stomatology
Implant dentistry is a branch of dentistry concerned with restoring missing or lost teeth and reinforcing them using natural or synthetic materials.
A dental implant is a surgical component that interfaces with the bone of the jaw or skull to support a dental prosthesis such as a crown, bridge, denture, facial prosthesis or to act as an orthodontic anchor. The basis for modern dental implants is a biologic process called osseointegration where materials, such as titanium, form an intimate bond to bone.
Even good quality prostheses cause problems, for example, sometimes it necessary to prepare healthy teeth for a partial fixed denture. After tooth extraction the bone instantly starts to shrink. This process is called bone atrophy and can cause changes of facial features. For this reason it is necessary to periodically re-make removable dentures. Shrinkage of bone tissue causes functional and cosmetic deterioration of tooth and oral structures.
Research and modern technologies allows us to avoid removable dentures. The alternative is dental implants, small screws inserted into the jaw to replace a missing tooth.
A dental implant is a permanent tooth replacement. It holds a crown or a fixed partial denture just like a root of a tooth would. Most dentists consider dental implants to be one of the greatest achievements in modern dentistry, Unlike fixed partial dentures, dental implants truly attach to the bone. Previously it was necessary to prepare two adjacent teeth to replace one missing tooth. Now one implant is simply inserted between the adjacent teeth without damaging them.
Do dental implants fit for you?
After a clinical examination your dentist will decide whether dental implants would cause any health risks and check for any factors which would impede hard and soft tissue healing, for example infection or connective tissue damage. Also, the gums have to be healthy and there must be enough bone tissue to insert dental implants.
When inserting implants and preparing prostheses it is crucial to take into account physical oral features, e.g. malocclusion.
Cosmetic dentistry is a method to restore damaged teeth using modern composite materials according to tooth and dental arch aesthetic parameters. Without preparing and damaging dental tissues, teeth are precisely restored to remain vital and look proportional, natural, shine and function properly.
Cosmetic dentistry requires exceptional skill and accuracy. Dental tissues have to be layered and restored exceptionally precisely.
Cosmetic treatment is recommended if the teeth were damaged by decay, are discolored, worn, chipped, if old restorations are unattractive, the teeth are not regular in the dental arch and the defects are not major, if the patient wants to alter tooth form, size and color or fill spaces between teeth.
Cosmetic restoration is painless and causes no discomfort, and the results often surpass expectations.
Cosmetic restorations:
• is a quick solution (only one or two visits required);reinforce the tooth;
• look attractive and natural;
• are especially suitable to children and young adults in case of chipped teeth;
• require no laboratory procedures;
• less tooth tissue is lost compared to prosthetics;
• a chipped part can be easily restored in one visit.
Porcelain veneers are very thing 0.3-0.5 mm thick porcelain plates covering the front teeth. These veneers can be made very thin so as not to prepare the tooth too much. This solution is very useful and recommended when:
• the front teeth are misaligned;
• the front teeth are discolored (non-vital teeth or teeth damaged by fluorosis or tetracycline);
• wide, unattractive spaces between teeth (diastemas);
• dark, bleaching-resistant tooth pigment;
• dental trauma, when parts of a tooth need to be restored;
• insufficient tooth height;
• many unattractive fillings.
The veneer procedure has three goals: to maximize the aesthetic effect of tooth form, color and alignment; to restore hard tissues of the tooth and to restore chewing functionality.
Veneer treatment usually takes 2-3 visits to the dentist. During the first visit the teeth are prepared for the procedure. It can take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours. Old restorations are removed, tooth impression is taken and the color and shape of the veneer is determined. On the second visit the veneers are tried in and bonded to the tooth.
Restorative dentistry is concerned with non-surgical treatment of damaged teeth and gums.
The main goal is to diagnose disease, protect the vital tooth pulp from damage and keep teeth healthy and attractive as long as possible.
Acids in the mouth cause damage to tooth hard tissues – dental decay or caries, one of the most common diseases in the world. When decay is only superficial, teeth may be sensitive to sweet foods. If decay progresses further, teeth become sensitive to hot and cold irritants. In deep carious lesions the tooth can not only be sensitive, food can get trapped inside the cavity
Pulp is a soft tissue filling the inside of the tooth located beneath hard tissues of the tooth (enamel and dentin). It consists of a web of nerves and blood vessels, soft connective tissue and various cells. If the pulp is damaged, the tooth becomes non-vital, because the blood vessels and nerves die, the tooth loses innervation – the connection to the central nervous system. Endodontic treatment is necessary when the pulp becomes infected. Microorganisms and their toxins enter pulp through small canals in the tooth from cavities, deep periodontal pockets, in case of trauma and other lesions (cracks, chips, erosions, non-carious cervical lesions, etc.).
If the canals are not treated, the bacteria in the infected pulp can spread out of the root and cause inflammation of the surrounding tissues – periodontitis. The jaw bone starts to erode slowly. During the chronic phase of periodontitis the patient can experience no pain, although in case of flare-ups there can be severe pain and swelling. If the process continues, the tooth may have to be extracted.
Periodontitis of some upper teeth might cause sinusitis, the inflammation of the sinus mucosa.
Endodontic treatment increases the life of a tooth.
Bleaching using laser and halogen light methods of tooth bleaching are the safest and most effective. The difference is that the bleaching gel is activated using light of different sources and wavelengths. Laser bleaching systems use a laser diode, the ZOOM system – a halogen light.
ZOOM tooth bleaching system is a modern research-based procedure. It is safe, effective and fast. It’s an ideal solution for those seeking fast and noticeable results. The procedure is simple. A ZOOM light is used to activate the ZOOM gel on the teeth. The active ingredient of the gel is hydrogen peroxide, which upon activation splits into water and an oxygen atom. During the oxidation reaction the organic pigments are removed and the teeth become brighter.
In-office tooth bleaching takes about an hour. During this procedure bleaching agent is applied on the teeth and activated using a light source. For maximum effect, 2-3 procedures are recommended. This bleaching method is very effective to restore results of a previous procedure.
Bleaching of single endodontically treated teeth At clinic single non-vital teeth are also bleached. They are bleached from the inside using a special bleaching agent. It must be noted that because non-vital teeth often change their color, they are bleached every 2 years.
Patients with exceptionally sensitive teeth are treated under local anesthesia. The teeth might be slightly more sensitive, but the sensitivity returns to normal after 1-2 days. It is important to remember that fillings, crowns and other dental restorations do not change color, so restorative treament should be planned after bleaching to match the shade of the bleached teeth. Tooth discoloration is also caused by smoking, coffee, tea, red wine, antibiotics and tooth and gum diseases. Therefore in some cases the procedure needs to be repeated several times.
Snoring is caused by constriction of the breathing muscles in the upper airways during sleep. This constriction increases the airflow in the airway, causing vibrations heard as snoring.
Almost everyone has experienced snoring at least shortly. One should only be concerned if in the morning you wake up tired, sleepy or too irritable. It is a sign that you might be snoring. Constant loud snoring is associated with sleep apnea, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cause drowsiness. It can negatively impact your performance. Furthermore, it also burdens other your family.
There are oral appliances designed to keep airways open. They can reduce snoring by three mechanisms. Some push the jaw forward, others lift the soft palate, others still keep the tongue from sliding back and blocking the airway.
Mouthguards for snoring open the airways by pushing the jaw forward. Clinical studies have shown that by pushing the jaw forward snoring is reduced by 90% and sleep apnea index two times.