Beautiful Smiles

6 Key components to consider if you want a beautiful smile…

1) A Healthy Mouth

Our first priority with all of the new patients at Smile Essential is oral health. No cosmetic work can be carried out if there are any health concerns. Teeth should be free of plaque and dental decay. It’s like building a house on bad foundations – it will look good at first but soon it will fall and require extensive work.

A healthy mouth is the first step towards a beautiful smile. Healthy is beautiful.

2) Straight Teeth

Straight teeth are not only more aesthetically pleasing but they are also much easier to keep clean. This in turns improves most people’s oral hygiene so their mouth is healthier and they are much more likely to keep their teeth for life.

There are now many options to straighten your teeth quickly and effectively using cosmetic braces.

3) Whiter Teeth

Teeth discolour as we get older having white teeth is associated with being younger and healthier so ultimately more attractive.

You can use tooth whitening toothpaste which may help keep stains at bay. However, if you want to lighten your teeth by several shades then professional tooth whitening such as our Enlighten Ultimate will be more effective.

3) Healthy Gums

Healthy gums should be pale pink and in the right proportions. Unhealthy gums can be red, inflamed and bleeding. It is also likely to cause bad breath and long-term problems. Sometimes there can be some gum recession of which can be treated if significant.

Occasionally people can have a problem with showing too much gum when they smile. this is commonly called a ‘gummy smile’. If this is affecting you then there is a treatment that works to temporarily fix this.

4) No Missing Teeth

Missing teeth tend to draw attention. There are many treatments now available to replace missing teeth including implants, bridges and dentures.

Missing teeth can also affect your other teeth by causing tooth movement – teeth drifting into the space of the missing tooth. Which causes further problems.

5) Fix Chipped or Broken Teeth

Chipped or broken teeth are perceived as weak and uncared for. They also cause the eye to hone in on the flaw, distracting from the symmetry of your smile (and face).

6) Owning Your Uniqueness

Sometimes flaws in your smile can actually make it beautiful if you believe so. An obvious role model here is Madonna – she has a gap between her teeth but has decided to embrace it and it is beautiful!

Beautiful smile creation is about blending art and science – Dr Niket Patel

If you’re interested in improving your smile then get in touch with us here…

Everything you need to know about our Leicester teeth whitening treatment…

At our Leicester dental practice, we offer a tooth whitening treatment that guarantees you’ll achieve the lightest shade on the natural shade guide. It’s called Enlighten Ultimate. Enlighten offers results that aren’t even comparable to other tooth whitening solutions, all of our patients have been delighted with the results and the ease of the treatment.

Does it work on very dark teeth?

Yes, even if you have the darkest teeth on the shade guide we can still guarantee you will achieve the lightest colour.

I’ve heard teeth whitening can cause sensitivity?

It’s common that with some tooth whitening systems, transient sensitivity can be a big issue. However, with the Enlighten system, we offer at our Leicester clinic patients rarely report sensitivity problems that haven’t been resolved with the specially designed sensitive tooth serum contained as part of your package.

Will the results last?

The results will last indefinitely as long as you look after your tooth whitening trays and carry out a top up one night every couple of months.

Do I have to be a Patient of Smile Essential?
No, we carry out free tooth whitening consultations to new and existing patients.

Is tooth whitening suitable for me?

There are a few reasons why tooth whitening might not be for you. This is one of the key reasons we offer free consultations – to check your suitability. If it isn’t suitable the dentist will discuss your options.

Is it difficult?

The process is very simple and generally takes 3 appointments.

The first appointment is for a free consultation to check that your suitable and what your tooth whitening goals are, if you’re happy we can take the impressions at this stage to make your uniquely designed tooth whitening trays.

The second appointment is when the uniquely designed tooth whitening trays are fitted and then you start to whiten your teeth from home each evening for the next 2 weeks.

The final appointment at Smile Essential we complete in-surgery laser tooth whitening whilst you can relax and watch a DVD and then we will reveal your new whiter brighter and beautiful Smile.

To arrange a free consultation get in touch here…

The cleanest teeth you’ll ever have…

dental cleaning

That dentist feeling of clean is now even better! Thanks to a new development in dental technology your regular dental hygiene appointment just got upgraded! Say hello to the innovative AirFlow Polisher. The AirFlow Polisher is an electrical machine that cleans and polishes the teeth with a mixture of water, pressured air and fine powder particles.

This method of stain removal at our Leicester dental practice is far superior to traditional polishing methods. A powerful jet of water, air and fine powder polishes all the surfaces of a tooth, removing plaque, discolouration and soft deposits, it reaches into the difficult to clean interproximal (in-between) areas which tend to attract more plaque and staining. The result of using the AirFlow polisher to remove excess staining helps teeth to looks shades whiter and ultimately make the whole mouth feel much healthier.

At Smile Essential dental practice we use a dual approach with this cleaning method. Firstly, removing the hardened calculus deposits with hand instruments and then ultrasonic scalers, then we polish teeth your teeth the traditional way using a brush and polish; finally, the grand finale – the AirFlow polisher. The AirFlow polisher and its microparticles help to lift any remaining plaque and staining.

The AirFlow polisher is not only efficient at removing stubborn staining but it’s also superb at removing the damaging biofilm that sits around the teeth and gums. Biofilm develops when dental plaque is colonised by bacteria and over time this can lead to gum disease. Breaking that biofilm is the finishing touch in our most advanced cleaning system.

The AirFlow polishing system is more comfortable than traditional methods of stain removal. If you suffer like so many of our patients with sensitivity especially whilst cleaning then you’ll love the air flow polisher. The polisher doesn’t have direct contact with the teeth, so it doesn’t make a squeaky noise nor does it vibrate. In fact, the experience is quite pleasant. The air polishing powders come in a variety of flavours, our favourites are lemon and spearmint.

Arrange an appointment today…

About Teeth Whitening…

Teeth whitening is a popular cosmetic treatment at our Leicester dental practice. Whitening provides a fantastic way to improve the cosmetics of your smile. We all love a bright healthy looking white smile.

It’s often a better option than alternatives to improve appearance and colour, such as veneers, because it doesn’t involve permanently altering the tooth’s structure and it’s easy to look after. Whitening offers a way to safely improve the look of your teeth as whitening won’t remove the surface of your teeth or change their shape.

Some people dream of a bright white Hollywood smile and others just want their teeth to look naturally brighter. We offer two teeth whitening treatments at our Leicester dental surgery – Enlighten Ultimate and Enlighten Home. Both our home tooth whitening treatments.

Our Enlighten Ultimate teeth whitening guarantees your teeth will reach the lightest natural colour on our tooth shade guide. With Enlighten Ultimate teeth whitening you’re guaranteed to lighten your teeth by up to 16 shades – no other system does that in the world! It combines home teeth whitening and in surgery laser whitening.

If you only wanted to lighten your shade by a few shades for a natural look or your teeth aren’t too dark then you could opt for our Enlighten Home teeth whitening. It still uses the fantastic whitening gels and trays but it doesn’t come with the laser teeth whitening at the end of treatment which guarantees the lightest shade.

Teeth whitening at our Leicester clinic generally requires around three appointments:

Appointment one: a free consultation to have a chat about your tooth whitening goals and that you are suitable. If you’re happy then we can take the impressions at this stage to make your uniquely designed tooth whitening trays.

Appointment two: is when the uniquely designed tooth whitening trays are fitted and then you start to whiten your teeth from home each evening for the next 2 weeks.

Appointment three: is a review of the tooth whitening and your results. We will also perform in-surgery laser tooth whitening. This appointment is very straightforward, wearing your custom made teeth whitening trays and a special high concentration gel you can relax and watch a DVD for an hour.

Ready to get Enlightened? Arrange your free consultation here…

3 quick switches to improve your dental routine…

Whether you’re a top flosser or are simply looking to maximise effectiveness when it comes to cleaning those gnashers, you’ll love our three quick switches to dramatically improve your cleaning routine.

Quick Switch One

Swap your manual toothbrush for an electric toothbrush. We love, use and recommend the Philips Sonicare.

When using a manual toothbrush it’s tempting to scrub the teeth in order to give them a really good clean or when you’re in a rush. This can lead to gum abrasion. People also tend to clean the same areas of the mouth with a manual toothbrush and as a result, tend to miss the same areas of the mouth over and over again.

Using an electric toothbrush is absolutely the most effective way of removing plaque and debris. The Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush was the first toothbrush on the market to harness the power of sonic technology and is still leading the way. It provides a deep clean for your teeth and even helps to make them whiter.

Quick Switch Two

If flossing is too fiddly or time-consuming for you then you might want to switch to interdental cleaning brushes such as Tepes.

These little brushes are extremely effective at removing soft plaque deposits and food debris from between the teeth. Most of our patients that try them love how quick and easy to use they are.

It’s important to use the right size. Tepe brushes should fit snuggly between the teeth but not so much that they get stuck or are difficult to pull out. Either your dentist or hygienist will happily advise on the right size for you and give you one to try at home for a few days.

Quick Switch Three

Don’t use a mouthwash after you have cleaned your teeth. Whilst it can seem like the perfect end to cleaning routine and a splish splosh around the mouth may be invigorating we advise you against it. Why? One of the main benefits of toothpaste is fluoride. Fluoride helps to strengthen the teeth and limit your risk of tooth decay. When you finish brushing your teeth the advice is to spit and not rinse the toothpaste out. This way the toothpaste can stay on the teeth and do its job.

And yes even if there’s fluoride in your mouthwash it will be a weaker strength than your toothpaste.

The best time to use a mouthwash is in between brushes probably sometime in the middle of the day.

Need a checkup? Check out our 10-point dental health check…

New year, new confident smile…

As we head into a new year lots of us turn our attention to self-improvement, it’s a chance to start afresh. Many of us will use this opportunity to make age-old resolutions to drink less, get fit or a newer resolution to simply stop spending so much time on social media. Some people want to resolve their dental concerns so they can smile more confidently.

Your smile plays a huge role in how you see yourself and the impression you make on those around you. It’s long been known and many surveys show that your smile is what both men and women find most attractive above any other physical feature. It can gain people’s affections, reassure somebody and it can create confidence. Sadly it can also hold you back if you’re not confident with your smile due to dental problems. A great smile gives you more confidence and can open many doors.

The first step to improving your smile is a consultation with a suitably qualified dental practitioner. This begins with discussing what your concerns and expectations. More and more people are
opting for a more natural look rather than then the completely perfect Hollywood smile.

Then the dentist will look closely at your teeth, checking to see how straight they are, if there is any tooth decay, looking for cracks, chips and gaps, checking the size and seeing if they need to be brighter and whiter.

They will also want to take X-rays. This allows the dentist to see the areas that aren’t visible to the naked eye. They will look to check existing dental work, in-between teeth and the dental bone levels. When embarking on dental work it’s imperative that you have healthy foundations.

We examine the way your teeth meet together and if they support your lips correctly – this is vital and can make a huge difference to the way you look. We also look at your smile as a whole, as part of your face. We check that it is correctly aligned and in proportion to the rest of your face.

Lastly, the dentist will discuss his findings, your options and invite you to ask any questions you may have. You will be given a personalised treatment plan which lays out your journey step by step and the investment into getting that confident smile.

To find out more about our smile makeovers and arranging an appointment click here…

Considering straightening your teeth…

Most adults dislike the idea of fixed metal braces and don’t consider them an option due to their appearance, the longer treatment time and the cost involved. to get their teeth straight.

However, with modern advances in orthodontics, there are now many options to straighten your teeth. Cosmetic brace systems such as Clear Smile Brace or Six Month Smiles are a rapid and cosmetic orthodontic system that focuses mainly on correcting the front 10 teeth.

This type of brace treatment is called Anterior (Anterior means nearer the front) Alignment Orthodontics. It concentrates on moving the teeth visible in your smile to a more desirable position. Which means that you get to straighten the teeth that matter to you most, in a fraction of the time it takes traditional orthodontics and because it doesn’t take as long it doesn’t cost as much as much as traditional braces. Treatment generally takes between 4- 9 months with an average treatment time of around 6 months.

There are also many long-term health benefits to straighter teeth. Teeth being in better alignment are much easier to take care of. If your teeth cross over it is more likely that you will have difficult to reach places which accumulate plaque and in turn, means you are more susceptible to decay or gum disease.

There are many options to finance your orthodontic treatment. We have a range of flexible options specially tailored to suit you and your needs. One of our most popular finance options is our 12 months 0% interest offer; it allows you to spread the cost of your new smile so you don’t have to make any lifestyle changes.

Brace treatment is not suitable for everyone and you may require specialist treatment with an orthodontist. That’s why we offer FREE consultations to come in for a chat and an initial assessment. We currently offer complimentary teeth whitening to finish your new straighter smile perfectly.

Arrange a free consultation here…

Considering a white filling…

White filling on teeth

With 84% of all adults having at least one or more fillings and the average adult having 7 fillings. It’s important to understand the different filling options available to you and go over some of the most common questions asked of our dentists at Smile Essential dental practice in Leicester.

Nowadays tooth coloured ‘white’ fillings can be made to look like the surrounding natural tooth. We treat many people at Smile Essential dental practice that are conscious about their silver ‘amalgam’ fillings show when they laugh or smile.

There are 2 main misconceptions about white fillings and silver fillings that our Leicester patients ask are:

Will white fillings be as strong as metal fillings?

The answer to this question has changed over the past 20 years. Dental materials are constantly improving and whilst silver fillings used to be stronger than white fillings, the new improved materials are now just as strong.

Are white fillings more expensive than silver fillings?

All filling costs vary dependant upon the size and location of the filling and tooth. At our dental practice the difference of cost is quite small. White fillings are around £10 more than silver fillings. The difference is mainly due to the higher cost of materials involved with placing a white filling.

So what if you already have silver fillings- should you replace them?

This is best assessed on an individual basis by your dentist. If the fillings aren’t visible and are dentally sound, then often it is considered best to leave until it requires replacing and then opt for a tooth coloured filling.

However, if the filling is visible and it makes you self-conscious when smiling or laughing then do discuss it with your dentist so they can assess it.

Should you always opt for a white filling?

White fillings whilst comparable to silver fillings in strength and longevity may not always be the best option for you. This could be for a number of reasons with probably the most common being moisture control. It’s crucial when placing most tooth coloured fillings to keep the area completely dry for several minutes and this may not be possible for that particular tooth.

Find out more about our tooth coloured fillings here…

Top tips for getting the best tooth whitening results…

Congratulations, you’ve finally taken the plunge and invested whitening your teeth. Tooth whitening is the simplest thing you can do to transform your smile and improve your overall appearance.

Now you’ve invested into a good home whitening system there are many things you can do to help the dental treatment to run as smoothly as possible and give you the best and whitest pearlies possible!

Here are our top tips for teeth whitening

• Treat any sensitivity

Thankfully our whitening packages – Enlighten Home and Enlighten Ultimate deep teeth bleaching systems don’t cause as many sensitivity problems as other whitening systems. Some minor sensitivity can occur but is usually transient and will soon subside once the treatment is complete.

However, if you do get some sensitivity then it’s important that this treated and you can continue with the treatment. Inside your Enlighten whitening kit, you will find a packet of desensitising swabs simply snap and massage for around a minute into the most sensitive areas of your teeth and of course don’t forget to use the sensitive toothpaste that comes as part of your whitening package.

Ensuring you keep sensitivity at bay will help you to continue with the treatment as prescribed by your dentist and will ensure you complete the full whitening treatment and get the best results.

• Consistency

It will help give you a better result if you carry out the whitening on consecutive nights. With our Enlighten Ultimate package, we advise 14 nights consecutive whitening and in-surgery power whitening on the 15th day. Whitening your teeth this way means we can guarantee you will achieve the lightest shade on the natural tooth scale.

• Diet

Diet is generally what will have caused the discolouration and staining of your teeth, so it makes sense to limit any potential culprits during the whitening process. It’s the usual suspects such as tea, coffee, curry and the not so usual suspects such as bolognese sauce and grape juice! When deciding if something will stain your teeth think if it would stain a white shirt? If the answer is yes then avoid!

If you can’t say no to the morning brew then at least wait a minimum of an hour after taking out your whitening trays.

• Keeping it dry

When putting the whitening trays in at night it’s a good idea to make sure they have dried off from the morning. You can also give the teeth a quick dry with a cotton wool pad before popping them in. The purpose of this is to keep the gel as concentrated as possible by not letting it mix with water or saliva too much.

• Keeping them white

Once you’ve achieved you new white, bright smile you’ll want to keep it that way. Ensure you look after your whitening trays and do a top up treatment several times a year. We usually recommend one or two nights every other month. This will help to lift any staining that has built up in-between.

Find out more about our whitening treatments here…

Avoid costly mistakes when choosing a dentist with these 5 tips for choosing a new dentist…

Your smile plays a major role in how you perceive yourself and the impression you make on those around you. It’s long been known and many surveys show that your smile is what both men and women find most attractive above any other physical feature. It can gain people’s affections, reassure somebody and it can create confidence. But it can also hold you back if you’re not confident with your smile due to dental problems.

A great smile doesn’t just happen, it takes a good dentist, good advice and great at home dental care. The first step is getting the right advice from a dental practice you feel comfortable and confident with.

Here are our top tips for choosing a dentist:

Check them out online. Look for dental reviews, check they are on the GDC register. Look at their website – do they look professional, friendly, what does their dental surgery look like? Will you feel comfortable there? Do they have any dental awards or dental accreditations such as BDA Good Practice that prove their credibility?

What are your specific fears around dentists? If you’re scared of injections- do they offer anything to make it more comfortable? Many things can be done nowadays to overcome this problem one thing we do is to apply a numbing gel to the gum beforehand so it’s much more comfortable.

Where are they? You need somewhere you are able to get to easily either for treatment or routine care. Travelling to far afield can lead to further anxiety. Perhaps look at one close to home or work. If you have to travel for more than 30 minutes it could cause further anxiety, so try to stay local.

What are their prices are they affordable? Do they have a member’s plan that enables you to budget for your routine dental care and receive a discount if you do require treatment? A dentist should always give you a full treatment summary involving any costs when you go for your dental health check. Nobody likes surprise bills!

Give them a call and see if the receptionist is friendly, are they helpful and can they answer your questions? A good dental practice and customer experience starts with that first phone call. Dentists should be aware that potential new patients will be anxious and cater for this. Sometimes this phone call is an indication of the care you will receive.

We pride ourselves on delivering world class customer service and dentistry. Here’s why we think you should choose Smile Essential for your dental care.

Blog

Beautiful smile creation is about blending art and science – Dr Niket Patel