The Benefits of Invisalign Over Metal Braces

Teeth play a major role in your looks as everyone wants to wear and see a beautiful smile. Overlapped teeth or gaps in teeth can look unattractive and also blemish your overall appearance. To correct these problems, earlier there was only one solution - Braces. Braces work by putting force against the teeth, moving them slowly over time. The braces are made of metal, plastic or ceramic.

Although braces give a remarkable result in straightening teeth, they carry with them a stigma of looking ugly while treatment is undertaken, due to their visibility. A permanent mouth irritation is also a factor. There is another orthodontist course of treatment for straitening teeth without metal braces called Invisalign.

In 1997 Align Technology Company receive FDA clearance to market Invisalign as an orthodontist device. Invisalign is proposed to do the same job as braces in terms of regular tooth movement.

Invisalign braces move teeth through the proper placement of controlled force on the teeth. It not only controls the force that is applied on teeth but also controls timing of the force. At each step only specific teeth are allowed to move.

Invisalign is an invisible method of straightening teeth. Instead of wires and brackets, Invisalign uses a series of clear removable aligners. These aligners apply controlled pressure on your teeth. To design these aligners, the latest 3D technology is used which simulates the stages the teeth will go through. And this technology also allows you to view your own virtual treatment model when you start, so that you can see how your straight teeth will appear when your treatment is complete. Your orthodontist will review these 3D models and will approve the treatment plan.

A strong medical graded plastic is used to manufacture Invisalign aligners. Most of the time, these aligners are worn for about 2 weeks and after 2 weeks the old set of aligners are changed changed out for new ones. But there is no tightening or adjustment. Your teeth move through a step-by-step incremental procedure until they attain a desired or specific position.

Invisalign gives you maximum comfort and ease. And eating, brushing and flossing are no more a problem as aligners are removable. Therefore, you can relish your favorite food during the invisalign process.

Time taken for Invisalign treatment is just half that of traditional braces. Total treatment time is between 9-15 months and the approximate number of aligners worn during treatment is between 18 and 30, but from case to case the time and aligners may vary.

Invisalign also has some limitations. Firstly it is a cost effective treatment, yet is more than traditional braces. Treatment cost may vary according to the complexity of the case. Also, there are some cases such as overcrowding, over bites and under bites that Invisalign does not treat. Patients may feel discomfort for a few days with each new aligner. Also, Invisalign may temporarily affect the speech of some people.

Invisalign may have some limitations but it not only provides you with a beautiful smile but also gives comfort during the entire process.

Brought to you by Laser Dental Center in Orange County.

Visit Laser Dental Center for invisalign braces, teeth whitening, skin care enhancements, and other laser dental services. We also host a health directory for other health and medical resources.

Adverse Effects of Dental Implants

Dental implants are a remarkable advancement in dental research. They resemble natural teeth, are extremely sturdy, require the same maintenance as natural teeth and often can last a person?s lifetime. Dental implants are defined as ?permanent fixtures of titanium posts anchored to the jawbone and topped with individual replacement teeth or a bridge that screws or cements into the post.? Dental implants got their start in Sweden but the technology and materials that are being used in North America today have been successfully used in European countries for the past thirty years.

The success rate for both upper and lower implants is extremely high. For instance, lower implants have the highest success rate at 98 percent while for upper implants it is 91 percent. However there are some adverse effects that are associated with dental implants although the good news is that there is not that many. Let?s take a look at some of them.

Sometimes dental implant surgery fails because of bacterial contamination that is to be found at the site of the implants. If the area is not adequately cleaned beforehand then this is likely to occur. In order to decrease the chance of infection occurring following the surgery, patients are often prescribed one or a variety of prophylactic systemic antibiotics. The use of antibiotics in some individuals can cause its share of adverse effects ranging from diarrhea and vomiting to more serious allergic reactions that require immediate medical attention. With the use of antibiotics comes a concern about bacteria that is antibiotic-resistant. Tests are ongoing to determine to what extent antibiotics are necessary where dental implant surgery is concerned. This issue is somewhat of a controversial one as some patients seem to benefit from the use of antibiotics after surgery while others find it a hindrance to healing and ushers in a host of other adverse side effects. Some researchers believe that prophylactic antibiotics are very effective in reducing the incidence of dental implant failures while others are still not sure. New research into these health issues is being undertaken all of the time.

Some individuals are more likely to develop infections after surgery than are others because of a comprised immune system or a metabolic disease, such as those with diabetes. Other people prone to infection following surgery include people who are at risk of, or who have a past history of, heart related infections (or endocarditis) and those who have had radiotherapy either in the area of their head or neck. Patients with any of the above conditions are often administered preoperative antibiotics before the dental implant surgery is undertaken.

Other adverse effects of having dental implants placed in one?s mouth include the discomfort, bruising and swelling that often occurs afterwards. No two people have all of the same adverse effect postoperative but most people will experience a small extent of at least one of them. Sometimes the dental implants do not integrate to a patient?s mouth. This is another way of saying that the surgery can be a total flop. The failure of surgery can depend on a number of factors but the most common ones have to do with the type of implants that are used as well as the general health of the patient getting the surgery. As a general rule, the better health a person is in, the more likely that the surgery will be a success.

Stephanie Dilson is a Dental Surgeon and in her spare time runs an informational site on Dental Implants for all those interested in the process to find out valuable information on the cost, benefits, risks and features of this increasingly popular procedure. For more information see http://www.dentalimplantsguide.com

Xylitol and Dental Health

Xylitol is a natural, low-calorie sugar substitute that has been approved and used during the last few decades. Chemically, xylitol, is a pentitol (five carbon polyol) or as they are alternatively called a sugar alcohol. It is produced mainly from birch and beech wood and this is the reason that xylitol is alternatively called birch or wood sugar. Xylitol has the same organoleptic properties as sugar, meaning that it looks and tastes like sugar, however it has a number of advantages over sugar. One of the main advantages is that it inhibits the creation of dental caries.

The first evidence of xylitol's beneficial effects in preventing dental caries came from a study conducted in Finland that was published during the seventies. After the publication of that study, several clinical trials have been performed to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of xylitol in dental care. Today, we have enough evidence to say with confidence that the use of xylitol, and especially the substitution of sugar with xylitol has beneficial effects for dental health.

The mechanisms through which, xylitol exerts these beneficial effects are both direct and indirect. First of all xylitol is not fermentable by the bacteria that inhabit the oral cavity, in contrast with sugar. That means that by substituting sugar with xylitol the bacteria that are responsible for the creation of dental caries are deprived from one of their main sources of energy.

In addition to that, one of the main reasons that the consumption of sugars and carbohydrates cause dental problems is that they reduce the pH of the mouth causing enamel demineralization. The consumption of xylitol on the other hand has the exact opposite effect, it raises the pH of the mouth, protecting tooth enamel from demineralization. It should also be noted, that since the pH of the plaque is not reduced by the consumption of products sweetened with xylitol, remineralization is promoted.

Another important attribute of xylitol is that it has bacteriostatic effects. That means that xylitol inhibits the growth of bacteria like mutans streptococci, that are the main culprits for the creation of plaque and dental caries. This effect of xylitol is attributed to the fact that when these bacteria take up xylitol it is converted to xylitol-5-phosphate which results in the formation of intracellular vacuoles and the degradation of their cell membranes.

Finally, a few recent studies have demonstrated that the habitual consumption of xylitol products and to be more precise habitual chewing of xylitol gum by the mother can have a preventive effect for their children dental health. This is attributed to the fact that xylitol consumption by the mother can reduce the mother to child transmission of bacteria that are responsible for dental problems.

All the above make xylitol a very attractive sugar substitute. Especially since it's natural and it doesn't have any known side effects. The most common way of consuming xylitol is by chewing xylitol sweetened gum. However, any xylitol sweetened product will have almost the same beneficial effects.

Dimitris K. is a nutritionist with an interest in natural sweeteners and especially xylitol.