Modern Dentist Is Painless - LN 18.7.2008
Who would be afraid of doctor Kašťáková? Before the puncture of anaesthesia, she gives you desensitization gel with your favorite taste – for instance a rummy one.
Modern Dentist Is Painless
We asked Alexandra Kašťáková, the expert in restorative dentistry and director of private dental clinic Dentaktiv, about the modern aesthetics treatments and people making use of it.
LN What kind of people is interested in aesthetic treatments? Do men or women prevail?
There are usually several groups of clients asking for aesthetic treatment. First, there are people with a real bad handicap of smile: teeth destroyed by inherent defect, darkened because of nerve devoid of life or pigmented by excessive intake of pigment from smoking, food or drinks, most frequently from coffee, tea, red wine, coke and colored juices. The other group of people consists of clients, for whom smile is an important part of their professional image. Aesthetic tuning of smile can also give courage and energy to people who pass through a period of important changes in their life. Whitened teeth are usually a good reason for those quitting smoking not to return back to cigarettes. In terms of sex, women prevail in the interest in aesthetics. The statistics of our clinic shows the ratio to be more than 4:1. It is interesting that within the group of men foreign clients have been dominating.
LN Have you ever had a client who made an appointment with you because his work demands forced him to?
Not directly. However, social exposure some professions have is usually the reason. Managerial positions prevail by men; by women it is economic positions that dominate, may it be with university degree or middle school graduation requirements, i.e. receptionists, secretaries, personal assistants of businessmen. In artistic branches, men and women are represented almost equally. Surprisingly, there are also quite a few housewives or women on maternity leave among those interested in aesthetic treatment.
LN White teeth are a huge up-to-date topic. How exactly does the treatment proceed? Are there many different types of bleaching? How can one choose the right one?
The bleaching substance can be applied in the office, in the waiting room or at home. The choice of the suitable bleaching technique is a very individual matter. It depends on the primary cause of teeth coloring, and its scale and intensity. The time and financial possibilities of the client, sensitivity of his teeth, his own wishes and dentists experience finalize the choice.
In general, in-office bleaching is faster, more effective and more financially demanding. More concentrated bleaching substance is applied for a shorter period of time. However, the requested effect may not be achieved right away, during the first visit. Intensively colored teeth can require repetition of the whole procedure, 2- 4 times in total. Home bleaching is a more gradual way of tooth bleaching. Less concentred substance is applied on teeth in trays. It is possible to bleach 1-2 hours during the day or at best during the whole sleep at night. The minimum time of bleaching is usually two weeks. Very intensively colored teeth can require 6- 8 weeks of bleaching. During in-waiting room bleaching, medium concentrated substance is used; there are ten applications on average. Nowadays, the combination of mentioned techniques appears to be the most effective way of bleaching. The bleaching process starts by intensive in-office or in-waiting room bleaching and finishes with less intensive home bleaching.
LN And does it hurt? Does bleaching have any permanent effects?
Penetration of bleaching substance to the teeth can provoke hypersensitivity of teeth, especially on thermal stimulation, cold drinks, hot coffee or tea. This sensitivity is only temporary and usually does not take more than 1-2 days. Its intensity cannot be exactly foretold. This sensitivity can be successfully decreased by the use of special tooth paste, mouth-wash of gel. Substances decreasing teeth sensitivity are even direct ingredients of high-quality bleaching substances today. The sensitivity of gums is also temporary. The effect of bleaching substance on the gum is positive in the long-term. Studies have shown that the substance works against plaque and lowers swelling and ciliary flush of gums, i.e. the exhibition of their unwelcome inflammation.
The fears from damage of enamel by bleaching have been refuted by research long time ago. One example for all: six hours of bleaching in trays with 10% bleaching gel takes away as many minerals from the surface of the enamel as the glass of an apple or orange juice.
LN How long do teeth stay white after the treatment? Is it necessary to take a special care of them?
Bleached teeth are not resistant to colored pigmentation taken-in after bleaching. However, who would give up his morning coffee or tea ritual because of bleached teeth? Slight darkening of teeth is therefore possible. But their new colour will never be reversed. Achieved effect can be kept by the use of special tooth paste, gels and mouthwash. Regular care taken by professional dental hygienist is also very effective. Hygienist cleans the teeth professionally, removes tartar and pigmentation using special instruments. If the client finds out that his teeth are getting darker after some time, there is nothing easier than repetition of a few home bleaching applications.
LN There are people, who prefer to have new teeth done...
Dental aesthetic includes wider spectrum of possibilities and is always a matter of agreement between client and his or her dentist. Dentist has to judge the whole status of client’s teeth and then sum up - together with the client - the advantages and risks of each of offered alternatives. All-ceramic crowns and veneers are very popular next to (and usually in combination with) bleaching today.
LN Having new teeth done has to be a painful and complicated procedure, doesn’t it?
Hardly any treatment is painful in modern dental surgery nowadays. In the case of “having new teeth done”, local anesthesia is an absolute obviosity. Dentist then sets teeth up for the planned crowns or veneers by grinding them down and sends the new status using impressions to the laboratory. New crowns or veneers are made on the model of client’s teeth there. After that these are tried and cemented on in the mouth, again under local anesthesia.
LN Can everyone undergo this treatment?
Yes, nearly everyone can. Of course, the dentist evaluates client’s whole health status and adapts the possible treatment plan to it. Among unambiguous contra-indication of aesthetic treatment there are: insufficient dental hygiene, plaque and tartar on teeth and gum inflammations caused by those first mentioned. Such patient has to go to dental hygienist and improve his hygiene routine first. Aesthetic is simply “as a reward”.
LN Is it possible to have this type of treatment done in one day?
Only in-office bleaching can be done in one day. Crowns and veneers require two or three visits in dental surgery.
LN I believe that having new teeth done and tooth bleaching are not the only aesthetic treatments. What else can we have done with our teeth?
As it was mentioned, next to bleaching ceramic crowns and veneers are used the most. Nowadays, missing teeth are commonly replaced by highly aesthetic implants. Teeth in unfitting positions can be set right by braces in any age. Locks of braces can also be made from white ceramics, so you can hardly see anything except the thin wire in the mouth. Some types of small defects can even be set right by invisible braces, i.e. solid transparent plastic foil worn 24 hours a day.
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LN None the less the most frequently dental problems would be the cavity and toothache. Why should we visit your clinic and not the ordinary dentist in that case?
We consider our greatest advantages to be the individual approach and time dedicated to our client. It all starts by a complex one hour entrance examination. The treatment plan is tailor made to client´s time and financially possibilities. Painlessness and high quality of the treatment are an obviousity. Our clients are also used to little pleasant joys , such as gel desensitizing gum before the puncture of local anesthesia.
Business-Card
Since October 2000 Alexandra works in Prague. Next to the private clinical practice, she remained devoted to her academic path through lectures and publication activities. She is member of key lecturers team of Czech Dental Chamber for post gradual education of dentists.
She is the cognoscente of Czech Dental Chamber in the field "Restorative Dentistry".
Specialization: endodontics, aesthetics and restorative dentistry
Study: In 1997, Dr. Kašťáková graduated from the Medical Faculty of Masaryk University; in 2001 she graduated from post gradual studies at First Department of Stomatology in Brno.
Professional trainee-ship: Portugal, Sweden, France, Netherlands and USA.
