Tooth filling
What Is a Tooth Filling?
A tooth filling is a dental procedure used to restore parts of a tooth that have been lost due to decay or injury. During this treatment, the damaged or decayed area of the tooth is removed, and a filling material is placed to prevent further deterioration and to restore the tooth’s function and appearance. Fillings can be made from materials such as composite resin, glass ionomer, porcelain, gold, or silver amalgam.
Understanding the Structure of a Tooth :
Each tooth is composed of three main layers :
Enamel – The hardest and outermost protective layer.
Dentin – A softer layer beneath the enamel.
Pulp – The innermost layer containing nerves and blood vessels.
When decay affects only the enamel and dentin, it can usually be treated with a filling. However, if the decay reaches the pulp and causes inflammation or infection, a root canal (also known as endodontic treatment) may be necessary.
When Do You Need a Tooth Filling?
You may require a filling in the following situations :
- Cavities or tooth decay
- Cracked or fractured teeth
- Chipped teeth
- Tiny holes in the tooth structure
- Tooth discoloration
- Gradual wear or erosion of the tooth
Types of Tooth Filling Materials :
Metal Fillings : Made from gold or silver, metal fillings are highly durable and can last for over 20 years. These are traditional types of fillings.
Amalgam Fillings : Silver-colored and strong, these fillings last around 10–15 years and are ideal for large cavities, especially in back teeth due to their strength.
Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC) Fillings : Tooth-colored and known for releasing fluoride, GIC helps prevent future decay and is often used in areas not exposed to heavy chewing.
Composite Fillings : These are also tooth-colored and bonded directly to the cavity. They are ideal for visible areas as they can be color-matched to your natural teeth.
Porcelain Fillings (Inlays/Onlays) : Aesthetic and stain-resistant, porcelain fillings are suitable for larger cavities and offer a highly durable and natural-looking restoration.
Tooth Filling Procedure : X-rays may be taken to assess the extent of decay.
- Local anesthesia is given if needed to numb the area.
- The decayed portion is removed.
- A dental probe checks that all decay has been cleared.
- The cavity is cleaned to remove bacteria and debris.
- The filling material is placed and shaped.
- For tooth-colored fillings, material is added in layers and cured using a special light.
- The filled tooth is polished and adjusted for a comfortable bite.
What Happens If You Delay a Filing?
Ignoring a cavity can allow the decay to progress deeper into the tooth, reaching the pulp and causing pain or infection. At that point, a simple filling won’t suffice, and a root canal treatment may become necessary.
Teeth Whitening
What Is Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening is a cosmetic dental procedure designed to lighten the natural color of your teeth and eliminate stains or discoloration. This is achieved using professional whitening gels, often containing hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, and sometimes enhanced with laser technology for faster results.
While whitening can significantly brighten yellowish or stained teeth, the results are not permanent and may require occasional maintenance. It’s essential to consult a dental professional before beginning any whitening treatment.
Who Can Benefit from Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening is ideal for individuals experiencing discoloration due to :
- Smoking
- Excessive consumption of coffee, tea, or red wine
- Foods and drinks containing strong dyes
- Mild to moderate dental fluorosis
- Age-related yellowing
- Certain medications that cause staining
- Cosmetic desire for a brighter smile
Note : Teeth whitening is not suitable for :
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women
- Children
- Individuals with highly sensitive teeth
Teeth Whitening Procedure :
The process begins by cleaning the teeth to remove any surface film caused by food or other substances.
The gums are protected before the bleaching agent is applied to the teeth.
Depending on the whitening method, laser light may be used to activate the gel.
The procedure typically lasts 30 to 90 minutes, based on the severity of staining.
For more intense stains, the dentist may recommend at-home follow-up treatments using custom trays.
Types of Teeth Whitening Treatments :
In-Office Whitening : Performed by a dental professional, this method delivers fast and noticeable results under controlled conditions.
At-Home Whitening :
Provided by your dentist, this method involves custom-fitted trays and whitening gel for home use. Results develop gradually over several days.
Post-Whitening Care Tips :
Avoid deeply pigmented drinks like coffee, tea, and red wine.
Refrain from eating stain-causing foods such as berries, beets, and sauces.
Quit smoking or chewing tobacco to maintain results and protect your health.
Use non-colored oral hygiene products immediately after treatment to avoid staining
Tooth Decay / Dental Cavities
What Are Dental Cavities (Tooth Decay)?
Dental cavities, also known as tooth decay, are areas of damage on the hard outer surface (enamel) of the teeth caused by acids produced by bacteria. These acids erode the enamel, creating small holes or openings that can worsen over time if left untreated. Maintaining good oral hygiene and regular dental care is essential for preventing and managing cavities.
Causes of Dental Cavities :
Plaque Accumulation :
Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth. Without regular brushing and flossing, plaque builds up and begins to break down enamel, leading to cavities.
High Sugar and Carb Intake : Sugary and starchy foods feed harmful bacteria, which in turn produce acids that damage enamel.
Poor Oral Hygiene : Infrequent or improper brushing and flossing allow plaque and food particles to remain on teeth, accelerating decay.
Acidic Foods and Beverages : Consuming items like citrus fruits and sodas regularly can weaken enamel, making teeth more vulnerable to cavities.
Signs and Symptoms of Cavities:
Early detection is key. Watch for the following signs :
- Toothache or discomfort, especially when eating hot, cold, or sweet foods
- Visible holes, pits, or dark spots on the tooth
- Increased sensitivity to temperature changes
- Tooth discoloration or staining
How to Prevent Dental Cavities :
Routine Dental Visits : Regular checkups and professional cleanings help detect cavities early and keep your teeth healthy.
Good Oral Hygiene : Brush twice daily, floss once a day, and use fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque and protect enamel.
Healthy Diet : Reduce sugary and acidic foods and drinks. Include calcium-rich foods to strengthen teeth.
Fluoride Treatments : Professional fluoride applications help reinforce enamel and reduce the risk of decay.
Treatment Options for Cavities :
Dental Fillings : Cavities are cleaned and filled with materials like composite resin that match the tooth color and restore function.
Dental Crowns : For more severe decay, crowns are placed over the tooth to protect and strengthen it.
Root Canal Treatment : If decay reaches the inner pulp, a root canal is needed to remove the infected tissue and save the tooth.
Preventive Guidance : Dentists also provide advice and preventive strategies to reduce the risk of future cavities
Bad Breath and Halitosis
Halitosis refers to chronic, persistent bad breath that often results from underlying dental or medical issues such as tooth decay, tongue coating, dry mouth, or infections in the mouth, nose, or throat.
Bad breath, on the other hand, is usually temporary and commonly caused by factors like poor oral hygiene, leftover food particles, or morning breath.
Causes and Treatment Options :
Plaque Buildup : If plaque accumulation is the source of bad breath, professional dental cleaning can help. In cases of periodontal disease, a deep cleaning may be required.
Medical Conditions : Addressing underlying health issues like sinus infections or kidney problems can also improve breath odor.
Dry Mouth : When dry mouth is the culprit, your dentist may recommend saliva-stimulating products and increased water intake to keep your mouth hydrated.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, are the final set of permanent teeth to emerge, typically between the ages of 17 and 25. Due to limited space in the jaw, these teeth often become problematic. When a wisdom tooth is impacted—unable to fully erupt—it can lead to pain, infection, or other dental issues, making extraction necessary.
In some cases, dentists may recommend removing wisdom teeth even if they’re not currently causing discomfort, to avoid future complications. The extraction is usually performed under local anesthesia, and if stitches are needed, they are typically removed within a week.
Kids Dentistry
Children’s milk teeth are more vulnerable to cavities, and infections in these teeth can easily affect the underlying permanent teeth. Pediatric dentistry focuses on the care and treatment of milk teeth as well as managing children’s oral habits from infancy through adolescence.
Without proper dental care, children are at risk of tooth decay and oral diseases, which can cause long-term pain and complications. In fact, around 80% of children experience dental caries during childhood.
Tooth Braces
Spacing and crowding are the primary reasons that affect the aesthetics of your smile and your overall confidence. Braces, also known as tooth braces, are effective in aligning and straightening teeth into a proper symmetrical position, helping you achieve a confident and attractive smile.
Braces Cost / Teeth Braces Price
The cost of braces depends entirely on the type of braces chosen—such as metal braces, ceramic braces, self-ligating braces, clear braces, invisible braces, transparent braces, and invisible dental braces. The overall treatment cost also varies based on the duration of the treatment and the fees charged by the orthodontist who plans and supervises the procedure.
What Are Braces?
Braces are orthodontic devices used to correct dental problems like misaligned, crowded, or crooked teeth. They not only help improve your bite but also enhance your smile. Although commonly used during teenage years, braces are suitable for adults as well. Over time, braces gently move your teeth into their ideal positions for a healthy, well-aligned bite.
Treatment Process
To begin the process, your dentist or orthodontist will :
- Ask about your medical and dental history
- Perform a clinical examination
- Take a digital scan or impression of your teeth
- Capture photographs of your face and teeth
- Take X-rays of your mouth and jaw
Based on the evaluation, a personalized treatment plan will be created. You can then choose from options like metal, ceramic, or lingual braces, depending on your needs and preferences
Tooth Aligners
Invisible Tooth Aligners
Invisible tooth aligners, also known as clear aligners or transparent aligners, are advanced, digitally designed appliances that gently and efficiently guide teeth into proper alignment. These modern alternatives to traditional braces can often complete treatment in a shorter time frame. The cost of Invisalign or other clear aligners depends primarily on the brand chosen and the number of trays required to achieve the desired smile.
What Are Invisible Aligners?
Clear aligners are custom-made orthodontic devices that straighten your teeth without the use of metal wires or brackets. The process begins with a digital scan of your teeth, which is used to create a personalized set of aligner trays that gradually move your teeth into the correct position.
Benefits of Invisible Aligners
Nearly Invisible: They are discreet and barely noticeable when worn.
Removable: You can easily take them out while eating, drinking, brushing, or flossing.
Comfortable: No wires or brackets mean fewer mouth sores and less discomfort.
Hygienic: Since they’re removable, maintaining good oral hygiene is much easier.
You’ll receive a new set of aligners every couple of weeks, each one gently adjusting your teeth closer to the final result—a straighter, more confident smile
Dental Crown
A dental crown is a cap-like restoration placed over a tooth to restore its function and appearance. Crowns serve multiple purposes, including enhancing chewing and grinding ability, protecting the underlying tooth, adding strength, and improving aesthetics and your overall smile.
Types of Tooth Crowns
Commonly used dental crowns include :
- Metal-Ceramic Crowns
- Zirconia Crowns
- E-max Crowns
- BruxZir Crowns
While each type has its own pros and cons, metal-free options such as zirconia, E-max, and BruxZir crowns are increasingly popular due to their natural appearance and biocompatibility.
The cost of dental crowns, tooth crowns, dental caps, and crowns is determined by a number of factors, including the material’s strength, quality, and degree of resemblance to natural teeth.
Smile Designing
What is Smile Designing?
Smile design is a comprehensive approach that combines multiple cosmetic dental treatments—such as teeth whitening, veneers, composite bonding, dental implants, and orthodontics—to enhance the overall appearance of your teeth and smile.
This treatment is ideal for individuals with chipped, broken, severely stained teeth, or those dissatisfied with the shape or length of their teeth.
Each smile makeover is tailored to the patient, taking into consideration facial features, skin tone, gum line, and lip shape to create a balanced, natural, and aesthetically pleasing smile.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are biocompatible devices used to replace missing teeth by anchoring directly into the jawbone. They act as artificial tooth roots and provide a strong foundation for fixed or removable replacement teeth. Among these, basal implants are specially designed to gain support from the base of the jawbone, making them an ideal solution even in cases with minimal or no bone support.
Dental Implant Cost
The cost of tooth replacement using dental implants depends on several factors, including :
Type of implant used (two-piece implants, single-piece implants, basal implants, zygomatic implants)
Number of implants placed (All-on-4 implants, All-on-6 implants, full-mouth or whole-mouth dental implants)
What Is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is a small titanium post surgically inserted into the jawbone to function as the root of a missing tooth. Once it integrates with the bone, a crown is placed on top to restore both function and aesthetics. This long-lasting solution mimics the natural tooth structure and helps improve chewing, speech, and appearance.
Tooth Replacement with Dental Implants
Each natural tooth consists of a crown and a root. When a tooth is lost, the most effective replacement is a dental implant that serves as the root, topped with a crown to perform just like a real tooth. Thanks to advancements in modern dentistry, it is now possible to replace a missing tooth with an implant in as little as 24 hours.
Full Mouth Dental Implants
Full mouth dental implants are recommended for individuals who have lost all their teeth due to gum disease, trauma, or other dental issues. This procedure involves placing multiple implants into the jawbone to support crowns, bridges, or a hybrid denture. These implants serve as a stable foundation for restoring the entire set of teeth.
The cost of full mouth implants depends primarily on the type and brand of implants used, as well as the materials chosen for the crowns or prosthesis.
Hybrid Denture
What Is a Hybrid Denture?
A hybrid denture is a type of implant-supported denture that is securely anchored to dental implants placed in the jawbone. It is a highly effective solution for patients who are completely edentulous (missing all teeth), offering improved stability, function, appearance, and bone preservation.
Unlike traditional removable dentures, hybrid dentures rest on the gums but are firmly fixed to the implants using screws. They cannot be removed without assistance from a dental professional, offering a more secure and natural-feeling alternative to conventional dentures.
Dentures
What Are Dentures?
Dentures are prosthetic devices designed to replace missing teeth and the surrounding oral tissues. They come in two main types :
Complete Dentures – recommended when all teeth are missing
Partial Dentures – used when some natural teeth remain
Each set of dentures is custom-made to fit the patient’s mouth, helping to restore both functionality and appearance. They are crafted to closely match the look of natural teeth, ensuring minimal change in facial aesthetics. When all teeth are lost, facial muscles may sag, leading to a prematurely aged appearance—dentures help support facial structure and improve the overall facial profile
Frenectomy
What Is a Frenectomy?
A frenectomy is a minor surgical procedure performed to correct a lip-tie or tongue-tie. It helps improve tongue mobility and can also be used to close a gap between the front teeth. When the frenum (a small fold of tissue) is too short or tight, it can lead to various oral health issues, including speech difficulties and restricted movement. In infants, it may interfere with feeding and swallowing.
Depending on the location, frenectomies are categorized as :
Lingual Frenectomy – involves the tissue under the tongue (lingual frenum)
Labial Frenectomy – involves the tissue connecting the upper lip to the gum above the front teeth (labial frenum)
The lingual frenum varies in length between individuals. If it’s too short, it can limit tongue movement, a condition commonly referred to as tongue-tie. Similarly, a short labial frenum may affect speech development and cause spacing between the upper front teeth
Cosmetic dentistry
What Is Cosmetic Dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry is a specialized field focused on enhancing the appearance of your teeth by improving their color, shape, alignment, and overall look.
A skilled cosmetic dentist offers a wide range of treatments—beyond basic care—including procedures like veneers, teeth whitening, and smile makeovers. These treatments not only enhance your smile but can also boost your confidence and self-esteem.
With advancements in cosmetic dental techniques, dentists can now effectively address both functional and aesthetic concerns, offering personalized solutions tailored to each patient’s goals for a more attractive, radiant smile.
Dental Lasers
Dental lasers are extensively used across various dental procedures to deliver more precise and effective results compared to traditional manual methods. They are commonly used in treatments such as laser root canal therapy (laser RCT), laser gum procedures, laser teeth whitening, and several other minor surgical and cosmetic interventions.
Laser whitening is a professional method used to lighten the yellowish hue of natural teeth, enhancing the brightness of your smile with quick and effective results.
Dental lasers emit a specific frequency of light that possesses antimicrobial properties and promotes faster wound healing. Due to these unique qualities, lasers are effectively used in treating a variety of dental conditions involving both hard and soft tissues in the mouth.
They are commonly used for procedures such as removing excess tissue, reshaping the gums, whitening teeth, and enhancing root canal treatments. Their ability to reach even the most confined areas allows for superior disinfection and precise microbial control, making dental lasers a highly efficient and minimally invasive tool in modern dentistry
Jaw Surgery
What Is Jaw Surgery?
Jaw surgery, or orthognathic surgery, is a procedure aimed at correcting irregularities in the jawbone and aligning the jaws and teeth to enhance both function and appearance. These corrections not only improve facial aesthetics but also contribute to better oral health and overall quality of life.
The procedure is categorized based on the area of correction :
Upper Jaw Surgery (Maxillary Surgery) : Involves adjusting the upper jaw by lengthening, shortening, or rotating the bone for proper alignment.
Lower Jaw Surgery (Mandibular Surgery) : Involves modifying the lower jaw by either lengthening or shortening it.
Once the jaw is positioned correctly, it is stabilized using biocompatible titanium plates, ensuring safe and long-lasting results
Genioplasty
What is Genioplasty?
A type of cosmetic surgery used to change the appearance of the chin is called genioplasty, or “chin surgery.” According to facial aesthetics, it allows us to freely align the chin position forward or backward.
A plastic surgeon performs it while under general anesthesia. Genioplasty might be a suitable course of treatment for you if you are unhappy with the position, form, or contour of your chin.
Periodontal Diseases & Flap
When gum disease progresses deeper, it can affect the connection between the gums and teeth, leading to a condition known as periodontal disease. If left untreated, it can rapidly spread from one tooth to several, causing loss of attachment and eventually leading to tooth loss.
Treatment options for periodontal disease vary based on severity and may include laser curettage, flap surgery, and in some cases, bone grafting. The success of these treatments greatly depends on proper oral hygiene, regular maintenance, and routine dental scaling.
