The Crazy World of Teeth

There are several similarities between our teeth and those of animals. As humans, we form two sets of teeth over the course of our lifetime, starting with baby teeth that are then replaced by adult teeth. On average, every person should have around 32 teeth in total; this includes four wisdom teeth, eight incisors, four canines, twelve molars and eight premolars. Similarly, many animals have a variety of these same kinds of teeth, depending on whether they are meat eaters, plant eaters, insect eaters or a combination. Both us and animals have teeth that are very strong and amazingly constructed, made up of a mix of calcium, phosphorus, and other assorted minerals. Beavers also have massive amounts of iron in their teeth, resulting in their teeth having a strong orange colour but helping to keep the teeth strong enough to gnaw on trees.  

The Massive

With the wide variety of diets and lifestyles that animals live, there are several who have a very interesting and unique dental structure. Hippos have many hidden teeth. Though on first glance it may seem that they only have 4 big teeth, they commonly have 40 in total. Hippos also have the longest canine teeth of any animal, reaching up to 3 ft long. Their incisors are capable of biting right through a small boat.

Amongst the many fascinating creatures out there, Narwhals are truly intriguing. They are born with a horn on top of their head which is actually a tooth that can grow to 8 feet or longer. Narwhals use their horn to taste and measure the concentration of chemicals in the water around it in order to find food.

The Many 

Animals like giraffes, dogs and cats have a similar number of teeth to us, but some animals have even more. Like humans, there are many creatures that also lose their teeth throughout their life, for example elephants and sharks. Elephants can have four sets of teeth in their lifetime and their tusks are the longest teeth in the world.

Similarly, Sharks can have over 30,000 teeth in their entire lifetime and on average lose one tooth a week, which is then replaced with a fresh new tooth. Sharks also don’t get cavities because their teeth are protected with a layer of fluoride. The main difference is that unlike humans, they never stop producing new teeth. But for us, our adult teeth are all that we get, which means that we have to take good care of them. On the other hand, Dolphins only have one set of teeth for the entirety of their life and just like humans, they need to take care of the teeth they have too.

The Maintenance 

Animals have their own ways to care for their teeth, just like us, ensuring they stay healthy and free of cavities or other issues. But unlike humans, animal diets are naturally low in sugar and therefore are less likely to develop severe teeth problems. Some animals like zebras, beavers, squirrels and other rodents have teeth that never stop growing. They chew on tough foods like nuts, leaves and bark, which helps to wear down their teeth and keep them from growing too long. In fact, most animals have a habit of chewing on materials like bone or tree bark which helps to keep their teeth clean and healthy.

Just like animals who are naturally proactive at cleaning and taking care of their teeth, we need to make sure that we are doing the same. Due to the commonly high amount of sugar in our diets, our teeth are extremely vulnerable, and it is very important to clean thoroughly and with care several times a day. It is also a good idea to have regular check ups with your dentist, in order to prevent any serious issues from arising and causing long term problems and hassle.

Don’t take your teeth for granted, because it’s the only set you get. Midlands Smile Centres is here to guide and help you along your dental journey, providing you with the right treatments and offering you the support you need.

10 Ways MSC Can Help You Achieve a Fantastic Smile

If improving smile or recapturing the smile of your youth has been weighing on your mind. There are a range of treatments which may help you obtain a smile you will be happy to share with everyone. This blog provides an overview of some of some of the simple and and not so simple ways you can reclaim a beautiful youthful smile using cosmetic dental services.

1) Veneers

If you have teeth that are an irregular shape, misaligned, discoloured, or are decayed or damaged in some way, veneers are a fairly straightforward solution to this problem. Veneers are thin layers of material that can be placed over the top of imperfect teeth. They are tooth-coloured and usually made of porcelain, and having them means that large sections of your healthy teeth do not need to be removed.

2) White Fillings

As well as the more conventional grey amalgam fillings, MSC also offer white fillings. Not only are these white fillings capable of making the necessary practical improvement to your teeth, but they are a much more natural looking and aesthetically pleasing option than grey amalgam fillings.

3) Restorative Dentistry

In this category of MSC treatment, bridges, crowns and dentures are all available to help improve your dental health. Bridges are false teeth that are fixed to adjacent natural teeth around areas where teeth have been lost due to various causes, and they are ideal if you don’t like dentures. Crowns, sometimes known as a cap, fit over individual teeth to restore them, imbuing them with stability and providing the shape of a natural tooth. Dentures are made using acrylic (plastic) or a combination of metal and plastic. They replace missing teeth and may be held in place with retaining clips.

4) Airflow

By making use of a jet of water, air and sodium bicarbonate, airflow treatment is an effective way to rid your teeth of stubborn stains caused by smoking and drinking tea, coffee and red wine. Able to help reduce plaque build-up and decrease the sensitivity of teeth, airflow treatment is a more advanced form of a scale and polish. Another positive thing about our airflow treatment is that it doesn’t contain any chemicals, so your teeth will become cleaner and will look better without the risk of burns or irritations.

5) Gold Services

If you’re looking for something a little more glamorous to augment your smile, gold services at MSC may just be the thing for you. Here at MSC you can find gold implants, gold crowns/custom crown design, gold inlays and gold veneers. In addition to the obvious style that our gold services introduce to your smile, they can provide the necessary dental function, too.

6) Dental Implants

It is widely considered that dental implants are the most versatile and all-round superior option for missing teeth, so opting for this treatment is likely to be a sure way to enhance the appearance and all-round health of your teeth. Implants at MSC are available in three forms: dental implants, denture implants and gold implants.

MSC are an ideal dentist for performing this procedure. The reason for this is that MSC’s dentists have over twenty five years’ experience of performing successful implants procedures, and with this type of treatment, it is crucial that patients always choose a provider who has a long history of successful procedures, and not simply go to the cheapest provider. Also, we use a no scalpel technique that incorporates X-ray imaging to place the implant straight into the gum without an incision, thus reducing pain, bleeding, swelling and shortening healing time.

7) Orthodontics

An area of treatment offered by MSC that comes in different forms, orthodontics with Midlands Smile Centres are a sure way to correct your teeth for a more visually pleasing smile. Orthodontics treatment utilises braces, and at MSC, we can offer you traditional braces, Damon braces and Invisalign braces. Invisalign braces are transparent alligners. They are removable and are designed to manoeuver your teeth gradually into the desired position. We also provide Six Months Smiles, which are subtle due to the fact that they are tooth- coloured, and move your teeth slowly over a period of 4-9 months to ensure they are sufficiently straightened.

8) Hygienist Treatment

Hygienist treatment is a great idea for your teeth, as it allows the overall standard of your dental health to be assessed - helping you combat the chances of tooth decay, tooth wear and gum disease- and for your teeth to receive a through clean. It’s also an opportunity for you to receive some important advice on maintaining your dental health.

9) Inlays

If you have a large cavity with a healthy surrounding tooth, we can provide inlays and onlays. Onlays are able to replace the cusp of a tooth which maintains the shape of the tooth, while inlays, which are usually made with tooth-coloured porcelain, are inserted into the hole in the tooth.

10) Teeth Whitening

Designed to give your teeth a real cosmetic lift, special trays for home tooth whitening can be made by our highly experienced dentists. Once your suitability for home whitening kits has been assessed, you can begin the treatment. The trays that are made for you will need to be filled with whitening gel and worn for a few hours every day. And once you are satisfied with the result, just stop the treatment.

If you know one of these treatments is going to be a great investment. Allowing you to to have a summer with some photos you will treasure, get in touch with Midlands Smile Centres today. Some of our practices provide free consultations for implant and orthodontic services.


Published 07/04/17 last updated 05/06/19

10 Dental Services for a Perfect Smile

The desire for perfection is one that many people share around the world. For different people, this can mean the ‘perfect body’, the ‘perfect style’ and even the ‘perfect smile’. This ‘perfect’ look is specific to each person and does not mean there is one idea of perfection.

Getting the smile, you’ve always wanted can be a hard task to achieve and will often require the help of a professional. This doesn’t mean however that it is an impossible task, in fact it’s quite the opposite. With the correct guidance and help the smile you’ve been after could be only a matter of time away.

To help you on your way and to open your eyes to what’s out there, here are 10 services that are available to you at your Local MSC.

Veneers

Veneers are a great way of correcting and hiding an imperfection in your teeth. The treatment involves a small porcelain veneer being placed over the required area. Then this is shaped to give the desired look. To ensure that this offers the patient exactly what they are looking for, the veneer is also coloured to match the ordinary teeth in your jaw to give a more natural look. A veneer can be used to hide gaps in the teeth or as a way to hide small chips in the tooth that may be visible.

White Fillings

For many people, a filling is something that they have had or at some point in the future will experience. What some people don’t know however, is that white fillings provide a more aesthetically pleasing look, as well as helping to look after and protect your teeth from further damage or decay. This, for many, is an approach which offers discreet yet effective results for both dental health and dental appearance.

Restorative Dentistry

Restorative dentistry covers a much wider bracket in the dentistry field. People generally consider this as a form of treatment for the elderly generation, however, with many people performing detrimental activities such as smoking, drinking alcohol or consuming an abundance of sugar, this has become a much more likely form of treatment for all ages. Restorative dentistry includes; bridges, crowns and dentures, as well as a whole host of others. These treatments are able to fill gaps in your teeth, returning your full smile.

Airflow

Airflow is a very popular form of teeth whitening, which has been used by dentists for years as an effective way to not only whiten, but also clean teeth. The process of airflow involves pressurised water, sodium and air being shot towards your teeth in order to lift off stains. Imagine it’s a car jet wash but scaled down for your teeth. It is a painless process which often produces great results, helping to remove plaque and stains from teeth, leaving the patient with a whiter smile. For someone looking to whiten their smile, this could be the ideal service for you.

Gold Services

Gold Services are often a unique form of treatment and not for everyone. As I’m sure you may have already worked out, our gold services include any dental treatment that involves using gold instead of using the generic material for that treatment. This can range from a gold filling all the way to an entire set of gold teeth. This is often popular with the younger generation and has become quite fashionable. There are also some benefits to using gold including its strength and its ability to almost never corrode. This does, however, make it quite expensive.

Dental Implants

A dental implant is probably one of the UK’s most common dental treatments. It has been part of dentistry for years and is not only able to fill the gap in your smile but to restore functionality to your jaw and mouth. Midlands Smile Centres are lucky enough to have a team with years of experience in this field and can offer a service, which time and time again, has provided the people of Birmingham with a full, confident smile.

  

Orthodontics

The range of orthodontic treatments is vast, and each treatment has a number of pros and cons which ultimately decide which service is best for you. In more recent years the development in Invisalign braces has drastically improved. This means patients can now get the smile they have always desired without the uncomfortable feel and unappealing look that traditional braces may offer. However, there are a few more options that may also work well for you, lingual braces and Six Month Smiles also offer a similar benefit to Invisalign including its ability to be hard to see it with the naked eye.

Hygienist Treatment

It’s all well and good having a nice smile but keeping it in tip-top condition can be harder then it may seem. Attending regular dental hygienist appointments will often help to keep your teeth in best possible condition. While at an appointment you can also find out the latest and greatest ways to look after your teeth at home. Dental hygienist appointments are available at all Midlands Smile Centres practices.

Tooth Whitening

Tooth whitening is a very popular and sort after form of cosmetic treatment. It offers a patient a nice white smile. There are several forms of tooth whitening, including Pola whitening and Enlighten whitening. Both forms of whitening involve a take-home kit, which includes a mouth tray and gel. When worn, this helps to remove stains from your teeth, providing a bright, white smile. If you’re interested in having a whiter smile, talk to your dentist to find out the best form of treatment for you.

Inlays

If you have a large cavity with a healthy surrounding tooth, Midlands Smile Centres can provide Inlays or Onlays. Onlays can replace the cusp of a tooth which helps to sustain the shape of the tooth, while Inlays, which are usually made with tooth-coloured porcelain, are inserted into the hole in the tooth. This can help to provide a more natural looking smile to the recipient.

Midlands Smile Centres

Midlands Smile Centres offer a huge range of services which could be just what you need in order to find the smile of your dreams. Our highly trained dentists, hygienists and orthodontists offer years of experience and can provide a service which is right for you. The first step is getting in touch, to book a consultation.

Your local MSC could change your smile for the better, so get in touch today and begin your journey to the smile you’ve always desired.

The Most Noticeable Improvements You Can Make To Your Smile

 With our lives being so busy and sometimes frantic, it is easy to overlook your general dental health. This may not immediately cause noticeable pain, tooth decay or gum problems. Often the most noticeable result of neglecting good dental habits, such as brushing, flossing, chewing gum and avoiding snacking on sugary food, is a decline in the appearance of your smile. This is something you will probably first notice in photos rather than the mirror. You may then start avoiding showing your teeth when smiling, this will obviously impact your confidence levels and enjoyment at social gatherings. In most cases, any confidence lost due to smile related problems can be addressed by a dentist. That’s where we may be able to help you.

Midlands Smile Centres Smile Services

At MSC we have a team of highly skilled dentists who can address nearly any dental issues. We also have a great track-record with cosmetic smile improvement. Watch Chris’s story below to discover how Dr Joshi from Selly Oak MSC helped restore his confidence, so he could smile on camera. 

Treatment options

There are a range of reasons why people become unhappy with their smile. One of the most common is cosmetic appearance. The treatments for this are normally referred to as cosmetic dentistry. The alignment of your teeth may be the source of your concern. Do you have a “better side”? Sometimes this is due to teeth protruding or recessing more noticeably on one side than the other. An orthodontic dentist will be able to prescribe a course of treatment for this. You can read more about orthodontic dentistry below. Another common reason for people to be unhappy with their smile is missing teeth. Teeth can be lost though tooth decay, gum decease or facial injury, such as sporting incidents. Treatment for missing teeth would be undertaken by a restorative dentist, sometime referred to as a Dental Implant Specialist. Midlands Smile Centres have dentists who have experience in all of these areas of dentistry. You can read more about these dental treatments below. 

Cosmetic Dentistry

Here you will find a selection of treatment types to enhance the appearance of your teeth. Each with their own individual benefits, the cosmetic dentistry offered through MSC is certain to give your smile the little lift that you may feel it needs.

• Veneers: These are thin layers of tooth-coloured material. Usually made of porcelain, they can be placed over discoloured, irregular, damaged, decayed or misaligned teeth. 
• Tooth Whitening: Heighten the whiteness of your teeth by opting for one of our take-home whitening kits. These kits include trays made especially for you based on moulds taken from your teeth. These trays can then be filled with whitening gel and worn until the desired effect is achieved.
• Airflow: Our airflow treatment utilises a jet of air, water and sodium bicarbonate to enhance your smile. This jet is great for giving your teeth a thorough clean and is capable of removing plaque build-up and staining.
• White Fillings: Able to provide you with the function that you would expect from fillings, MSC white fillings are a more aesthetically pleasing alternative to grey amalgam fillings. This means they are ideal for those who are self-conscious about their fillings being noticeable.
• Gold Services: Here at Midlands Smile Centres, our range of gold services, including- Gold Implants, Gold Crowns/Custom Crown Design, Gold Inlays and Gold Veneers- may be just the thing you’re looking for to add extra visual impact to your smile.   

Orthodontics

Our orthodontics here at MSC are divided into four categories: Damon Braces, Lingual Braces, Invisalign and Six Months Smiles. Addressing the problem of crooked, crowded or irregular teeth, these different types of orthodontics work in slightly different ways to help you achieve all-round better teeth.

• Damon Braces: Utilising an inventive form of technology, Damon Braces function by shifting teeth gently and naturally into the required position. Similar in appearance to traditional braces, the Damon braces mechanism is faster-acting. Plus, compared to traditional braces, Damon Braces work more smoothly and more comfortably.  
• Lingual Braces: These braces consist of wires and brackets that exert consistent amounts of gentle pressure in order to manoeuvre the teeth into the desired place. There are similarities between Lingual Braces and traditional braces. However, because Lingual Braces sit behind the teeth rather than in front, they are hidden and less conspicuous to the eye.
• Invisalign: Transparent and subtle-looking, Invisalign are a prime option for those looking for orthodontics that are hard to notice from the outside. Making use of removable, see-through aligners that are created specifically for you, Invisalign utilises optimum contemporary technology and are able to move your teeth at a gradual pace.
• Six Months Smiles: Tooth-coloured and discrete, Six Months Smiles are a comfortable-to-wear way of improving your dental health. Able to produce the intended results in as little as six months, this form of orthodontics moves teeth gradually.         

Dental Implants

If you have any missing teeth, dental implants from MSC may be worth considering. Generally viewed as effective and versatile, dental implants consist of a false tooth and a titanium supporting rod which is placed into the jawbone. Our no-scalpel method means that, through the use of X-ray imaging, the dentist will map precisely where to place the implant before it is inserted directly into the gum without a scalpel incision. It is important to seek a dentist with a long history of successful implant procedures and not simply use the cheapest provider. As some of our dentists have 30 years’ experience of successful implant procedures, we are the place to go to for dental implants. Consequently, swelling, pain and bleeding are all reduced. In as little as three months, the procedure can be complete.

In addition, we also offer Denture Implants and Implant Supported Bridges. 

Don’t continue to put yourself last.

You may have a dental issue you would like to get addressed, but somehow other priorities just keep getting in the way, a car, a family holiday, Christmas presents? How long have you been putting it off? Is it time to take action now? If the cost of the treatment is the biggest reason for the delay, we may be able to assist with our pay monthly finance plan. Don’t keep putting yourself last. Contact your local dentist in Birmingham and make the next set of holiday photos ones that you will treasure for a long time.