Dr Marzella, Dr Neo Tee Khin, Richard Soh, Dr Ansgar Cheng and Dr Ho Kok Sen

A team of dentists from Specialist Dental Group and Universitas Trisakti performed the NobelGuide Teeth-in-an-Hour Live Surgery procedure before a group of approximately 200 dentists in Jakarta on Saturday, February 20, 2010. This revolutionary procedure enables dental implants to be placed in one hour, and was the first time that this procedure was performed in Indonesia.

According to Dr Neo Tee Khin, Prosthodontist with Specialist Dental Group, “With this Nobelguide Teeth-in-an-Hour procedure, people who have missing teeth can get new teeth that look, feel and function just their natural teeth – all in an hour.”

The Live Surgery event was part of a workshop organized by the Indonesian Society of Implant Dentistry with the collaboration of Universitas Trisakti and sponsored by NobelBiocare.  Dr Neo and Dr Ho Kok Sen, Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon with Specialist Dental Group, were instrumental in planning and providing clinical expertise for the procedure together with Dr Marzella Mega Lestari from Universitas Trisakti.

The patient, Richard Soh, 56, is from Singapore and previously lived in Jakarta for a few years. Mr Soh had been wearing dentures for many years on both his upper and lower jaw. He found the dentures uncomfortable and he could not fully enjoy his food. After the NobelGuide Teeth-in-an-Hour procedure, Mr Soh was able to eat almost immediately – and he enjoyed a full lunch that afternoon and was able to eat as normal the rest of the time.

Patient eating watermelon minutes after the surgery

“The NobelGuide Teeth-in-an-Hour procedure is minimally invasive – there is no swelling or pain, and the recovery is very quick,” added Dr Ho Kok Sen.

Professor Ansgar Cheng of Specialist Dental Group also provided a briefing on the NobelGuide Teeth-in-an-Hour procedure. “Our clinical experience shows that the success rate of this procedure is about 99%”, said Dr Cheng.

For more information on the Teeth-in-an-Hour procedure, visit: http://www.specialistdentalgroup.com/services/serv_teeth_in_an_hour.php

Nobel Biocare is the world leader in innovative restorative and aesthetic dental solutions. It has the largest share of the global dental market and has developed numerous advancements in dental implants over the past 40 years. The company is the leading innovator of computer-aided design and manufacturing as well as computer-aided implant treatment planning and guided implant installation. For more information, visit www.nobelbiocare.com

Specialist Dental Group is the leading multi-specialist dental clinic in Singapore. Based at the Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, the clinic celebrated its 30^th anniversary in 2009. Its founder, Dr Henry Lee, placed the first dental implants in Singapore over 25 years ago. The dental team consists of 7 internationally trained/qualified specialists in different areas of dentistry. Specialist Dental Group offers comprehensive specialist dental solutions under one roof. For more information visit www.specialistdentalgroup.com

Benefits of Whiter Teeth

Teeth whitening or bleaching is a quick method to restore the sparkle back into your smile. Apart from having a whiter smile, another benefit of gleaming pearly whites is the positive impact this has on one’s confidence and self-esteem. A side benefit is a more youthful smile since yellow and stained teeth are often associated with ageing.

Consultation with the Dentist is Important

A dental examination and consultation is important to assess whether teeth whitening is appropriate.

While most people will be suitable candidates for whitening, those with gum problems, tooth infections, ulcers or sensitive teeth may have to address outstanding dental issues before having teeth whitening done.

In addition, the dentist will determine the cause of the stained or discoloured teeth. Tooth discolouration can be due to either external or internal causes, and the treatment is different for each.  Smoking, as well as tea, coffee and soft drink consumption are some of the biggest causes of external staining. At times, irregularities on teeth surfaces may contribute significantly to the uptake of external stains too. For external discolouration, a proper cleaning and teeth whitening should be sufficient to restore the sparkle to the smile.

Internal or intrinsic discolouration could be the result of a dead or infected tooth or a result of medication (e.g. tetracycline stains). Treatment for intrinsic discolouration is more complicated. In such cases, bleaching alone may not be sufficient, and other types of treatment, such as veneers or crowns may have to be considered.

There are also different shades of stains on the teeth that play a part in determining how the final result of whitening would look like. For example, teeth that have yellow stains or brown stains would respond best to bleaching treatment, compared with teeth that have a grayish tinge.

The key to effective treatment is to get a proper examination and diagnosis. Your dentist would be able to identify the causes of your concern and the relevant treatment.

The process

Teeth whitening can usually be completed in an hour’s visit to the dentist.

A whitening gel is carefully applied to the teeth. A safe, whitening light is used to activate the gel and bleach away stains on the teeth. Once the gel is activated, it remains on the teeth for 20 minutes until the process completed. Several rounds of this process are performed in the clinic during the visit.

What to expect?

Teeth whitening is a painless procedure and patients who undergo this treatment will be able to resume their daily activities immediately although on rare occasions, some teeth may experience sensitivity to cold drinks or air. But, nothing to worry about as this will settle with time.

Teeth that are whitened generally stay that way for approximately 24 months; however certain stain-inducing lifestyle habits such as smoking or drinking coffee, tea or red wine, will increase the likelihood of a patient requiring teeth whitening treatments from time to time.

What’s next?

Maintenance is required in order to keep the result achieved after the treatment. Thus, in some cases, dentists will also provide the patients with a take home kit, so that they can do touch up from time to time, as advised by the dentist.

Lastly, basic rule of thumb applies, maintaining a good oral hygiene is essential. Dental cleaning, combined with regular check-ups to your dentist will help in giving you healthy teeth and a good looking smile.

For more information on teeth whitening, click here.

More people are becoming aware that correcting their smile will have a major impact on their overall appearance. Solutions to imperfect smiles can be found by visiting the dentist…and in some cases, achieved in just one hour !

 Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening brightens discoloured or stained teeth caused by food, coffee or smoking. It is a painless procedure which can be completed in less than one hour. A consultation and examination is first done to ensure that the patient is a good candidate, and to rule out existing gum problems or decayed teeth which may affect the treatment outcome. .

It is also important to keep in mind that daily oral hygiene is an essential part of maintaining teeth whitening results. Depending on one’s lifestyle and dietary habits, the whitening can last for as long as two years.

 Veneers

Veneers are thin, custom-made high strength porcelain or composite resin shells designed to fit discreetly over the teeth. It is another option available for discoloured teeth, worn down teeth, broken or chipped teeth, gaps between teeth, and uneven, misaligned or irregularly shaped teeth.

In addition to aesthetic benefits, veneers also have a functional purpose as they protect the surface of a damaged tooth. They may even replace the need for a crown in certain situations, eliminating the need for more invasive tooth preparation.

This is a good alternative treatment to braces, for moderately misaligned teeth that fulfil certain clinical requirements, as it can be completed in shorter period of time – as short as two visits to the dentist.

Composite Bonding

Composite bonding is another option in treating teeth with small chips or gaps or dark stains that do not respond to bleaching. This procedure involves applying a tooth-coloured polymeric resin to the tooth and moulding it into the proper shape. This is a painless procedure and typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete.  

Crowns

Crowns are restorations that cover or cap teeth, restoring them to their natural size, shape, and color. Crowns are indicated when there is a need to strengthen teeth that are mechanically weakened (e.g. teeth with large cavities). Our clinic usually uses zirconium crowns.

Zirconium-based dental crowns are superior in structural strength reinforcement and aesthetic quality. Instead of relying on a dental technician alone, well-fitting crowns could be robotically made using CAD-CAM technology with significantly reduced human intervention. Research has shown that the fit of these CAD-CAM crowns are excellent even at a sub-microscopic level.

Dental Implants

Dental implants replace missing teeth with natural-looking teeth that look, feel and function just like your own teeth. Conventional implants take between three to nine months for treatment to be completed as time is needed for the implant to integrate with the jawbone. With Instant Implants™ and Teeth-in-an-Hour implants, the time to complete treatment is much shorter, due to the skill of the dentist and the technology used.

Braces / Invisalign

Braces function to straighten crooked teeth or close the gap between teeth. Aesthetic braces such as ceramic (tooth coloured) braces and invisible braces (lingual braces) are gaining popularity. Invisalign, a series of removable clear aligners are also a discreet, aesthetic and comfortable way of perfecting your smile….almost without anyone knowing.

Walk Out with that Beautiful Smile

While there are many options available for smile makeovers, your teeth are there to reflect your inner well-being. The most important consideration for a lasting and healthy smile is to have regular check-ups, brush/floss well, and maintain a balanced diet and lifestyle. This is the real secret to looking great, at any age!

Some people smile with a little bit of their gums showing but for some others, a significant amount of gums can be seen when they smile. Their teeth appear short in proportion to the rest of the gums, giving rise to the term “gummy smile.”

Although people with gummy smiles may have healthy teeth and gums, they may be self-conscious about smiling, and thus reluctant to smile. The good news is that there are options available to correct gummy smiles.

Causes of Gummy Smiles

Gummy smiles may arise due to a number of factors including:

• Excessive display of gums due to the abnormal eruption of the teeth;
• Hyperactive lip muscles which causes the upper lip to rise higher than normal when smiling, showing more gum tissue;
• Prominent upper jaw;
• Prominent position of upper front teeth; or
• Severely worn teeth, resulting in the teeth looking shorter relative to the gums.

Benefits of Treatment

The main benefits of gummy smile treatment are an improved and enhanced smile which in turn, boosts self-confidence and social acceptance.

Treatment for Gummy Smiles

There are several treatment options for those with gummy smiles:

• Crown lengthening: procedure which adjusts excessive gum tissue and the underlying bone. This may be combined with crowns or veneers to give the teeth the final aesthetic look;
• If the cause of the gummy smile is due to front teeth that are set too far forward, orthodontics (alignment of the teeth), crowns and/or jaw surgery may be required

The most important aspect of treatment for gummy smiles is clear communication between the dentist and the patient. Gum surgery itself takes about one hour to complete and the stitches are removed after one week.

If crowns are indicated, then there is a waiting period of about 1-3 months before the final crowns are attached. Where braces and/or jaw surgery is required, the treatment period will take longer, depending on the dental condition of the patient. You will always have teeth and look normal during the whole treatment period.

Gum surgery is NOT a temporary solution – with careful planning and execution, the result will last for a years and years. Proper maintenance and professional follow-up will be essential for successful long term treatment outcome.

Where to Find Treatment

A dental professional trained in gum surgery (periodontist) would be involved in the correction of gummy smiles. As treatment of this nature usually involves other specialty areas of dentistry, e.g. prosthodontists (for crowns or veneers), orthodontists (for braces) or oral surgeons, you may want to consider looking for a dental clinic which can offer access to all these other specialists under one roof.