blog

Dentures in Sutton

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:22:15 +0000

What can I expect from a new set of dentures?

1) Dentures fit onto soft gums, make sure they fit.

Dentures can improve the appearance and function of your mouth. They can give you a full smile and the ability to chew food properly. Even though dentures are often associated with people who have neglected their teeth many people also lose teeth through trauma or other disease. A need for dentures is when the teeth are lost, the bone and gums flatten as they have nothing to support anymore. This often leads to the face having a closed up appearance, there are no teeth to stop the jaws meeting.

A key part of any good denture design it to support the cheeks to give a natural facial appearance and to fit exactly onto the gums to create a cohesive seal. Notice how much your gums and cheeks move as you talk or eat, keeping a denture in place requires the denture to sit exactly in the mouth and not be dislodged when the cheek muscles move.

As this is such a soft area of the body great care must be taken to ensure a smooth and accurate finish. If you run your tongue over the inside of your cheeks you can feel areas that are deeper than others with fibres connecting them. Making a denture that fits and stays comfortable and fitting when moving is an exacting process. For me, there are no short cuts.

If you are interested in new dentures, please contact me at Cedar Dental for a no obligation and free consultation.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Cedar Dental Centre

Sutton

Dentures in Surrey

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:53:45 +0000

For the best quality dentures, don't think modern is best.

It is often a great assumption that the latest version of something is the best. Demands have changed and the best comparison I can make is how IKEA may be modern and affordable but not always the best quality. Don't mistake this for snobbery I buy from IKEA, its just that sometimes I demand something that is of the highest quality rather than contemporary design or cheaper.

This is a good example;

This is a chair and this is a chair. You know which you would choose.

The same goes for dentures. The latest technology may not be the best.

Having a set of dentures requires very precise skills and experience from a dentist.It also needs the same level of commitment from a dental technician. To make excellent, stable and long lasting dentures requires the skills to not only put the teeth in the right place but to understand all the soft tissue, your gums and cheeks, that the denture sits upon and supports. Like any prosthesis, a denture is a foreign body and the mouth is a place where alot of activity takes place.

What should I be looking out for with good dentures?

The process of recording the measurements in your mouth and the impressions taken are crucial. Get these wrong and the dentures are compromised. Understanding the contouring of gums and the amount of cheek support from the pink part of a denture will ensure something that helps your whole facial appearance. The denture's stability is derived from an accurate fit onto your gums ( hence the need to get the impressions as accurate as possible) and the space in which the denture teeth sit.

Over the next few weeks I will be looking at each of these areas in detail and showing examplesof successful cases.I hope that this is of benefit and will show you that a well made set of dentures can be life changing.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Straightening Teeth in Surrey

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:46:20 +0000

Dr Boris Atlas at Cedar Dental

Straightening Adult Teeth With Social 6

See how simple it is to move the teeth back into line. Just a note, the brace will be removed soon. Treatments do not have to be complicated. Just by moving a single front tooth even a small amount can improve the overall smile appearance

As you can see, the teeth have been straightened and the braces are behind the teeth. Nobody can see that braces have been fitted. You can see that this patients front teeth were twisted slightly and the braces moved the teeth to 'untwist' them. Again, these braces will be removed soon and you can see the finished results.

To find out if you are suitable for such treatments, please call the practice and book in for an appointment with Boris.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Invisible Braces in Surrey

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:29:44 +0000

I want to move my crooked teeth.

Crooked teeth, twisted teeth and gaps between teeth can be treated with modern tooth moving techniques in dental practices.

At Cedar Dental what makes us stand out is that we have the knowledge and skills to make the most of several different tooth moving techniques in conjunction with improving a smile using the latest restorative materials. Cedar has become the 'go to' dental practice for those looking to improve their smiling and chewing.

Invisible Braces can be the solution.

There was a time when only children could have braces, metal braces as well. Orthodontics, what dentists call moving teeth, has improved the lives of many children by helping their teeth and jaw bones grow into the best position. Adults orthodontics provides solutions to people who may have not had tooth moving treatments as a child or now feel it is time to do something to improve their smile. It may be as an adult that the idea of visible braces is not for you. There are solutions for this, at Cedar Dental Dr Boris Atlas works with 2 invisible brace treatments. The first is Social 6 where your braces are fixed behind your teeth. It may sound uncomfortable but actually these braces are designed to be small, effective and not get in the way. Another treatment is Invisalign

which is a series of clear mouthguards that move your teeth. Invisalign braces can be removed so you can clean your teeth easily. If you are interested in knowing more, or finding out if you are suitable for these type of treatments do contact us today to book a free consultation.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Look After Your Teeth Surrey, With Cedar Dental Membership

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:15:41 +0000

Good Private Dentistry Can Be Affordable. Keeping Your Smile is Priceless.

You know the credit card advert, so much stuff to buy and yet some things in life money just cannot buy. Its a bit like this in dentistry. As a dentist we can help you keep your teeth and gums healthy, move your teeth back into a natural line, fill in the gaps with restorations or change the colour with whitening. All this leads to a healthy mouth and to smile more. I never bill my patients for smiling more this part cannot be bought.

There is great value in a smile

1) We are more attractive when we smile. Quite literally, we become more magnetic to other people.

2) If you are having a tough day, turn that frown upside down. Smiling can help release endorphins and seratonin into your body improving your mood.

3) If you smile, others around you are more likely to smile.

4) Smiling can lower your blood pressure and increase your immune system. When you smile, you often become more relaxed with the benefits this brings.

I am sure you can think of many other reasons why smiles are so beneficial. Having a healthy smile is the outcome of looking after your teeth and gums.

Please click on this link to see some of the ways we helped our patients smile more.

To make treatments more affordable Cedar Dental offers Membership which breaks down the costs of check ups and hygiene appointments. By commiting to Cedar Dental, Members get their own price list for other treatments such as crowns at a reduced rate.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Keep Your Teeth Healthy in 2012

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:56:04 +0000

Keeping Your Teeth Healthy in 2012.

Check out this interesting article dried Licorice being useful for reducing tooth decay.

If being a healthy weight was not good reason enough in itself, this article shows a possible link between the health of your gums and how it improves with weight loss.

More to come soon.

Best wishes

Tom

Dental Health or Sky Plus Surrey?

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:32:00 +0000

Entertainment is fine,but your health is more important.

Cedar Dental is a private dental practice, this means we are often measured by how good we are as value for money or more simply put, by how affordable we are. The idea of regular private dental treatments to keep a mouth healthy is not a priority to some. This can be because it is not felt necessary or that they have access to an NHS service which meets their needs. I would like to speak to the former, dental health is not your priority.

Look after your Teeth and Gums or an X Box?

Many dental problems can be prevented. Even having a sportsguard can prevent many injuries but why do so many people only book a dentist when they are in pain? Could it be that they take their teeth for granted on only realise that something is needed to be done when they lie on the sofa in tears of agony? That could be it. Do they look at their monthly budget and decide to upgrade to the latest game console or new car?

I appreciate that competing with huge sales and advertising budgets is a tough ask. We are a small business and do not have the funds to run a similar campaign that Sky has for example with their Sky Plus boxes. But the benefits of spending the equivalent to £14 per month on looking after your teeth is of more value to Call of Duty, in my opinion.

Dentistry is not fun.

I admit it. If you have a choice there could be a few things you could be doing that are more fun than a dental appointment.

But it is crucial to you and your health

The reality is that if you do not look after your teeth you run the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, tooth loss, bad breath, mouth cancer, Heart disease, become increasingly self conscious about your appearance. In other words, forget what you may think about the superficial nature of cosmetic dentistry, think about the long term implications to you and your family's health.

At Cedar Dental in Surrey, we offer membership to people who wish to look after their mouth and to derive the health benefits from good dental health care.It may not be fun, but a clean and healthy mouth feels better and is better for you.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Brightening Teeth Surrey

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:00:16 +0000

I Want My Teeth Brighter, Not Whiter.

The teeth whitening industry exploded onto the high street 15 years ago. In that time it has become a common wish for people looking to improve their appearance. There have been some pretty extreme cases of teeth whitening, notably Friends Character Ross with an extreme case of white teeth. Having teeth as white as possible is not for everyone, many people want their teeth clean and bright looking healthy and attractive.

Teeth will stain due to red wine, smoking etc but a regular hygiene appointment can remove stains and brighten teeth using systems such as the Airflow system. The Airflow system gently sprays your teeth with a substance not to disimmilar to bicarbonate of soda to remove stains leaving your teeth natural and bright. They can also be used to remove plaque from below your gum margins as well keeping your teeth below your gums healthy as well.

At Cedar Dental in Surrey we offer dental hygiene treatments that look after the health of your mouth and brighten it as well.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Fresh Breath Under The Mistletoe Surrey

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:45:01 +0000

What Causes Bad Breath?

Its not good for your confidence to have people lean back or turn green when you talk to them. You can be the greatest of charmers but if your breath stinks it will make this difficult.

So what causes and how do you reduce your bad breath?

1) Clean Your Teeth.

An obvious one, but cleaning your teeth after meals, about twice a day, helpes reduce the amount of food trapped and rotting in your mouth. The use of dental floss to remove trapped food is of benefit to your teeth and gums.

2) Drink Water.

Yes, we are told alot to drink more water and staying hydrated as well as being able to flush out any food debris that may be putrifying in your mouth is a help.

3) Clean Your Tongue.

Most bad breath is caused by the back of your tongue. Its quite a dry place by mouth standards and a unique type of bacteria live and die there causing the unpleasant smell. There are tongue cleaners available. It can tickle but if you want to get up close and personal with the Mistletoe then invest in one of these appliances.

4) Quit Smoking and Chewing Tobacco.

Chewing tobacco is not really much of an issue in the UK but if you want to carry on stinking, then carry on smoking. I am not going to get righteous about this habit, its just you stink when you smoke.

5) Have Regular Dental Check Ups and Hygiene Appointments.

Prevention is better than cure. By having your mouth checked out any warning signs can be picked up on sooner rather than later. By having regular hygiene treatments, any trapped food, bacteria between your teeth and below your gums can be removed and a professional polishing also ensures that your teeth are less sticky.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Why are our teeth the way they are Surrey?

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 08:57:40 +0000

Why Are Our Teeth Like They Are?

As humans we have evolved over millions of years to become the fine upstanding species we are now. Ok sarcasm aside we have done a pretty good job of becoming top of the food chain and can still look down on all below us. There are many reasons why this has happened and the core reason for me is our adaptability to our environment.

FOOD

We have adapted our eating habits and our teeth reflect this. We dentists refer to humans teeth as an omnivorous dentition. In other words we can eat both vegetable and animal. Moral and health issues aside we are designed to tear and chew both hard and soft matter. Our back teeth, premolars and molars are designed to grind food to prepare it for digestion. Some animals such as Sharks only have teeth for tearing. A Sharks tooth is similar to a cross between our front teeth. They are very sharp all the way back and there are no molar or back teeth to chew the seal/swimmer. Its the bite and gulp option. Like wise an animal that needs to chew their food alot such as a cow require very different teeth.

A cows teeth are pretty much back teeth all the way around as they have to crush the green stuff to prepare it for digestion. Humans are somewhere between the two. Our front teeth, incisors and canines, tear at the steak or onion bhaji. Whilst our back teeth grind it into submission making it more readily digestible.

But there is so much more to this.

Teeth and Communication

We have seen when an animal bares its teeth that it is warning us that it is threatened and will defend itself if it needs to. It also keeps them covered when it is not and some animals smile like we do. Humans use a vast and complex way of getting these sort of messages across. The smile is the most attractive of these, it shows physically what is going on inside. People tend to like smiles, it brightens their day and who knows what else.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Amalgam,Mercury and Your Teeth

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:18:28 +0000

If Your Fillings Look Grey and Lifeless,replace them with Cerec.

Amalgam fillings in your mouth can leave your teeth looking grey and lifeless.Your natural teeth are translucent and any dark coloured material tooth filling with change the colour of the whole tooth, being noticeable when you laugh or yawn. If you want your fillings to be tooth coloured and more natural consider replacing them with Cerec Inlays. These are simple and quick, usually in one appointment.

Amalgam,Mercury and You

At Cedar Dental in Sutton we are aware that amalgam is a biohazard when removed from your mouth and as such is an environmental concern. The World Health Organisation state that over half the mercury emissions in the world are from removed amalgam fillings. This may be over half of a tiny amount but it still registers. There is little conclusive evidence to support a ban on amalgam for being harmful to people but we consider a biohazard outside the mouth as something we would not really want to put in the mouth. Mercury poisoning is a common fear so when we remove amalgam fillings we take extra precautions to isolate the filled tooth with a rubber dam and use increased suction and irrigation to ensure no amalgam escapes on removal.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Soft drinks Can Mean Soft Teeth Surrey

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:55:47 +0000

Soft Drinks Can Mean Soft Teeth Surrey

I often get asked what is the best food and drink to take to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Looking after you teeth and gums requires an understanding not only about how to brush,,floss and attend check ups but also what you eat and drink.

Acid softens the enamel of your teeth. Despite the nutritional benefits of citric fruits, the citric acid they leave in your mouth leaves your teeth open to premature wear if you brush your teeth after eating an orange for example. You can wear down the enamel which exposes the dentine of your tooth leaving your open to tooth decay. A way to minimise this is to swill your mouth out with water to neutralise the acid ph after you have eaten a citric fruit before cleaning your teeth.

A real threat to healthy teeth are carbonated drinks. They have high levels of acid in them, regardless of them being sugar free or not can damage the enamel on your teeth. There are many tooth pastes offering differing types of cleaning, whitening and protective qualities but it is also important to consider acid erosion from digestion.

Acid Reflux

There is alot of acid in your digetive system. On occasion the acid and paritially digested food moves the opposite way up our alimentary canal often when we sleep. People who have this more commonly will complain of a bitter taste in their mouth when they wake up. The digestive acids can soften the enamel as well. A final consideration is that acid erosion of the teeth may be as a result of self inflicted vomiting often associated with anorexia and bulimia.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Cerec Inlays in Surrey to Replace Old Fillings

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:02:05 +0000

Cerec Inlays To Replace Old Fillings

If you are unhappy with your old silver fillings consider a quick and simple replacement, Cerec Inlays. Cerec Inlays can be manufactured in one appointment using the latest CADCAM technology. The dentist removes your old filling and prepares the tooth by removing any sharp edges or chips in the tooth. Then the tooth is scanned by a laser and an image of your tooth appears on a computer screen. The dentist then designs your new inlay that fits exactly onto your tooth.

As there is no need for an impression to be taken there is no need for anything to be sent to a dental laboratory. Your inlay is milled in the practice out of tooth coloured porcelain and then fitted at the same appointment. No delays, no second appointments, simple.

Its bound to cost me more

It costs less than a crown and for September 2011, you can have this latest state of the art restoration for only £495 each.

Best wishes

Tom

Replace Old Silver Fillings With Cerec Surrey

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:59:12 +0000

Replace Your Silver Fillings with Cerec

I cannot tell you what a joy it has been since we had the Cerec system in the practice. It is so easy to replace old and damaged fillings quickly and in one appointment with new state of the art Cerec inlays. The technology frees up time and as your teeth are being scanned by a laser, there is no need for impressions.

If you would like to see how easy it is to replace your old and damaged fillings, please drop us a line at Cedar Dental in Sutton, Surrey for a free consultation.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

www.grandsmiledesigns.co.uk

Dental Check Ups are more than just your teeth Surrey

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:50:47 +0000

Looking For Diabetes

When you go for your next dental check up, your dentist may find something more than potential cavities. A study by the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine in the USA states that there are two common dental conditions that can help dentists identify undiagnosed diabetes in a patient's mouth.

People with diabetes are generally susceptible to to mouth and teeth problems associated with uncontrolled sugar levels. Higher sugar levels interfere with the body's ability to enable the white blood cells to fight off bacterial infections that may appear in the mouth. Without these blood cells doing their job your mouth and overall health can suffer.

People who do not know that they have diabetes can experience a lack of saliva and associated dry mouth conditions. A dry mouth can lead to tooth decay,mouth soreness and ulcers. If the mouth is not checked regularly this decay can lead to tooth loss as well as gum disease. It is worth noting that people with diabetes can take longer to heal from dental surgery.

Diabetes is becoming a real problem in the UK. Early detection is one of the ways to decrease its effects from taking course. The study at Columbia University was able to identify ways to diagnose this disease when in its earlier and more manageable state.

Through various tests, they were able to to determine which people out of their studies had an unidentified diabetes problem. Most of the people that had unidentified diabetes had various teeth missing from their mouths and deep gum pockets that were open to areas where the teeth were missing.

These pockets easily allowed growth for bacteria to spread in.This would increase that patient's probability of having dental problems later on. A simple blood test was performed after these conditions were discovered to identify that the cause was unidentified diabetes.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Cedar Dental Centre

Sutton

Surrey

London, How white do you want your teeth to be?

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:33:55 +0000

Teeth, shades of white,yellow,brown,orange and sometimes blue. Teeth whitening has been big business for the last few years. Many people have seen their stains from smoking,eating and drinking removed and their teeth becoming lighter, whiter and brighter. In an old episode of ‘Friends’ Ross gets his teeth ‘whitened’ with comical effect. Check out this clip .

As you can see having whiter teeth does not necessarily make them more beautiful!

When I am restoring someone’s smile I am not always restoring every tooth. Sometimes it is just not the best treatment plan for financial or clinical reasons. Working at restoring part of a natural smile is far more complicated and with more pitfalls than restoring every tooth, I have to match the tooth to be restored with the natural teeth around it. I find that ‘the whiter the better’ request is not actually that common,there are reasons for this. The balance between the appearance of your smile in the context of your whole face and your teeths natural shading. This shade choice is a critical part, by matching your natural teeth I can blend in your restored tooth,thus keeping your smile as natural as possible.

When matching the shade of your teeth I have to consider their appearance in 3D. Light is refracting through your teeth so chosing the right shade means chosing what is appropriate to mimic your dentine, enamel and incisal edges in porcelain. Using colour tabs of porcelain I can paint a picture that I can send to the dental laboratory for the construction of your unique, bespoke restoration. Taking pretreatment digital photographs also creates a record of your tooth and smile shape.

The philosophy of tooth shape at Grand Smile Designs is ‘form follows function’. I want you to have the best smile, but what use is your smile unless you cannot chew, talk, sing, kiss etc with confidence? My experience is that by ensuring that your smile ‘feels’ natural, functional and comfortable the rest falls into place. More on this next time.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Clinical Director Grand Smile Designs

Teeth cracking in London. How hard do I bite?

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:32:40 +0000

I have written a few times now about the risks associated with grinding your teeth and its effects on your jaw and potential damage that can happen in your mouth. A healthy chewing force should be evenly distributed along your back teeth, the front teeth being protected from the chewing forces are for biting and tearing, they are of a different design to your back teeth for this reason.

But how do we measure your biting forces and how balanced it is across your mouth? I am lucky to have the T Scan III in my practice. This tool helps me to identify how your mouth is biting in real time projecting the information onto a computer screen.

The T Scan occlusal exam is simple. You simply bite down on a thin sensor, which is comfortably shaped to fit the arch of your mouth. Vivid graphics display tooth contact data immediately and accurately, highlighting each tooth and force level exerted in that tooth during chewing. This allows you and I to immediately visualise any problem areas before you leave the chair.

As you can see this image shows the ‘high spots’ where teeth are coming into contact one at a time rather than in one balanced bite. The likelihood of teeth cracking, chipping and excessive wear is increased when your bit is imbalanced as well as jaw pain and dysfunction.

Grand Smile Designs offers effective treatments that can adjust and rebalance your bite using the latest techniques. Treatments usually take about 6 months leaving you chewing with comfort, your bite rebalanced.

Best wishes

Tom

Dr Tom Keppel

Grand Smile Designs

London

Treating Dental Pain, Surrey

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:57:09 +0000

For anyone who has experienced dental pain, I know I have been there. As a dentist there is often the perception that my teeth in some way must be immune to any dental infection or injury. Sadly my dental qualifications do not prevent me from dental pain so I am aware of the experience.

Is Pain the time to go to the dentist?

Do you go and see a dentist only when something goes wrong? Accidents cannot be prevented but have you ever thought that the root infection, gum disease or hole in your tooth could have been prevented?

There are many areas of our lives that we adopt the prevention is better than cure approach. Consider servicing your car. Would you drive your car until it brokedown or would you get it serviced to keep it running? Its easy to put off a dental appointment if you are pain free. But many infections cannot be seen by the human eye and only x rays and a dentist can spot trouble before it happens.

Regular dental check ups will cost you less in the long term.

Yes they will. Accidents do happen and you can inherit a few teeth that are not quite in the right position but in all keeping your mouth healthy is a good investment.

But if you are in pain, we can help.

Just call us on 0208 6420355 and we will do our best to see you as quickly as possible. Check our Cedar Dental Membership for only £169 per year to look after you and your family’s teeth.

Best wishes

Tom
Dr Tom Keppel

Cedar Dental Centre and Grand Smile Designs

grandsmiledesigns.co.uk

Old fillings and broken teeth, change them now, Surrey

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:17:31 +0000

Replace Your Old Amalgam Fillings

If you are tired or embarrassed by the grey appearance of your amalgam fillings when you smile, perhaps you should consider replacing them.

How Long Will It Take?

Replacing old amalgam fillings can take one appointment using the CEREC system at Cedar Dental in Sutton, Surrey. You do not need to have a temporary filling, impressions taken and a two week delay whilst your Inlays are made in a laboratory. CEREC allows you to simply and quickly have a new and natural smile in one session.

Will I Need Impressions?

CERECs state of the art technology scans your tooth with a laser, no uncomfortable putty impressions are needed. Tom designs your new tooth as you sit in the chair and the information is send to the milling machine in the waiting room. Have a hot or cold drink and watch your teeth being made.

Does This Cost Any More?

No, the fees are exactly the same.

You are always welcome for a free consultation with us, so come in and find out more.

Best wishes
Tom

Cedar Dental and Grand Smile Designs.

Clear Braces Can Move Your Teeth Without Anyone Noticing.

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:12:36 +0000

If you want a simple solution to moving your teeth at any age, consider the clear brace treatments available today in the UK.

Whilst none of these treatments can call themselves truly ‘invisible’, many have found innovative ways to move your teeth without the front of your teeth being covered in train track braces.

They may be clear, but do they work?

The primary function of these treatments is to move your tooth safely. But encouraging people, adults in particular, to benefit from orthodontics ( moving your teeth) sometimes needs additional elements. Whether your appliance is removable, clear, hidden from view behind your teeth all help make these treatments more attractive.

With Invisalign, you benefit from a removable clear brace system. Its a bit like wearing a sports guard or rigid bleaching tray. Over the treatment you wear several of these appliances to move your teeth. They can be removed so you can eat and clean you teeth easily and wearing them is less obvious to friends and colleagues.

With the STB Social 6 system the brackets of your appliance are fitted behind your teeth,completely out of sight. You only need one appliance so costs are usually less than Invisalign treatments and you donot have to remember to change or wear your appliance as it is always in your mouth.

Either way these are useful ways of improving your smile, your chewing and your confidence.

Best wishes

Tom

Cedar Dental at Grand Smile Designs