Castle
Ceramics Dental Laboratory - Dental Treatment
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Creating
your Perfect Smile....
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We
have put together some useful information so you can quickly and
easily understand what today’s aesthetic and minimally-invasive
dentistry is all about. You will find solid, comprehensive information
about different dental procedures and what they involve in language
that is clear and worth smiling about. |
Aesthetic
dentistry - often called cosmetic dentistry - involves treatments
that were scientifically developed to enhance, restore and/or maintain
the appearance and function of your smile (and look absolutely beautiful
and natural in the process). What’s more, this type of dental
work can be completed in ways that conserve as much of your own
tooth structure as possible (hence, minimally-invasive). See our
new Before and After Gallery. |
| So,
now that you know what it’s all about, consider what you’d
like to change about your own teeth, click on the appropriate link
below, and get ready to find out what’s involved in creating
a beautiful smile. |
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Whitening
Teeth
In general, bleaching is a very safe, inexpensive, and effective
cosmetic treatment that removes stains to reveal the underlying
whiteness of teeth.
Typically bleaching effects can last up to 5 years depending on
the bleaching method used, whether or not you smoke, consume acid
containing foods, or consume staining beverages like red wines
and coffee. The use of whitening toothpastes can significantly
prolong the results you get with bleaching.
Bleaching can be done in the dentist's office or at home. It's
quicker to have it done in the dentist's office because the dentist
can use full strength hydrogen peroxide and a special light or
a laser to speed up the bleaching process. People should expect
the process to take a couple of visits, each lasting up to an
hour.
At
home, patients use a more stable form of hydrogen peroxide called
carbamide peroxide. It is placed in custom made trays made from
impressions taken by a dentist and worn on the teeth either once
or twice a day, depending on the manufacturer.
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Veneers
Veneers
are thin custom made shells of porcelain that are laid onto the
teeth and bonded to the surface. They are made by a technician
in a dental laboratory with a model of your mouth as a guide.
They can be made of different materials, but porcelain is frequently
used because of its durability and realistic appearance.
Veneers are a more conservative alternative to crowns since they
require less removal of the tooth's original surface. With veneers
in place, patients can expect straighter, whiter, and more even
teeth.
By improving the shape, colour and alignment of your teeth, you
could also be transforming your entire outlook on life by gaining
confidence, smiling more and achieving more! Porcelain veneers
are the latest veneer technology designed to cover stains, close
gaps, straighten teeth and ultimately result in a beautifully
natural smile that you won’t want to hide!
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| Replacing
Old Dental Work (Mercury Free)
Old,
unattractive and silver-looking fillings could leave people feeling
uncomfortable when they open their mouths or laugh out loud. Thankfully,
this old dental work can be replaced with natural-looking materials,
such as composite resins or porcelain. In particular, your dentist
may be able to replace your fillings with inlays/onlays or, if the
damage is extensive, with crowns. Either way, you won’t be
able to tell the difference between your natural tooth structure
and the new aesthetic dental work! Now, there’s a reason to
smile!
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Less invasive placement |
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More stable than mercury amalgam. |
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Provide a tighter seal. |
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• Do not weaken teeth since they don't expand with heat
the way amalgam does. |
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Restoring teeth to their original strength and to a beautiful
appearance. |
Inlays/onlays
Inlays/onlays are small pieces of dental porcelain or composite
resin created in a dental laboratory and shaped to fit perfectly
in the space left by cavities and/or old dental work. In some cases,
inlays/onlays may be made using gold. They are cemented in place
with strong cement that is hardened using an intense light (a curing
light). Because they are custom-built to match your existing tooth
structure, they look exactly like the rest of the tooth.
If
inlays/onlays are prescribed for you, the dentist will prepare your
tooth by removing the old filling or the decay. During this step,
a local anaesthetic may be used. An impression will then be taken
and sent to the laboratory technician for use in making the inlay/onlay.
Then, the dentist will create a temporary filling for you so that
you can resume your normal activities.
When
the inlay/onlay is returned from the laboratory, your dentist will
remove the temporary and thoroughly clean the tooth. The inlay/onlay
will then be cemented and cured into place.
Crowns
Also known as a cap, a crown is a porcelain, gold, metal, or combination
metal/porcelain covering cemented into place over the entire shape
of a tooth that has a large filling, extensive damage or decay,
or that is too weak and may break. Crowns can also be used to hold
a bridge into place, cover an implant, or protect/restore a tooth
that has had a root canal.
The dentist will prepare your tooth by removing the decay or old
filling, as well as a small amount of the enamel surface from around
and on top of the tooth. Local anaesthesia will likely be used.
Then, the dentist will take an impression of the tooth and the surrounding
teeth for use in making a model that is sent to a technician at
a dental laboratory, where the crown will be made. To enable you
to chew and resume your normal activities, the dentist will place
a temporary crown over the tooth.
As with inlays/onlays and veneers, when your permanent crown is
ready, the dentist will remove the temporary and thoroughly clean
the tooth. Depending on what type of crown was made for you, the
dentist may use cement that must be cured, or one that hardens and
sets without the use of a curing light |
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Correcting
Chipped, Worn or Cracked Teeth
When
it comes to the appearance of your smile, little things can mean
a lot. A small chip here, a slight crack there, and wear everywhere
can take its toll on how you, and others, feel about your smile.
The good news is that today’s dentistry offers tooth-conserving
treatments and materials that can take your smile from dull to dazzling
in as little as one or two visits to the dentist.
Depending on what you’re diagnosed with by your dentist, you
may be a candidate for veneers, which can lengthen, shorten, whiten,
and straighten the appearance of your teeth. If there’s a
concern about the strength of your teeth, your dentist may prescribe
crowns. Veneers and crowns, which are created especially for you
by a technician at a dental laboratory, require at least two visits
to the dentist.
On the other hand, if you’d like to conserve even more of
your natural tooth structure, then maybe in-office bonding is for
you. Bonding is a process in which a tooth-like material—called
composite resin—is applied to the tooth’s surface. With
composite bonding, once the material is placed on your tooth, it
is sculpted into the ideal shape, hardened, and then polished. Bonding
can be used for closing gaps between otherwise healthy teeth, repairing
chips, changing the overall shape or colour of teeth, and filling
cavities with a tooth-matching material. This type of treatment
can usually be completed in one visit to the dentist’s office.
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| Missing
Teeth
If
you’re missing a tooth, you’re probably conscious of
a lot more than just how it makes your smile look. You may notice
that it’s difficult to chew and, in some instances, it may
be awkward to speak certain words and sounds. While there may be
many reasons why you are missing a tooth, there are two great reasons
to see your dentist about replacing it: bridges and implants.
Today,
with so many natural-looking, metal-free, or “permanent”
choices available, dentists can replace a missing tooth so that
nobody—not even you—will know that it’s not a
natural tooth.
Bridges
A bridge—also called a fixed partial denture—does exactly
what the name implies: it spans the space from a missing tooth using
two crowns on the teeth on each side of the gap, with an artificial
tooth in the middle. Like crowns, they are made in a dental laboratory
using porcelain, or a combination of metal/porcelain.
In addition to filling in the gap left by a missing tooth, bridges
also help maintain the shape of your face, improve the appearance
of your smile, and relieve stress when chewing. Unlike a removable
bridge (or partial denture) that you can take out, a fixed bridge
remains securely cemented in your mouth and can only be removed
by a dentist.
Implants
Implants are high-strength fixtures that are surgically placed under
the gum and into the underlying bone of the jaw to replace missing
or extracted (pulled) teeth. When the implant has fully integrated
into the bone, an artificial tooth—such as a crown—is
placed on top of it.
If your dentist prescribes an implant for you, it may require one
or two operations during the course of three to six months, which
are done under local anaesthetic. This surgery can take place in
a dental office or in a hospital, depending on several factors.
The oral surgeon will begin by making an incision in your gums to
expose the bone in the jaw. Then, a hole will be made for the dental
implant to fit into. Once the implant is in place, the gums are
closed with stitches.
It takes time for the bone to grow around and connect to the implant
(called osseointegration). If the implant is placed in your lower
jaw, this may take three months. If it is placed in the upper jaw,
this could take about six months. What’s more, depending on
the type of implant prescribed for you, another surgery may be required
to connect the post portion, which would eventually hold the artificial
tooth in place in your mouth.
Once the implant is secure and fully integrated, a crown will be
placed on top of the implant, and it will appear as if you never
had a missing tooth. Implants may also be used to secure complete
dentures. More
Information |
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Shade
Visits to the Lab and Consultation
What
is a Dental Laboratoryl?
This is where the production of your restoration(s) takes place
What
does the procedure entail?
The communication of shade between the dentist and the technician
at a remote dental laboratory has always been challenging, the upper
front teeth are the hardest to match. Many dentists are choosing
to refer the patient to meet and talk to the ceramist dental technician
that will be making the restoration. Patients are welcome and the
most exacting shade matching tools, latest computerised equipment,
and digital photography is used. Our technical team is always available
to help advice and resolve any technical problems you may have.
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Mapping
the colours within a tooth |
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Shade
visits to the Lab and Consultation |
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| Jaw
/ Joint Pain |
| You
may be one of the more than 10 million people that suffer from a
condition called TMJ Syndrome. Or, you may be one of those people
who grind and clench their teeth at night (called Bruxism) and don’t
even know it. Both of these conditions lead to moderate to severe
facial pain, headaches, jaw pain and tenderness, fatigue in the
muscles in your face, neck aches, and earaches. In either case,
dentists now have a variety of treatment solutions available—many
of which are conservative and do not require dental work or surgery—to
help relieve your pain.
Bite splints—which are custom-made from acrylic or rubber
and are worn over the teeth while sleeping—are often used
to treat patients with TMJ disorders and those who are bruxers.
They have been shown to protect the teeth, improve jaw-muscle and
TMJ function, and relieve related pain While they may provide some
relief and protection, they may not actually “cure”
the problem.
TMJ
Syndrome
TMJ is the abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint, otherwise
known as the jaw joint. These are the small joints in front of each
ear that connect your bottom jaw to your skull and are used when
opening and closing your mouth, chewing, speaking, etc. Individuals
diagnosed with TMJ Syndrome experience a variety of symptoms, including
pain in the jaw areas and associated muscles, including the ear;
limited ability to open their mouth; headaches; facial pain; and
others. Currently, there are no scientifically proven tests available
to diagnose TMJ.
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Bruxism
Bruxism refers to a gnashing or grinding of the teeth that most often
occurs while you’re sleeping, so you’re probably not aware
that you’re doing it. The condition is usually diagnosed during
dental examinations based on the wear of your teeth that the dentist
sees. Like TMJ Syndrome, there are no clinical tests that can be performed
to determine if you’re a bruxer. |
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Overall
Dental Health
Here,
we’ll provide some basics about maintaining the health and
beauty of your smile. And, we’ll provide some links to information
about other topics related to dental care.
At the Dentist’s Surgery
There’s a lot involved in a having a healthy smile, and knowing
what’s a part of overall dental care will help put your mind
at ease. During regular check-ups and recall visits, dentists and
hygienists take care to ensure the ongoing health of your teeth.
In particular, they will strive to prevent cavities, decay and disease
by using:
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Diagnostic x-rays |
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Fluoride treatments and sealants. |
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Routine periodontal (gum) examinations |
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• Oral cancer screenings |
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Soft tissue (gum) management |
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In
the Comfort of Your Own Home
While it may seem that dentists can provide you with an almost instantaneous
Defining Smile, the fact is, a beautiful smile and healthy teeth
don’t just happen. They result from good oral care habits,
such as brushing and flossing, watching what you eat and drank,
and avoiding use of tobacco products.
Any
toothpaste that contains fluoride and is used a soft bristle toothbrush
at least twice a day for 2 minutes will help effectively prevent
cavities.
Brushing, combined with flossing, will also help prevent gum diseases
such as gingivitis, which causes lesions or wounds that affect the
gums, which damages the bone and connective tissue that support
the teeth. Gingivitis is entirely reversible but, if left unchecked,
can often progress to later stages and cause tooth loss and even
serious health complications. Some of the early signs you may notice
at home are: gums that bleed when brushing; tender or occasional
swollen gums; bad breath. If you have noticed these signs, contact
your dentist for an examination. |
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Implants
Today,
the preferred method of tooth replacement is dental implant treatment.
Dental implants replace missing tooth roots, and form a stable foundation
for replacement teeth that look, feel and function in a similar
way to your natural teeth. Dental implants also preserve the remaining
bone by providing the stimulation previously provided by the natural
tooth roots.
There
are numerous advantages of dental implant treatment over other treatment
options. It is not necessary to grind down the adjacent teeth for
a bridge, or secure a partial denture to adjacent teeth with clasps
which can cause tooth loosening. Implant-supported replacement teeth
spare patients many of the disadvantages of traditional false teeth.
How does a dental implant work?
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The
first step in the treatment sequence is placing the implant
in the jaw using a gentle surgical procedure. The bone forms
a strong bond to the implant after just 6-12 weeks, providing
a solid foundation for attaching a replacement tooth (crown).
Unlike other dental implants, ITI dental implants are usually
not covered by gum tissue, so a second surgical procedure is
not required to attach the crowns. Both the gum tissue and the
bone remodel around the implant at the same time.
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Following
this brief period of time during which the bone is remodeling around
the implant, fabrication of the replacement tooth can begin. This
process involves a few appointments for attaching an abutment or post
to the implant, taking impressions of your teeth, and checking for
proper fit and colour of the crown. |
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