about oral health

Did you sneak past the braces monster as a kid and now wish you had had your teeth straightened? Maybe your teeth weren’t quite wonky enough to qualify for free treatment on the NHS? Maybe your parents could not afford it or you refused? Perhaps now you wish you had straighter teeth, but it’s just vanity right? Well, wrong, actually. Orthodontics in Stevenage could be exactly what you need.

Straighter teeth are generally healthier than wonky teeth. This is for two reasons:

Plaque

Plaque is the sticky film that builds up on our teeth during the day. It is bacteria that live in the mouth and they proliferate by feeding on the sugars in our mouths left from food and drinks. Plaque quickly hardens into tartar and gives off acid. This attacks tooth enamel and creates cavities through which bacteria can sneak in to decay the teeth. Acid from plaque along the gum line inflames and irritates the gums, and can also attack the bone, loosening teeth, perhaps even causing them to fall out. If you take advantage of orthodontics in Stevenage, your straighter teeth will provide far fewer places for plaque to hide and build up, which can lead to decay and gum disease. You will have a much higher chance of hanging onto your natural teeth for life.

Pressure

When you chew, ideally your teeth bite down evenly against each other and work as a team to create the forces (up to 97kg or 200lbs) that are needed to break down your food into a swallowable paste.

However, when your teeth are wonky, only a few teeth bear the brunt of that force and it takes its toll on them. Over time they get worn down and can crumble away, leaving them vulnerable to decay.

Replacement parts

Teeth that are misaligned have a much higher chance of needing to be extracted in later life, and this means you will have to replace them. Orthodontics in Stevenage may seem like a big investment, but it could be nothing compared to the cost of dental implants, or the hassle of dentures.

Quick and easy teeth straightening

If you have been thinking about getting your teeth straightened, you may be wondering about where to get good braces in Stevenage. Teeth straightening, as a term, covers a wide variety of problems, including those relating to the upper and lower jaw not matching up so that the teeth meet evenly.

Problems with jaw alignment usually get fixed when you are a child, and often with funding from the NHS, so if you are an adult looking for braces in Stevenage, you are probably more concerned with some wonky teeth that are at the front of your mouth and show when you talk and smile. At Smilecraft, we call these the front six social teeth, and they can be easy and quick to get straightened.

One of our favourite ways of doing this is with a cosmetic braces treatment called Six Month Smiles. This kind of braces in Stevenage is aimed at people with mild misalignment on the front teeth, and can be placed by a specially trained general and cosmetic dentist, such as at Smilecraft.

How does Six Month Smiles work?

Six Month Smiles are a twist on the traditional metal bracket and wire braces, but so much nicer to look at. The brackets are much smaller and are made of clear ceramic rather than metal. The wire, and there’s only one, is much thinner and is tooth-coloured nickel titanium.

The wire is strung through the brackets, which are placed at just the right angles to pull your teeth into the right position. The wire is tightened through the brackets to achieve a constant, gentle pressure that will straighten your teeth in an average time of only six months, hence the brand name. These braces are not invisible, but blend in with your teeth and look more like a piece of jewellery than a train track.

You will need to wear a retainer after treatment to keep your teeth in place. You can either have one bonded to the backs of your teeth, or you can have one more like a mouth guard, which you wear at night.

We can talk you through which one is right for you when you come in for your consultation with one of our dentists.

Give yourself a good start to the day

For so many people, seeing their appearance in the mirror in the morning is not a pleasant experience. Sadly, many choose to put up with the discomfort, inconvenience or compromised appearance caused by crooked teeth. If you worry about your smile, experience pain or have difficulties with eating or speaking then you may like to speak to our experienced team at Smilecraft in Stevenage. Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that focussing on how the teeth, jaws and face develop.

Orthodontics in Stevenage You may think that having braces is costly, takes a long time or involves having a mouth full of metal. The good news is that modern treatment is effective and discreet, so that there is no need to put up with wonky teeth any longer. For our patients in Stevenage, orthodontics has improved their quality of life as well as their oral health.

Fast solutions that do not stand out

People nowadays are conscious of their image as well as short on time, so we offer the Six Months Smile technique to people looking for orthodontics in Stevenage. The tooth-coloured wires and brackets are very unobtrusive, so you do not have to worry about whether people are staring at your braces. They work very quickly so you really could be enjoying your new smile in six months. Treatment time can be longer, but we can usually give you a good indication of timescale when we discuss the procedure with you. Many people find that it is a cost-effective way of benefitting from Stevenage orthodontics, as the length of time involved is reduced.

Why have straighter teeth?

Crooked teeth are a common reason that people feel uncomfortable with their smile so correcting this can immediately make everyday life feel more pleasant. If you would like a smile to be proud of then orthodontics in Stevenage can help. There are other benefits too. Excessive gaps between your teeth can allow other teeth to drift out of place, compounding the problem. They are also harder to clean due to plaque accumulation, which can result in gum disease, decay and bad breath.

Find out why so many patients seek orthodontics in Stevenage. Our experienced team looks forward to discussing how we can help you.

Looking after your teeth over Christmas

We need to look after our teeth all year and especially over Christmas. After all, who wants to be stuck in the dentist’s practice over Christmas? Keeping our teeth happy and healthy is the best way to avoid any unwanted surprises this Christmas.

Visiting your dentist regularly and keeping on top of your oral hygiene is the way to keep a high standard of oral hygiene.

Merry Christmas Here at Smilecraft, we also offer a wide range of treatments to keep your teeth looking beautiful, as well as feeling great. The demand for treatments like teeth whitening and cosmetic braces has grown in recent years and so has the number of options available to patients.

Keeping your teeth clean

The most important part of your oral hygiene routine is brushing. Your dentist usually advises to brush at least twice a day. This number can be higher, depending on your habits, dental history and if you wear braces or not.

Although brushing is the most important part of your oral hygiene routine, flossing at least once a day is also important. Many dentists will also recommend using an anti-bacterial mouthwash to keep the nasty bacteria away from your teeth.

Many people also forget to brush and clean their tongue. This is an important part of maintaining a high standard of oral hygiene.

Why is visiting the dentist so important?

Having a friendly dentist that you can visit regularly is important because a dentist can evaluate your overall oral health and spot any problems before they turn into an issue.

During a regular check-up at Smilecraft, your dentist will check for any signs of tooth decay that may need treatment. This treatment could come in the form of a filling or maybe root canal therapy for more serious cases.

At Smilecraft we can treat most dental issues and make your teeth live their full potential. If it’s getting that extra shine or straightening your teeth to perfection you want, we have the treatment for you.

If you have any questions about any treatments, come in for a visit at Smilecraft, and from all of the team here in Stevenage: Merry Christmas.

Improve the appearance and performance of your teeth

At Smilecraft in Stevenage, braces are used for two reasons: to make teeth more effective, and to improve their appearance. If you have front teeth that stick out too much, or a higgledy-piggledy smile, we can realign your teeth with a contemporary method that’s often surprisingly speedy and discreet.

Braces in Stevenage

Braces in Stevenage Our Six Month Smiles braces are a way to reposition the teeth in a short amount of time. As the name suggests, the average duration is six months. This modern dental appliance focuses on the teeth at the front of your mouth, the ones most visible when you smile. They apply gentle pressure to your teeth, following a meticulously customised treatment plan. Plus, they’re made of a transparent material, so they won’t attract too much attention while you’re wearing them.

Dental improvements

If too many teeth are pointing the wrong way, the jaw can be put under excessive strain. Straighter teeth look better, and do their jobs more efficiently. They’re also easier to keep clean. Crooked or crowded smiles have awkward nooks and crannies, in which food particles and bacteria can hide. Realigning the teeth can thus reduce your risk of developing tooth decay and gum disease.

Treatment

Your treatment will begin with a conversation between you and the dental team. If having braces in Stevenage is the appropriate method to achieve your desired outcome, we’ll take some images of your mouth and create a detailed treatment plan.

You’ll then begin wearing your braces, under our supervision. Regular checks on progress will ensure everything stays on track. When it’s time to remove the braces, you may need to wear a retainer at night, to make sure your teeth get used to their new positions.

Healthier future

Improving the position of your teeth will make it easier to look after your oral health. The enhanced aesthetic appeal of your smile can have a positive effect on your overall self-image. These significant and long-lasting benefits, and the speed and subtlety of the treatment, make our Stevenage braces popular with adults. Even those with customer-facing jobs can wear these low-key dental appliances without embarrassment, while the results are plain to see.

Preparing for orthodontics in Stevenage

If you want to get your teeth straightened, you may need orthodontics in Stevenage. At Smilecraft, we do all we can to help you prepare for the experience of wearing braces. This might include giving you information on what will happen and advice on how to cope with each stage of the journey.

Orthodontics in Stevenage When you visit Smilecraft, a member of our team will give you personalised guidance. However, there are some general preparatory steps that apply to almost everyone:

Selecting your braces

Choosing the right braces for your circumstances goes a long way towards making your treatment comfortable. You may be able to select a method like Six Month Smiles, for example, so that you can enjoy fast-acting, discreet braces that are easy to fit and popular with our patients;

Healthy teeth

Before you start having any orthodontics in Stevenage, your teeth need to be in good condition. Braces move teeth gently, but it is still a strong process for them to undergo. In order to enjoy your treatment and reduce the risk of damage to your teeth, you may need to have repairs, fillings or even a good clean and polish before you start your teeth straightening procedure;

Emotions

Teeth straightening is a long-term treatment. While some procedures, like Six Month Smiles, take a shorter amount of time than many methods, you still need to be prepared to wear braces for a few months or more. The best way to prepare emotionally for this is to look forward to the way your teeth will look when they have been moved. You could put up a picture on your fridge of a straight and beautiful smile to help remind you;

Extractions

Occasionally, a tooth or two may need to be removed to make room for the realignment of your smile. This particularly applies if you have had a problem with overcrowding prior to your treatment. Your dentist will only do this if necessary and they will discuss it with you beforehand;

Advice

Following the advice of your dentist helps you to enjoy your treatment and keeps your teeth and gums healthy. This might include tips on food choices, care and frequency of check-ups.

The process of getting Six Month Smiles

Getting Six Month Smiles braces in Stevenage with Smilecraft is an exciting prospect for many patients. The thought of finally achieving a straight smile, if you have been living with a misalignment for a long time, can be liberating and certainly something to look forward to.

Choosing Six Month Smiles braces in Stevenage means that you do not need to be apprehensive about the teeth straightening process. Normal worries about, for example, the appearance of your braces, are addressed by the design of the braces. The equipment used by Six Month Smiles is specially crafted to blend in with the surrounding teeth, so obtrusive braces become a thing of the past.

Braces in Stevenage Ask your dentist, Smilecraft, about the process of getting Six Month Smiles. Everyone is different but, usually, it all starts with a consultation and gathering information. Once your practitioner is satisfied that you are suitable for Six Month Smiles, they can send all of your information off to them so that your unique braces can be made. Six Month Smiles return these to your dentist for fitting. They may need to do some preparatory work, which will either take place before or during your fitting. Once the brackets are in place, a wire is threaded through them and secured with elastics. This is the basic process of fitting Six Month Smiles although your dentist can explain in more detail during your initial appointments.

How do Six Month Smiles feel when they are fitted?

Despite the fact that Six Month Smiles braces in Stevenage have a low profile, it may still feel a little odd when they are first fitted. This is because the inside of your check is not yet used to the sensation of something sitting between them and your teeth. The feeling of having something in your mouth should fade fairly quickly as your body begins to disregards the signals coming in.

In terms of other sensations, you may feel some discomfort initially. This is because moving teeth, even when done gently, involves placing pressure on the teeth and gums. Fortunately, any sensations do fade quickly and, in the meantime, you can take ordinary painkillers to help alleviate them.

How to maintain a good dental hygiene

Proper dental care is a vital part of keeping your teeth healthy. In addition to regular brushing and flossing at home, it is very important to visit your dentist regularly to get check-ups and professional cleanings. Your dentist will also examine your teeth thoroughly and look for signs of tooth decay and gum disease. Gum disease is the most common oral hygiene-related condition, affecting 75% of all adults in the UK to some degree or another.

Dental Hygiene in Stevenage At Smilecraft, we believe that regular dental check-ups and cleanings can make all the difference to smiling for a lifetime. For this reason, we provide a variety of services to prevent dental diseases from counselling to scaling and polishing. Our dentists are here to help you take good care of your teeth and gums.

Visiting the dental hygienist

Visiting the dentist and the dental hygienist regularly is the best way of maintaining good oral health. The main role of our dental hygienists is to prevent any serious problems from occurring. For this reason, they will scale and polish your teeth and also show you the best way to remove plaque at home.

During a scale and polish procedure, your hygienist will remove plaque from your teeth and beneath your gum line. Some patients may require a deeper scaling, which includes cleaning the roots of their teeth. Each patient’s mouth is unique and your dentist will tailor a treatment plan to suit your personal needs.

Your dental hygienist will also provide information on how diet and nutrition affects your mouth. For instance, you will be advised to stay away from sugary and acidic foods, in order to help prevent dental decay and erosion. Your dental hygienist will also show you the best techniques to brush and floss your teeth at home.

Patients with greater risk of decay can benefit from fluoride treatments. Other gels and solutions can also be placed on the teeth and gums to help with sensitivity and bacteria under the gum. Finally, your dental hygienist will advise you on the negative effects of smoking on your oral health and show you the best ways to quit smoking.

Fast and effective tooth realignment

If you want to improve the alignment and appearance of your teeth without spending a long time wearing a dental appliance, Smilecraft has the solution for you. A discreet and speedy experience of orthodontics in Stevenage, Six Month Smiles uses tooth-coloured wires and brackets to reposition your teeth using gentle pressure. Its colouring minimises unwanted attention, and as its name suggests, the average duration of treatment is around six months.

The stages of orthodontics in Stevenage

At your initial consultation, we’ll take a look at your teeth, and listen to you talk about how you’d like to improve them. If our treatment is the appropriate way to achieve your desired results, we’ll take some detailed images of your mouth, and proceed according to a meticulous treatment plan.

Six Month Smiles focuses on the teeth that are most visible when you open your mouth. Your realignment appliance stays attached to the front of your teeth while treatment is ongoing, and is customised to work efficiently. It won’t cause the embarrassment that more visible dental braces can bring to their wearers. Worries about your appearance at business meetings or social events will be kept to a minimum.

After the braces are removed, you’ll probably need to spend a while wearing a retainer at night time, so that your teeth become securely fixed into their new positions.

The benefits of orthodontics in Stevenage

Improving your smile can help you to feel better about your overall appearance. If your front teeth stuck out too much beforehand, they’ll both look better and function more effectively after your treatment. Crooked or crowded teeth will be easier to keep clean once they’ve been straightened out. This reduces your risk of gum disease and tooth decay, because there’ll be fewer awkward spaces in the mouth for bacteria and food debris to hide in.

If you’ve developed the habit of keeping your teeth hidden when laughing, or posing for photos, realignment treatment can make this a thing of the past. Our Six Month Smiles can also be more-cost effective for you than alternative types of tooth realignment. Contact us today to find out how this contemporary technique can make cosmetic and functional improvements to your teeth.

Orthodontics: another very long word in dentistry

Just like medicine, the dental profession is awash with very long words for things. These words usually derive from Latin or the Greek. Sometimes bits of both languages have been used. The reason such words are used is so that they can be understood by dentists all over the world, whereas translations from one everyday language to another can often cause confusion

A great example of a very long dentistry word is orthodontics. In Stevenage, this wonderfully important-sounding word refers to the branch of dentistry involved in making sure that your teeth fit together properly. It covers not only your teeth, but your jaws as well. If your jaws don’t line up, your teeth don’t either. Because teeth straightening doesn’t quite cover everything we do in the area of alignment, we use the word orthodontics in Stevenage.

Orthodontics in Stevenage At Smilecraft, our favourite appliance for bite and teeth alignment is Six Month Smiles. As the name suggests, the average treatment time for this device is only six months.

How does Six Month Smiles work?

It works like traditional bracket and wire braces, except that it is much finer and therefore more discreet. Instead of heavy metal, the brackets are smaller and made of clear ceramic. The wire that strings them together is tooth-coloured nickel titanium.

Six Month Smiles with orthodontics in Stevenage uses the same tried and tested mechanics that you find on much heavier ‘train track’ braces. The angles at which the brackets are positioned on the teeth determine the direction in which the wire will gently pull the teeth.

Six Month Smiles is generally used for people who want to move their front six social teeth only. These teeth only have one root to be moved, which is another reason why the treatment can be so much quicker than the two or three years one expects with traditional metal braces.

The best way to find out if Six Month Smiles can help you is to book a consultation with us at Smilecraft. Once we have assessed your teeth we will be able to tell you if this is what you need or some other treatment might be more suitable.

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