Teeth, gums and jaws are the gateway to our bodies and require the greatest care and maintenance for us to sustain a healthy lifestyle. A modern dentist in Welwyn in the twenty-first century focuses on ensuring that a patient’s oral cavity receives the best treatment available. Infections that occur in the mouth as a result of poor hygiene can affect a patient’s health, especially their stomach. A comprehensive wellness program will include preventive dentistry, ensuring that a patient’s good health is maintained.
Dental technology making dental visits more accessible
Modern technology has enhanced our lives and made it far easier to communicate verbally and visually. Patients have become more aware of their appearance, and because of this, their requirements have changed over the years when it comes to dental treatments. It is now possible for a dentist to conduct consultations using several different apps. Making use of the advanced camera technology in smartphones, a dentist can view a patient’s mouth and provide a preliminary diagnosis and advice on treatment. It is important to stress that a follow-up consultation is necessary for the surgery.
No need to endure misaligned teeth
Braces today are no longer the cumbersome uncomfortable apparatus they were twenty years ago, and there is a variety available to correct different conditions. There are traditional braces made of metal, which are less obtrusive than their predecessors, and there are also braces made from porcelain. Both types use blocks and wires or bands. They can be fitted to the front of the teeth or behind the teeth.
Aligners are a relatively new invention and work differently by using a series of trays, each with a slightly different orientation, which gradually moves a patient’s teeth into the desired location. The trays resemble gum shields that fit over the teeth and are made from a type of clear dental material so that they are unobtrusive. The aligners can be removed to allow the patient to eat, brush or floss but must be worn for at least 22 hours a day. The treatment period depends on the condition being treated but will take anywhere from 6 to 18 months. The technology available allows the dentist to share a virtual image with the patients of what their teeth will look like after treatment even before treatment has commenced.
Missing teeth permanently replaced
Teeth lost as a result of injury or disease can now be permanently replaced using a procedure based on the way our natural teeth are fixed in our mouths. Dental implants utilise technology that allows a titanium post to be inserted into the patient’s jawbone. Titanium is used because it easily fuses with the jawbone, creating a solid, permanent foundation like a root with a natural tooth. An abutment is fitted to the post to create a stable platform for the crown to be fitted. A single tooth or four in a row can be replaced with a single implant, or a full set of teeth can be replaced by being attached to four implants.
A smile is so rewarding
For a dentist, seeing a patient leave the surgery with a radiant confident smile brings the greatest reward. Knowing that it is possible to offer a patient the opportunity to correct a condition causing misalignment or replacing a tooth that would have been lost permanently in the past can be hugely gratifying.