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How to achieve the perfect smile - Joy Parker-Fleming, Patient Advisory Service

How to achieve the perfect smile

So you look great. You’ve had your face-lift/liposuction and feel wonderful. But there’s just one thing not right every time you smile, your teeth let you down. More and more people approach their dentist to find out about tooth whitening, smile makeovers and implants to replace missing teeth. I am often been asked by my own patients to advise them on what they can do to do about their teeth and who to go to.

Firstly, it’s very important for you to understand that not all dentists have the same skills when dealing with your cosmetic dentistry. In reality, although a lot of dental practices advertise cosmetic dentistry, there is actually no such specialisation in the dental profession. To answer the growing public demand for dentists who can do ‘cosmetic’ dentistry to a high standard, institutions such as the American and British Academies of cosmetic dentistry were established. Their aim is to ensure that any patient wishing to embark on any form of smile enhancement should have this performed by a suitably qualified or experienced dentist. The dentist you see should be able to provide you with the full range of options and not just try to ‘sell’ you the latest whitening system or veneers from America. They may not be right for you.

Any dentist who follows good standards in dentistry in the UK should be able to do just this. He/she should examine you fully and not just focus on your smile area. You should be assessed for all forms of possible dental problems, not just in your mouth but also you’re jaws, your jaw joints, your surrounding facial area and the way your jaws function together. A lot of problems nowadays are caused by clenching and grinding and this can lead to loss of tooth tissue which can also lead to loss of facial form as well as shortening of the front aesthetic teeth. It’s important a dentist gets it right first time by finding out the cause of the problem first so that the correct overall treatment can be delivered. Having your teeth veneered from end to end can be extremely damaging in the wrong hands so please make sure you know all the implications of treatment before you go ahead. Make sure when you speak to your dentist that he/she has either experience or formal training in the method of treatment proposed. Tooth whitening is a relatively simple and straightforward process involving the application of a gel to your teeth. The gel is usually a form of peroxide that works in a similar way to the mode of action on hair. The delivery of the gel is what differs and again, it’s important you see someone who’s been doing it for a while so that they can recommend the most suitable way for you. Not everyone is suited to in-surgery whitening with the concentrated gel and intense light/heat source. Often with just a simple professional home whitening kit and the right instructions in how to use it will give you fantastic results in just a couple weeks.

If you’ve been advised to have dental implants, it may be worth doing some research first. There are two very important things to know when it comes to dental implants. Firstly, not all dental implants are the same. There are different ‘makes’ of implant that do differ in quality and reliability. Only a few dental implant systems are subjected to rigorous testing over long-term studies and these are the ones normally used by the top implant dentists. Secondly, not all dentists have the same level of training in dental implantology. It would be useful for the discerning patient to source a dentist who has obtained some higher degree in implant dentistry such as a diploma or a master’s. On the other hand, if your own dentist has been treating you for many years and has a proven track record with dental implants then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t trust him so long as he’s happy to go ahead. These two points can help explain why some dental implants seem to be so expensive and why others seem to be so much cheaper. A better implant with a proven track record, placed by an experienced and suitably qualified dentist will naturally cost more, reflecting the higher quality of materials and the additional training undertaken.

Joy Parker-Fleming

Joy is a senior patient advisor with 20 years experience in the cosmetic surgery industry. www.patientadvisory.co.uk

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