Chasing The Perfect Smile

Having seen thousands of patients with different needs and aspirations for their smile and have witnessed over the past decade or so an explosion in advanced technological applications to dentistry,

I can now say that we are truly blessed to be living in this era and I am sure what is to come is even more exciting and possibly mind blowing.

I wrote this article with one objective in mind, to summarise all the new treatment options and how they apply to different people and be as cost effective as possible, all in the name of Chasing the Perfect Smile.

• Let’s start with children, these days we have fillings and sealants that can be applied in a couple of minutes and they release fluoride constantly to the tooth structure even years after placing them therefore even the most high risk kids can these days have healthy teeth and reduce the risk of decay.

At this age group, it is also important to correct jaw growth problems using few simple appliances as it is much easier to be corrected now than left to get worse which will require years of orthodontic treatments or even worse orthognathic surgery.

• While the teenage years carry many challenges to the teenagers and parents, this period of life is one of the most important periods for the oral and dental health, as if your child has bad or crooked teeth and not have them corrected early they will be condemned to a life time of dental breakdown and nonstop visits to the dentist to fix those problems not to mention the associated costs.

These days we have braces that are costume made, computer designed, robot milled and specifically generated for every single tooth for that particular patient, this makes orthodontic treatments much quicker, achieving better results and way more comfortable than the old style braces.

But we also have Invisalign teen and other invisible orthodontic options which are great alternatives for those who still don’t want to have braces on their teeth.

• Adulthood is the time to maintain good and healthy teeth and gums. Research shows that a well Good looking, white and healthy smile means high self confidence, better careers, and happier relationships. And research also show that gum disease is a major contributor to poor general health, diseases in major organs like heart cardiovascular problems!

A visible missing tooth could be devastating, it is noticed that once people lose a tooth or break a tooth they get discouraged from looking after the rest of their teeth which can start a chain reaction!

These days there are many many options to achieve that beautiful smile and restore self confidence and life satisfaction, here are few of those options:

• Dental implants: They are great options to replace 1 or multiple missing teeth. These days they are a lot cheaper than they were and can be placed very easily (usually within 15 minutes) and very comfortably. (Price $2000-$6000 depending on the type and clinical situation)

• Zirconia Bridges: An alternative for people who are not suitable for implants, this will not only replace the missing tooth, but it will protect the adjacent teeth and improve the shape and colour, all within 2-3 weeks.

• All teeth on 4 implants: this is a revolutionary technique where we replace all the teeth (completely) with just 4 implants per arch and you can get the final permanent teeth within 2-3 days. (Price $9000 – $29,000 per jaw).

• Invisalign: the completely invisible way to straight teeth (In case you didn’t have a chance to do it while teenager !). (Price $3000-8000).

• Computer designed and Robot milled Braces: for those difficult cases who are not suitable for Invisalign and want fast results. (Price $2500 – $8000).

• Lingual Braces: braces placed behind the teeth, yet another option to achieve beautiful and straight teeth. (It is more expensive than conventional braces).

• Porcelain Veneers: this was only affordable for the rich and TV personalities, but these days they are very affordable to everyone and it seems to be the thing that most adults ask for and truly appreciate as it gives an instant transformation and permanent perfect straight white smile, a huge boost to personal and work relationships. This is suitable for people who have stained or discoloured teeth, crooked teeth, broken or uneven teeth, heavily filled teeth or anyone who want a nicer smile. Veneers are thin shells that are bonded permanently to the outside surface of teeth to give us that amazing smile. (Veneers cost $900-$1700 per veneer depending on the type and clinical situation)

• Snap On Smiles: this is an alternative to dentures, implants, and veneers, it is of very low cost, It is a removable option that literally changes your whole look by just snapping it in place. It is suitable for people who have stained or discoloured teeth, missing teeth, crooked teeth, broken or uneven teeth, teeth with multiple fillings or anyone who wants a nicer smile. (Price $3000 per arch)

• Sapphire and Zoom laser whitening the dentist is the only person who can apply 37% hydrogen peroxide with Laser activation to achieve those whiter teeth everyone wants. Even though some beauty salons offer whitening it is not of the same efficacy and safety. We cover all the gums, isolate the teeth and safely finish the procedure without any harm to gums and teeth, something you are not guaranteed in beauty salons

We hope you find the information in this article helpful and regardless if you are young or old shiny clean teeth will entice you to smile and be

smiled at.

Saif Hayek  BDS, Grad Dip Ortho (Lond), MBA, Fellow of  IADFE and ICCDE, accredited by Australian Society of implants Dentistry

The founder of the implants institute and Advanced Dental Services (winner of Best Dental Service for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)