Onyx Cosmetic Dental Clinic

What Is The Best Toothpaste?

2011-05-11T11:02:00.000+01:00

With so many toothpastes to choose from - Which is the best one for you?!

Kids or Adult Toothpaste?
Most kids, up to the age of 6 should use a kids toothpaste. This is because it contains less fluoride than adult toothpastes, typically around 500ppm (parts per million).

The reason for having less fluoride is that kids tend to swallow more toothpaste than they spit out, and the higher fluoride can cause stomach upsets, if too much is swallowed. In higher concentrations, it can also have more harmful effects.

Fluoride or No Fluoride?
Fluoride has many good properties, it is toxic to harmful bacteria, it will help to repair very early dental decay, (i.e. stops holes forming), and it also protects the teeth from more decay.

In areas where there is fluoride in the water, there is less decay. This is sometimes a controversial topic, but the bottom line is that fluoride protects teeth from dental decay.

How much fluoride? well, most toothpastes will have about 1000 - 1500ppm, and this is a good amount.

Okay, But Which Toothpaste?!!?
Well, it probably doesn't matter as much as you think - as long as you are doing a good job brushing your teeth. Most toothpastes, like Colgate and Aquafresh or McLeans, will have fluoride, so it depends on your preferred taste!

There is a new development, a new type of fluoride, called "stabilised stannous fluoride," and this has been shown to form a protective layer over the teeth, protecting them against tooth wear, (the type when you brush too hard, not wear caused by grinding the teeth).

Photo from Dentistry Magazine

One company that makes this (I'm not sure if its been released yet), is Oral-B. The toothpaste is called Pro-Expert. I have been using this toothpaste for the last few months. It does take a little getting used to, the taste is a bit like medicine, but I soon got used to it! (although the wife still isn't keen on it!)

If you can get it, try the Pro-Expert, if not, remember the toothpaste is important, but brushing technique is more important - If your gums bleed, or you feel you have bad breath, get yourself a professional opinion!

Gurs Sehmi
Cosmetic Dentist
Onyx Dental

80% of People In London Prefer A Dentist To Do Their Teeth Whitening

2011-05-08T21:16:00.000+01:00

With the popularity of teeth whitening, it seems everyone has jumped on the band wagon - From Beauticians to completely untrained individuals carrying it out in shopping centres!

Having white teeth is always desirable, it delivers an image that you take care of your appearance and it can make you look younger. Normally, this procedure can cost between £250 - £600, depending on the clinic, and the system they use. Its there for no surprise that shopping centres that are offering it at £120 are doing so well! (Or are they?)

In a recent survey of 1024 people, 80% thought that the procedure should only be carried out by qualified and registered dental professionals.

These days there are many people who attend their dentist with burns on lips and gums, or with patchy whitening after going to one of these unregulated teeth whitening places. There are many organisations campaigning to close down these dangerous and illegal centres.

At Onyx Dental, we have seen several people who have tried these cheap whitening solutions, and not seen any results. We believe you get what you pay for and if you want safe teeth whitening, which is going to last, there is a way to do it, but you wont get it for £120!

If you have any questions about teeth whitening, or would like to see someone regarding your cosmetic dental needs, please give us a call on 0208 998 5491.

Gurs Sehmi

Is There A Link Between Gum Disease & Anaemia?

2011-05-05T14:18:00.000+01:00

A recent study suggests that long term gum disease can cause a reduction in the part of our blood that carries Oxygen. This can result in the blood disorder Anaemia.

The study looked at people who had long term gum disease, and found that 1/3 of them had lower haemoglobin (the part that carries the Oxygen), than normal. They also found that women were more likely to have lower haemoglobin due to gum disease, compared to men.

The good news is that in most cases, when the gum disease is treated, the level of haemoglobin increases within 6 months!

The most common sign of gum disease is seeing blood when you brush your teeth. Gum disease is a silent killer, in that it does lots of damage, without any pain - so be sure to get a professional opinion if you think you might be affected.

By Dr Sehmi
(Follow me on Twitter)

What Is The Difference Between Veneers, Crowns, Bridges and Dental Implants?

2011-05-04T21:22:00.000+01:00

With so much terminology, it is easy to get confused, and many people do. I will try and explain what all these things now mean.

Dental Crowns

Probably one of the most common lab made tooth 'replacement.' I say replacement, but that isn't true. If a tooth is heavily broken down, or has a large filling that needs replacing, it is sometimes better to take about 1mm off the tooth, so that it looks like a smaller version of itself, and have a false cover - the crown - made to fit this small version of the tooth.

Crowns often add more strength to the tooth. Years ago, these were made from metal, with a white coating on them, the problem with this was they didn't look nice, and if the gums shrank up, then the dark grey line was always visible! (Some old school dentists still make this type of crown)

Dental Veneers

A very nice cosmetic treatment to change the size/shape/colour of one or several teeth.

Veneers are like contact lenses for teeth - they can be placed on top of healthy teeth, and are often used in cosmetic dentistry, as they involve less preparation & cutting of the natural tooth than a crown.

These days, in some cases we don't need to cut the tooth at all - the veneer can be placed directly on an untouched tooth. In addition to this, with the right equipment, the treatment is completely reversible!

Dental Bridges

Bridges and Implants are used to replace completely missing teeth. the easiest way to imagine a bridge is to think of two or more connected crowns. If you have one missing tooth and a tooth on either side of this missing tooth, then you can have a bridge, which involves preparing the teeth either side for the bridge, and all three teeth are replaced at the same time.

Dental Bridge

Dental Implants

Dental Implants are a fairly recent treatment, only being mainstream for the last 20 years or so, although pioneering dentists were treating people 40+ years ago!

An implant is another replacement for missing teeth. Here, there is no reliance on the teeth either side. A titanium implant is placed in the bone (actually, this is painless!), and this is allowed to heal.

After healing, a dental crown (or bridge, if replacing more than one tooth), is placed on the implant.

The advantage of implants are that they do not affect the teeth either side, and they have a great success and long term survival rate. However, saying this, if dentistry is done to a high standard, and the client maintains good oral hygiene, then most dental work has a high success rate.

By Dr Gurs Sehmi
Onyx Dental & Skin Clinic
(Follow Me On Twitter)

Top 10 Ways Cheap Ways To Improve Your Smile!

2011-04-28T16:45:00.001+01:00

Having a great, confident smile isn't all about having a full set of dental veneers! Here are some cost effective ways to improve your smile!

1. Brush Your Teeth (Well...)

It sounds really obvious- but most people do not brush well. Having healthy gums is just as important as having white teeth. Brushing your teeth and gums well will make the gums pink, healthy and firm. It will also reduce bad breath and will ensure you keep your teeth for longer!

2. Use You Teeth For Eating - Not Opening Bottles!

The number of people we see who have broken their teeth by doing something as silly as opening a bottle is amazing!

As soon as you chip your tooth, the whole smile will no longer be symmetrical, so make sure to treat your teeth well!

3. Eat All Your Sweets At Once!

Yes, you read that correctly, most people enjoy eating a few sweet things, and the only way to minimise the destruction this can cause is to eat your sweets all at once - and not spreading the sweets over a long period of time.

4. Have Your Teeth Whitened

Okay, its not free, but whitening your teeth will instantly make them look cleaner, and fresher. There are many whitening systems out there, make sure you see a cosmetic dentist when considering this treatment. Many of the treatments available in beauty salons and shopping centres will not whiten your teeth, so you end up wasting £100+.

5. A Little Re-Contouring Can Go A Long Way

Re-contouring the bottom edges of the teeth, usually with white fillings can make a smile look softer, and more pleasing, have a look at the following photo to see what a little filling can do!

Something like this will probably cost the same as whitening.

6. Professional Cleaning

There is some build up that your tooth brush will not be able to get rid of, by seeing a hygienist, you can be sure that your teeth are clean, and polished!

7. Change That Discoloured Filling

Old, poorly placed white fillings can discolour over time, or even stain at the edges. You can try to have these polished, but the best thing is often to change the filling all together. You will be amazed at the difference this can make!

8. Tea, Coffee, Red Wine and Smoking

Its no surprise that all these things will stain your teeth. You can try and drink these drinks from a straw, and as for smoking, try and give up altogether, or at least for a few days, if you are sharpening up for a job interview.

9. Get An Electric Toothbrush & Floss!

Electric Toothbrushes are usually more effective than manual brushes. At Onyx Dental, we always recommend Oral-B brushes. We don't think the sonic brushes do much more than manual brushes. Flossing is one of the best ways to maintain healthy gums between the teeth, so everyone above the age of 18 should floss once a day.

10. If All Else Fails

See a cosmetic dentist. It may be that the problems you have can be fixed easily, and you may need to consider comprehensive treatment. Most clinics offer free consultations, so it might be an idea to pop down, and discuss your issues with a dentist trained in cosmetic dentistry.

For free cosmetic dental consultations, please call Onyx Dental on 0208 998 5491

A Set of Cosmetic Veneers - Without Any Drilling!

2011-04-27T21:42:00.000+01:00

Have you ever wondered what your smile might look like if you had a set of veneers?

For a lot of people, having great teeth seems like an impossibility, but not any more - you can now see what your teeth may look like after you have veneers placed - and all without even leaving your bedroom!

Using the latest techniques in Smile Design, if you send a close up photo of your smile to Onyx Dental, then we assess the position of your teeth and gums, as they are, listen to what you are not happy with, and then generate a new smile, based on your teeth and smile.

Initially, we start with a photo, like the one below:

From this, we look at the position of the gums, and using key principles, we try and visualise where the gum line should be. In this case, the key principles are:
- To create symmettry, especially near the mid-line.
- Try and keep the central teeth and the canine gum level at the same height.
- Have the central side tooth 1/2mm lower than the central tooth.
- Make sure the back teeth are visible, so that the smile doesn't look too narrow.

This is how the gum line should look:

After getting the gums in the right place, we need to look at the tooth size, position, and angalation. There are about 10-15 points that we need to take into consideration for getting the smile right, but after a little work, a good design for this smile looks something like this:

Instantly things are looking a LOT better! This view is particularly nice, as it allows us to see the before and after in one photograph.

It also lets the dentist get a bit of an idea where the teeth need to be trimmed for this smile. In this case, I envisage, only a few areas would need to be adjusted, these are detailed below:

99% of the tooth in this case (after the dental decay was addressed), would actually be left alone. We could actually place veneers on these teeth, with little or no drilling, and they wouldn't look bulky or unnatural!

To give the client a better idea of what the smile may look like, we can fill in the gaps, so the smile now looks like:

Okay, I know its not the most natural look, but you get the idea!

The colour of the teeth is a very complex thing to get into, and is therefore difficult to do well in a simulation, but if you want a general idea of what your smile might look like, why not give this a try?

If you would like to see your smile, transformed, all you need to do is send us a close up photo of your smile, and will do the rest. If you pass us your contact details, we will explain how to take a good photo, and have your new smile sent to you within a few days!

Go on - Give it a try!

Dental Implants - or Dental Bridges?

2011-04-21T17:26:00.000+01:00

If you have one or two missing teeth, what is the best thing - a dental implant, or a dental bridge? They are both a decent investment, so which is best for you?

The answer to this question is quite complex, and depends on a lot of different factors, but I will try and summarise the most common situations.

If you are just missing one tooth, and the teeth either side are healthy, and maybe have small fillings in them, then the key differences between dental implants and bridges are:

Time To Get Your Tooth: Dental implants rely a lot on healing times, therefore the actual time to get your tooth can be from 3 months to 8 months, depending on if we need to take a tooth out before placement.

A dental bridge can be placed within two weeks, or maybe 4 if your case is particularly complex.

Effect On Adjacent Teeth: As the implant is placed in the bone, we very rarely affect the surrounding teeth. With a dental bridge, the surrounding teeth will have to be modified to accept the bridge. If you already have crowns on the surrounding teeth, most of this modification has usually been made already.

Price Of Treatment: In most good dental clinics, the price difference is pretty small, so although important, it shouldn't be key in influencing your long term treatment goals. At Onyx Dental a single implant, with crown costs £2400, and a bridge with three teeth on it will cost £2250.

How Long Will It Last? Dental implants have been shown to be one of the longest lasting treatments available, with the average life span usually quoted at 40 years. In addition, they are highly successful, with a 95% success rate (after 5 years). Dental bridges are usually dependant on the health of the adjacent teeth, and at Onyx Dental we usually quote about 15-20 years as the average life span.

Other factors that may be important are:

Bone Quality: Implants are related to the quality of bone, and the amount of bone available. If there isn't enough bone available, then you might need additional treatment to increase the amount of bone available.

Health of adjacent teeth: Bridges are dependant on the quality of the surrounding teeth, so you need healthy teeth, to form the foundations of a good bridge.

Is the missing tooth in the smile zone? and is the gum visible? - The way the gum looks around the tooth is very important here, and also, the height of the bone. The best type of dental implant to use here is the Ankylos System, as it is the only one which is 100% placed in the bone, this means you don't get a grey halo around the neck of the tooth.

If you are considering implants or bridges, then it is critical that you talk to a dentist who knows a lot about the treatments, to give you the best opinion for your mouth. At Onyx Dental, we offer free initial consultations, to discuss your needs, or you could book a consultation with our Cosmetic Dentist, or Implant Placing Dentist.

Please call our friendly team on 0208 998 5491 for more information on what we can do for you.

ps. to get more regular updates, just subscribe to the mailing list, on the top right of this page.

Dr Gurs Sehmi

If you are embarrased about your smile, how do you choose a good Cosmetic Dentist?

2011-04-17T19:26:00.000+01:00

If you are not happy with your teeth, chances are you are embarrassed to show your smile, and this is a great shame because a nice confident smile will always make the person you are talking to feel at ease, and more comfortable.

If you reach the stage where you would like to have something done about the appearance of your teeth, then you need a good cosmetic dentist! Most dentists in the UK will say they do cosmetic work, and I am sure they do, but there is a difference between a dentist who does the occasional 4 veneer case, and someone who takes cosmetic dentistry very seriously, and really know how to give you an amazing smile - and this takes time!

At Onyx Dental, Dr Gurs Sehmi has been trained by some of the best cosmetic dentists in the UK, and for us, one of the most important parts of the assessment is getting to know our clients. We spend over an hour talking to you, so that we can really understand your situation, because no two situations are ever the same.

We always come to a final plan together, and we take a long time to explain what the treatment is, and what it will involve. This again is very important because we believe in being open, and never hiding anything behind dental jargon.

If you decide to go ahead with us, there are several stages of treatment, to ensure that you get the most ideal outcome. I will write more about these stages in other blogs, but here is an overview:

Stage 1. Mock up - without drilling any tooth, we build up the teeth with white filling material. This gives you (and us) an idea where key aspects of your teeth should be, and it also lets our cosmetic laboratory know how to make the wax provisional teeth.

Stage 2. Trial Smile - If you are happy with the lab made 'ideal' teeth, then we transfer these to your own mouth. This lets you try your new smile, and if there are any changes to be made, then we can take tooth off, or add more tooth, to make your smile fit your body and face. This is the most critical part of the treatment, as its the most artistic, and its this part which separates the artistic cosmetic dentists to the routine drill and fill dentists. At Onyx Dental, we spend about two hours perfecting these trial smiles.

Stage 3. Review - Its never easy to say you love your teeth in the dental chair, so we let you really have a look at your trial teeth in the comfort of your own home, let your friends and loved ones see, and give their honest opinions. At the review we can change anything you want to, but quite often we don't change a thing.

Stage 4. Full speed ahead - We let the lab know you are happy with the colour, the texture, the shape and alignment of your teeth, and they make the teeth. The lab we use have made teeth for popular TV programmes such as Extreme Makeover UK.

Stage 5. Fit - This is where you get your smile. The final teeth are made of the best porcelain, and look just like natural teeth, and as we have taken a long time to get to this stage, we can be sure that you will love the final smile, and unlike the month before, you wont be able to stop smiling!

If you would like to find out more about our services, then please call us on 02089985491, and we offer free consultations, to see how we can help you!

Gurs Sehmi

Cosmetic White Fillings - An Alternative to Dental Veneers?

2011-04-13T16:38:00.000+01:00

With the right filling material, in the right dentists hands, white fillings can be a great cost effective alternative to dental veneers.

Sometimes repairing a small chip on the front teeth can be the most difficult thing for a cosmetic dentist. The colour of the front teeth is very complicated, and incredibly difficult to mimic.

If you look carefully at the photo of the case above, then you can see that the teeth are more yellow at the top, and go more white towards the tip. In actual fact, the tips of the teeth are more 'see through,' and this gives a slightly blue - grey effect to the tip of the tooth. This appearance is one key factor that makes the teeth in general look younger.

Click Here to see an enlarged photo of this case.

As we age, our teeth can sometimes become worn, and they lose this translucent tip. A small chip on the front tooth can upset symmetry in the smile, and its the lack of symmetry that people notice, before the individual tooth. It is therefore critical that the teeth match each other!

In the above case, we built up the tooth using three colours, one colour for the enamel of the tooth (and there are seven standard shades of enamel), and two effect shades, one was yellow, and the other blue.

After layering the colours to mimic the natural tooth, the final fillings were polished to finish the process.

In this case, we also placed a little white filling on the patients right central tooth, to smooth the rough area on the tip of the tooth.

A very similar result could be achieved by using dental veneers, however, in this case, it would mean removing healthy tooth tissue, which the client was not in favour of.

Will Cosmetic Dental Veneers Damage Damage My Teeth?

2011-04-04T15:45:00.000+01:00

Dental Veneers can make an uneven and disproportioned smile instantly amazing - but what is the cost?

In the past, dentists would be willing to take away a lot of tooth tissue, in order to give you the smile you have always wanted, an there is no question, that in the right hands, this can look amazing, however, in the recent years, potential clients have been seeking less destructive means to achieve a million dollar smile.

Cosmetic Dental Veneers have come a long way in the last few years, and the biggest advance is the type of porcelain used to make them. These days, the best material you can have for your veneers is called E-Max. This is a special type of porcelain, which has the unique property that it looks amazing, and life-like and it is hard in thin sections, where the old porcelains would easily snap if they were made too thin.

This means that E Max Veneers can actually be used without cutting the teeth! In the right circumstances, a full makeover can be done, without using the drill at all!

The beauty in the picture above comes from two aspects:

1. The skill and artistic flare of the dentist who created this smile, and
2. The uniform and natural appearance of the E Max in the dental veneers

If you would like more information on E Max Veneers, then please contact the friendly team at Onyx Dental Clinic on 0208 998 5491.

Cosmetic Dental Hearing Aids!

2011-03-22T11:51:00.000Z

Did you know that apart from chewing, and making you look good, your teeth can help the hard of hearing to hear again?

Instead of being at the back of the ear, and very visible, the new cosmetic dental hearing aids are attached to the existing teeth, in a non visible position.

There is no need for any tooth cutting - and this is always a good thing!

The hearing aid relies on something called bone conduction to transfer the sound from the receiver to the ear.

For more information on the company selling this product, have a look at their website.

Whats The Difference Between a Cosmetic Dentist, and A Normal Dentist in London?

2011-03-12T11:39:00.000Z

If you thought that your dentist can do cosmetic dental work, then you may be in for a surprise! Many dentists 'think' they can do it, but there is much more to Cosmetic Dentistry than meets the eye!

General dentistry is all to do with restoring health, so the appearance of the work is always less of an issue, and this explains the horrible looking black fillings found in so many peoples teeth!

Cosmetic dentitry is an art form, and a science, when designing a smile, a lot of factors need to be taken into account, such as:

The shape of the face
How the lips frame the smile
The way the existing teeth bite together
The state of the existing teeth
The age of the client (young teeth on a more mature person just looks odd!)
Position of the teeth
Health and strength of the gums
Individual circumstances of the client, the needs, wants and any restrictions
Time scales

There is never a one size fits all i.e. we never use the same veneers on every client, each tooth is designed with a layering of several different colours, and each tooth design is as unique as a finger print!

When I used to work in the NHS I was so busy with just drilling and filling, that I never considered what is so important in creating great smiles, that stand the test of time!

Each client should have a clinical assessment of at least an hour and a half, and after this, the possible solutions should be clearly explained in every situation.

In most cases, the treatment can be quite expensive, so it is critially imprtant that your cosmetic dentist walks you through every possible solution, and you should only sign up if you are 100% happy with everything you have seen at the practice up until that point. (Has the dentist shown you before and after photos of previous cases?)

Please feel free to comment on the above post, I would love your feedback!

Gurs Sehmi
Cosmetic Dentist
Onyx Dental
Middlesex,
West London

Improving your smile, without veneers (Well, kind-of)

2011-02-23T21:30:00.000Z

Are you like one of the millions of people who would like to have a better smile, but for some reason or another you haven't done anything about it, be it lack of time, fear of treatment, financial cost, or you don't want to grind your teeth down for crowns or veneers? - Well now there are many new options in the world of cosmetic dentistry!

Invisible Braces

I have written a lot of articles about invisible braces, but as its one of our most popular treatments, I will include it here.

In most cases, the shape and size of your teeth will be attractive, however the angulation of the teeth might not be correct. A few years ago, most cosmetic dentists would have looked at ways to put crowns on the teeth, so that the crowns can be straight, on wonky roots!

These days, we much prefer to use invisible braces to straighten the teeth, so we can do a minimal amount of tooth cutting, and get a very natural appearance.

Composite veneers

Composite is the dentists name for white fillings. Good quality white fillings have several shades, to mimic the different colours of natural tooth, and the way light hits the tooth, resulting in a natural tooth colour. The photo at the top of this article is done with composite veneers.

Composite can also be used to repair broken teeth, such as in the photo below.

Here the already broken teeth were left alone, minimal cutting was needed, and the composite was just glued onto the remaining teeth.

Composite veneers require a lot of skill from the dentist, so make sure that the you have seen a selection of before and after photos of previous cases!

Non Preparation Veneers

Usually a porcelain veneer looks more life than a composite veneer, but the drawback is always the fact you need to cut down natural tooth to get a good result.

A relatively new technique is the non prep veneer. This is a very thin veneer, which doesn't need the underlying tooth to be cut down. Recent advances have let the final result look really good, and lifelike!

For non prep veneers, the dentist really needs to know what they are doing. Not everyone is suitable - but in the right cases, it looks brilliant, and you get to keep your own teeth!

Ultimately, everything mentioned is a tool, and what is right for you may not be right for everyone. You can only know the suitable options for you, by having a consultation with your cosmetic dentist.

By Gurs Sehmi
Onyx Dental
0208 998 5491

Vampire Treatments or Botox or what else can you Inject?!

2011-02-16T22:12:00.000Z

How would you like to remove your own blood, purify it, and then inject it into yourself again?! This seems to be the newest anti-ageing treatment... But does it work?

The Vampire Treatment

The real name for this treatment is platelet rich therapy, it has been known for a while that platelets (a clotting agent found in blood), have very good healing properties - so it was only a matter of time before this starts to get used for cosmetic treatments. The claims this treatment makes are impressive, a natural alternative to Botox? Magic treatment to give you a natural fountain of youth?

Personally, I find it quite hard to believe. First of all, Botox is a treatment for over active muscles, which causes wrinkles to appear. There is no way that platelets will work in the same fashion.

You can read more about vampire treatments from here.

Reading about this treatment, it immediately begs the question: Is it any better than micro needling treatments, like Dermaroller? After all, with Dermaroller, you are inducing bleeding, just under the surface of the skin.

If anything, the Vampire treatment will do the same thing, costing 4 times the price!

Micro Needling (Genuine Dermaroller) is such a simple, and effective treatment - so why make it more complex by taking out your blood, separating the platelets, and then injecting it back in the face? Dermaroller will induce collagen production, and it does it very well!

I am confident that with the correct skin preparation and Genuine Dermaroller treatment, you will get the same, if not, better results than a Vampire treatment. With Dermaroller, you still get the platelet rejuvenating the skin, and you don't inject anything, and with the Genuine Dermaroller (the only sterile roller), there is the lowest risk of infection, not to mention the much lower cost per treatment!

Dr Gurs Sehmi
Clinical Director @ Onyx Cosmetic Clinic
0208 998 5491

Stretch Marks - What Can Be Done?

2011-02-09T20:46:00.001Z

What Causes Stretch Marks?

Most people suffer from stretch marks; they are caused by sudden changes in skin tightness, such as during pregnancy, or changes in weight. Many people will get them during puberty, when hormonal changes cause fluctuations in weight.

The appearance is due to changes in the collagen layers under the skin. Initially they often appear darker, or red, this is because of the increased blood supply to them. After time, they will fade to a silver or grey colour.

How can they be treated?

There are several treatments available, the first being topical creams or lotions.

Creams and Lotions

Of the many on the market, Bio Oil is considered to be the best, and may fade the stretch mark over time. Saying this, even the makers of Bio Oil say that it is better used as prevention rather than a cure, so topical use during pregnancy wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Lasers

Lasers seem to be able to do everything these days, even stretch mark removal! There is one laser in particular, the XTRAC, which seems to be the better of the bunch. Treatment with laser tends to be quite expensive, and will require several sessions.

Micro Needling with Dermaroller

Micro Needling is a fairly new and simple technique, where the skin is numbed, and thousands of tiny pin pricks are made. These quickly heal, but the process causes new collagen to form, and the gradual disappearance to the stretch marks.

After 3 sessions, many people experience a 80%+ reduction is the appearance, and this reduction is permanent!

Whats more, the treatment with Dermaroller is much cheaper than laser treatment.

Onyx Dental & Skin Clinic are registered to provide Dermaroller treatments, as well as other microneedling treatments, for a free consultation, please call 0208 998 5491

Straightening teeth to get your perfect smile!

2011-01-25T18:50:00.000Z

If there is one thing that we can do to make your smile a million times better, its straightening your teeth!

Over the last few years, teeth straightening among adults has become hugely popular. I am sure this has something to do with the advent of invisible braces, like Invisalign, and Clearstep. With treatments like these, you can straighten teeth without anyone even knowing that you are wearing a brace!

There are several ways to straighten teeth, depending on the amount of movement needed.

Removable appliances
At Onyx Dental, we often use simple removable braces to push one or two teeth into position. The advantages are that this results in quick and more cost effective treatment. The braces themselves are often invisible, but the slight down side is they are a little bulkier than normal invisible braces.

Prices range from £120 - £400

QuickStep (or Crystalline)
These are similar to the Invisalign and Clearstep aligners, but they are made by hand, by a specialist orthodontic lab. This system is ideal for people who had braces, and the teeth have since moved out of place. It requires regular appointments, every 2-3 weeks, but it works out much more cost effective than Invisalign. Normal prices are £800 for one top or bottom, and £1600 for top and bottom.

This is by far the most popular treatment that we do.

ClearStep
We use ClearStep for more compex cases. Without having a look, we cannot say if you will fall into a complex case catagory, as there are lots of things we look at.

ClearStep is (in our opinion), a much better treatment than Invisalign. All the aligners are made after an Orthodontist (tooth movement specialist), has had a look at it, and you only have 8 aligners made at a time. This means we need to see you every 16 weeks for new impressions, and this means we can make small corrections to the treatment plan, as we go along (unlike Invisalign)

Treatments with ClearStep will cost a MAXIMUM of £2500 for upper and lower teeth.

Seeing the Specialist
For any very complex treatment, we would advise going to see an orthodontist. Orthodontists tend to like using fixed (Ugly Betty) braces, and for good reason. If you don't mind the look, these are still the best way to move teeth, they are quick, and precise.

Prices will depend on the Orthodontist, but usually you can expect to pay £3000 - £6500 depending on the type of brace.

Gurs Sehmi

Do you want Naturally Thicker Eye Lashes?

2011-01-11T12:18:00.003Z

Imagine that you had a liquid that you could put on your eye lashes, which in a few weeks, could make the eye lashes grow, and give you naturally thicker, longer and fuller eyelashes!

Does this sound too good to be true? I thought it did - but this is what Obagi, a very trusted skin care company are claiming (among other companies).

What is it?

The product is Obagi's ElastiLash, and its a very simple treatment, that you can buy, without prescription - but as with anything like this, make sure you get it from a reputable clinic, as I am sure there will be counterfeits online!

All you need to do is use the product, like an eye liner, every night, and the compounds in the serum will encourage the skin in the eyelash area to produce more hair - as simple as that!

Does it work?

I have been reading up on this, and to my surprise, most reviews have been very positive! but just to be sure, I have ordered a few in and the staff at Onyx Clinic are trying them out, I will take photos, and let you know how this comes along in a few weeks.

From the official Obagi website, the before and after results look very promising, look at the results after just six weeks:

From what I have read, it seems that the best results are when you combine your new lashes with a good mascara.

Are there any side effects?

So far I have not read about any with this product, but there have been some occurrences with other products, the most notable being that a small minority claimed that their light coloured eyes had darkened to brown with the system that they used.

How exactly does this work?

As with most of these things, no one knows for sure! It was discovered as a side effect of another use. Patients being treated for Glycoma, reported getting longer eye lashes after being treated with specific medicines, and people with glycoma in just one eye had noticeably longer lashes in that eye being treated! Obagi have then refined a product that contains this magic molecule, and made it thicker, so that it stays in the area to be treated, and doesn't get in the eye.

Can I buy it?

Yes, as its such a new product, we are just testing it out in the clinic, but it is fully licensed in the UK, if you would like to buy it, just give us a call, and we can arrange to send it out to you, or you could pick it up.

Call us on 0208 998 5491, or contact us from our main website.

(It costs £53.99)

Making Worn Teeth New Again!

2010-11-23T17:50:00.001Z

One thing that can instantly age your appearance, is your teeth.

Worn down teeth are almost always associated with older people, and its therefore not too surprising that its a common thing for people to want to reverse. Luckily it is possible, and probably not as expensive as you think it is!

Lets have a look at a gentleman who cam to see us a few months ago, and wanted just that! After going to another practice, and having been quoted £30,000 to do the work, he came to us, and apart from beating the price (by the price of a small car!), we also offered superior treatment.

From the pre treatment photos, we can see that there is a lot of wear of the bottom teeth, this was the clients biggest concern, and we were in a good position to correct this

Originally, we planned to build up the teeth in Composite, the white filling material we have, to trial what the final outcome would look like, and then, to get a really good final result, the plan was to restore the teeth with a combination of crowns, veneers, and two implants in the bottom jaw.

After the first stage of treatment, the client was so happy with the provisional, built up teeth, he decided to keep them as they are, and hold fire on the veneers!

Below, you can see the photo taken straight after treatment. (There are other problems with the upper left second from middle tooth, which it appears dark - as the clients lip line is so low, this did not bother him, so we are going to review it in a few months). Also, the gums still look a little red, and this is due to the polishing of the composite veneers after the treatment.

In order to get a really great, almost Hollywood smile, the second part of treatment would need to be carried out after a few months.

What Should I Know About Laser Hair Reduction?

2010-08-03T17:29:00.000+01:00

Laser Hair Reduction is getting more and more popular, and it seems that every hair and beauty salon in the world is getting on the band wagon! Here is a simple article to help you know what you're buying, and what the possible risks are with treatment, and realistic outcomes after sucessful treatment.

Firstly; What is the difference between IPL and Laser?
Both use light, both promise permanent results, so why choose one over the other?

The Answer is a little comlicated, but in a nut shell, Laser Hair Removal is more effective, and therefore needs many fewer treatments, and there is more reduction.

The reason behind this goes back to the basics of Intense (Pulsed) Light (IPL), and Laser. A laser is a single wavelength of light, which only travels in a straight line, and all the light is 'in phase,' which means it has more penetrating power.

The wavelength of laser is specific, so that it targets the hair, and then heats up the follicle, which disables it. With IPL, there is no specific wavelength, so this means that different structures in the skin will also get heated with the light. Also, as the light is not uni-directional, there is a lot of light leakage, which means a lot of wasted light, and lastly, as the light is not in phase, the little light that is left which is the right colour, and aimed in the right direction, is not powerful enough to penetrate deep into the skin! This is much more apparent in deeper hair, such as the bikini, and armpits.

To confuse things further, many beauty salons will say they have laser, when in fact, its an IPL. The truth is a Laser machine is far more expensive to buy than an IPL, so many salons will go for the cheaper option.

What are the Risks with Laser Hair Removal?

The biggest downsides of laser hair removal is that it is (usually) painful, and there is a risk of burning. The reason for both of these risks is the way energy is delivered to the hair.

Traditionally, lasers would fire one big burst of energy per parch, then move on to the next patch. This means that the machine needs to be set to the exact correct level, to ensure effective use, and minimal risk to the skin.

With the new Soprano XL Blue laser, both of these adverse effects can be minimised. The Soprano XL Blue will gently heat up the hair, by firing small bursts of energy, very quickly.

The difference is like heating the hair up gently in an oven, or cooking it with a blow torch!

This unique way of delivering energy to the skin makes this the safest system to use on darker skin types, you only need to do a search on the internet to see the damage that lasers in the wrong hands will do!

Can a beauty therapist carry out the procedure?

At Onyx Dental and Skin Clinic, we always recommend that everyone have a consultation with one of the medical professionals, on site, before starting any treatment. This ensures everyone gets the right treatment, and final outcomes are discussed.

Our laser operators are not medically trained, however, they are all trained in depth regarding the use of the laser, and how to avoid any discomfort during treatment, they are all highly skilled, and have had the laser treatment on themselves!

Are the results permanent?

Yes. Once the hair follicle has been disabled, you will never get another hair in its place. We cannot prevent hairs growing from follicles, which did not have a hair at the time of laser treatment. For this reason, we normally say you can expect an 80-90% reduction in hair growth.

People with specific conditions, where the hair growth is hormonally initiated, will get lower reduction in hair growth.

How long does it take?

This depends on the area being treated, skin type, and hair type. Typically, for legs, the treatment can take from 30 minutes to one hour. For delicate areas, the energy rate is reduced, and the time for treatment is increased, to ensure good results.

How much does it cost?
For an up to date price list, Click Here
Consultations and test patches are completely free

To arrange one, or to get more information, please call the clinic on 0208 998 5491

What Does Your Smile Say About You?

2010-05-29T09:04:00.000+01:00

Whats in a Smile?

Have you ever wondered why we smile? Or more importantly, what effect do our smiles have? It seems that these days, there is nothing more beautiful than an uninhibited smile. It is more important than having nice hair, make-up, body and even clothing! A simple, innocent smile can instantly make others view you in a favourable fashion, and put others at ease. All you need to do is to look at any one of the millions of advertising messages that we are exposed to each day, and you will notice that the greater majority have an image of a person smiling, and it doesn't matter so much that they are young, old, male, female, rich or poor, a simple uninhibited smile will make you the person looking at the smile, feel more open to the image, and more likely to read the text associated with it.

"Smile at life, and life will smile back at you" - William Shakespeare

This is as true now, as it was back when William Shakespeare wrote it, and you should try this yourself. If you ever find yourself, not enjoying life, if you have had a bad day at work, and feel under a lot of stress, try to force a smile. Scientists have shown that forcing yourself to smile will actually make you feel happier, and more confident.

How People See a Nice Smile

In a survey (Conducted by Harris Interactive for Align Technologies, October 2000), 64% people agreed that those people with nicer smiles were more outgoing, and 87% thought that a nice smile was important to your self confidence. In another survey by Orbit Chewing Gum, roughly 6 in 10 adults thought that if they had whiter teeth, it would boost their confidence, and 71% thought that people with nice smiles made friends more easily than those with crooked teeth.

Because a smile is often the first thing we see about someone, we often make snap judgements based upon this. A nice, well aligned set of teeth, framed by a nice smile can act as a barometer of the perceived health, and wealth. People with nice teeth, are associated with good health and wealth, whereas, those with noticeable flaws, are thought to be suffering financially. In one survey, a photo of someone with a nice smile was shown to the public, and they were asked to guess the IQ of the person. This photo was then edited to have flaws in the teeth, and the general public was then asked again, to guess the IQ, not surprisingly, the average IQ of the photo with a nice smile was rated higher than that of the same photo, with flawed teeth.

You get what you put in

They say that non verbal communication makes up over 70% of all our communication. When we communicate, our facial expressions give away a lot more than we possibly think. How many times have you been served by a waiter, or sales person, and it was obvious they didn't care about what they were doing, and most importantly, there was no 'service with a smile.' How did this attendant make you feel? chances are they said all the write things, but their body language, and lack of enthusiasm, and therefore smile just put off buying or doing whatever you were going to do. I can think of several situations where a miserable waiter, or waitress has put a damper on my whole evening!

If you have a warm and engaging smile, you will entice these similar feelings with whoever you are talking to. How good does it feel when a stranger smiles at you? Do you smile back? Chances are yes.

Reasons Not to Smile

So, if a simple smile does a world of good, what reasons might someone have not to smile? Well, not too surprisingly, one big reason is lack of confidence. Many people know that they will be judged on their smile, and know their teeth are not the best in the world, and feel embarrassed to smile. These people will often avoid smiling, or even cover their smile, so no one can see it. This seems insane, considering how advances in dental care mean that almost anything that you are concious about can easily be corrected, often with minimally invasive treatments, such as white fillings, or even invisible braces to straighten teeth. Simply whitening teeth, will give you more confidence, and when people comment on how nice your teeth look, you will get more and more confident to smile!

If you are conscious about your smile, you should definitely see a professional, to see how they can help. There are a few good cosmetic dentists about, and some will offer free consultations, why not book yourself in, and see how easy it is to get yourself a smile you can really be proud to show the world!

Gurs Sehmi - Lead Cosmetic Dentist at Onyx Dental
0208 998 5491

What Should Our Next Special Offer Be?

2010-05-10T15:04:00.000+01:00

As you may know, Onyx Dental is having the first of its May Open Evenings, this Thursday, and I have just been out in Ealing, to promote it!

I have promised everyone that we will have a special offer on the night, but I'm not sure what to have!

Almost everyone commented on my teeth, saying they liked how white they were - so maybe a exclusive whitening offer is the way forward!

At the moment, we have three ways to whiten teeth, which range from basic home whitening, to the enlighten system, which pretty much guarantees uniformly white teeth - In our opinion, this is the best, and as we are charged a lot for the kit, it is also the most expensive of the systems we use.

(We do also have the Zoom Advanced Laser whitening system, which is only used in special circumstances, as it doesn't work well on everyone...)

Our ongoing offers:
Wedding offers - Buy one, get the second 1/2 price, saving you up to £250 with enlighten teeth whitening. (you don't need to be getting married for this, just book two at once, and you will be entitled for this offer...)

Referral Rewards - If you recommend someone for any of our cosmetic procedures, and they come and have it, we will give you £100 off your treatment! - and you can use this as many times as you want!

Please let me know what offers you would like to see, and if its financially viable, we will offer them on the day!

Kind Regards
Gurs Sehmi

Prices for Teeth Whitening:

At home whitening - £220

Zoom Laser Whitening - £330

Zoom + Home - £500 (this is recommended over Zoom alone)

Enlighten - £500 (Most recommended system in most cases, as you get the best results)
(We can offer 0% credit on treatment over £500, over 10 months, subject to status, T&C apply)

May Open Days Planned!

2010-05-04T13:04:00.001+01:00

If you have ever wondered what can be done to improve your smile, but never been able to pluck up the courage to visit your dentist- then this is for you!

We are holding a series of open evenings in May, the first one on the 13th, giving the general public the opportunity to come in, see the practice, and more importantly meet the team, and find out the truth about what can be done, for your particular situation, and roughly how much work is involved...

Don't worry, no one will be looking into anyone's mouth, and all sharp tools will be hidden away! There is no commitment to go ahead with anything, however, we will have some irresistible on the night offers, and a prize draw, where you could win free teeth whitening! (worth £220)

Unlike most teeth whitening systems, ours wont ware off after a few days!

There is no need to register, and we have ample free parking!

The address is
Onyx Dental
18 Wadsworth Road
Perivale, Middlesex
UB6 7JD

(or check out our website: The Best Cosmetic Dental Practice In The World!)

We hope to see you there!

Gurs

How Good Fillings Are Placed

2010-04-26T18:32:00.001+01:00

Many people will think that a filling is a filling, and there is no difference - how naive!

If you see an NHS dentist, you can probably have an NHS filling in about 15 minutes. Its not hard to take out the dental decay, then slap in that ugly black filling!

To do a good white (composite) filling requires more time, and skill from the dentist. Lets look at a case I just did now:

After having a look, and deciding that the tooth does in fact need a filling, the client is given local anaesthetic, to ensure the filling is as comfortable as possible. (Topical anesthetic can be used, but the solution should always be warm, as this makes it far more comfortable!)

Then a rubber dam is placed:

This is probably the single most important step, especially in fillings in back teeth. It serves several functions:

It will keep the airway safe - There is no chance that anything could fall down the throat
It keeps the teeth that we are working on nice and dry. This is critical for the long term success of a white filling, as we rely a lot on chemical bonds to hold the fillings in place.
Some clients find using a rubber dam far more comfortable than not using it
It keeps the tongue and cheeks out of harms way (i.e. less chance the drill will nip them!)

From here, we can see the problem easily:

A small hole like this one is often a lot larger under the enamel. Here we can see a dark shadow around the hole, suggesting a larger cavity.

With a little exploration, we can see the extent of the decay, probably not as big as I thought. All this needs to be cleaned, before we can think about placing a filling.

Because this filling will make up some of the contact point between the tooth, and the one behind, it will be slightly more tricky, and take a little longer than a simple small filling.

Once cleaned, the tooth will look like this:

There is no more black decay, the darker dentine that you can see is perfectly healthy, so I am happy to start placing the filling itself.

Placing the filling is a methodical process, several chemicals need to be applied to the surface of the tooth, to make sure the filling sticks, then the filling needs to be build up in small increments, the final product should look something like this:

There is a nice, tight contact between the tooth, and the tooth behind it, and the filling should be invisible.

A good filling like this should last forever, as long as the client maintains a low sugar diet, and brushes their teeth effectively every day!

The final part is to check if the filling is high, and if it is, it might require some adjustments.

The whole process took about 45 minutes to do, and I charged £120. We should probably charge more for something as highly crafted and polished as this!

Gurs Sehmi
Onyx Dental & Skin Clinic
18 Wadsworth Road, Perivale
UB6 7JD

Predictable Teeth Whitening

2010-04-21T19:57:00.002+01:00

We took an interesting phone call this week: someone asking to buy some tooth whitening gel. Nothing too strange there, but it turned out to be a guy who owns a beauty salon, and he wanted to sell on the gels.

There has been a lot of controversy about people doing teeth whitening, where they are not qualified, and providing this potentially harmful treatment, I think that there will always be a market for cheap and cheerful products, its just like the automotive industry, you could buy a Bentley, or a Mini. Both will get you from one place to the other, but the Bentley will do it reliably, and predictably, and if something out of the ordinary happens, you know you will be taken care of!

Firstly is Tooth Whitening Harmful?

Usually not. Most people including most salons are well educated enough not to do harmful tooth whitening, however, there have been a few cases where disreputable people have been using harmful chemicals, like chlorine to whiten teeth. This does work for a few days, but then you will notice the surface of your teeth shedding, and this is un-repairable damage caused to your teeth.

Is Salon Teeth Whitening The Same As Professional Teeth Whitening?

No. From my understanding, and my conversation, most salons will use an LED light, to shine in the mouth, and apply a gel to the teeth, and then wait for the results. Although some dentists use a similar technique, and we at Onyx Dental & Skin used to do a fair bit of Zoom Whitening, there are some key differences.

The active whitening agent used at a dental clinic is typically higher concentration, we used to use 22% Carbamide Peroxide, applied three times. Salons will use 6% Hydrogen peroxide, and leave one amount on for a long time.
The LEDs used by salons, do absolutely nothing. In fact, its sometimes questionable that the Zoom Light does anything to actually increase the speed of the reaction. The Zoom is much more intense, and warmer, so this might increase the activity of the whitening gels.
Salons use much cheaper products! To do a Zoom procedure would cost us more than £200 in direct costs, and salons are doing the whole thing at £120! This salon owner admitted to me that the light is a gimmick, and the results are mainly from dehydration of the teeth, and therefore they don't last a week! But then, he is charging a fraction of the price!
At a dental clinic, you will pay for dentists time. This is unavoidable, and charged at about £160- £220 per hour. This buys you professional advice before you begin the procedure, a rough idea of what you can achieve, what you should be aware of before you start treatment, what the risks are etc., and all this advice will be specific to you.

At Onyx Dental we are proud to be able to offer predictable, safe, and long lasting teeth whitening solutions, and with our interest free credit, you can have pearly white teeth for as little as £50 per month (10 months, for our best whitening solution)

In general, we have found that laser whitening gives unpredictable results, it works better in younger clients. Our special power whitening, which is a combination of home whitening, and in surgery higher concentration whitening seems to work the best, no matter what age, or amount of staining!

If you would like to find out more, then either email me, call the clinic on 0208 998 5491, or come to one of our open days in May, on the 13th, 20th or 27th (2010)

Gurs

Whats the Difference Between Dental Implants?

2010-04-08T21:34:00.001+01:00

If you are considering Dental Implants, chances are that you have done some research on the internet. And chances are this probably confused you more!

There are so many different types of dental implants available, is there really a difference? Is one really much better than another? Why is there such a big difference between different systems?

Let me help explain some key differences... I will exclude all the cheap implant systems that are often used abroad, as I don't know too much about them, and I don't recommend anyone shopping purely on price, as quality will suffer...
The main brands of Dental Implants are:
Straumann
3i
Nobel (Biocare)
Ankylos

In all honesty, they will all work well, if they are being placed by a good implantologist, the difference is in what they look like, and how well they seal against bacterial leakage. In both of these catagories, the Ankylos system comes out on top.

The Implant is made of three sections, the Implant, the abutment, and the crown. The Implant, and abutment are shown below:

In lay terms, the implant stays in the bone, the abutment fits in the implant, and the crown is placed on top. The junction between the implant, and the abutment needs to be tight- to stop bacterial leaking into it. There have been many anicdotal stories of implantologists, who uncover the implants, and are greeted by a horid smell! Because the seal of the Ankylos system is so tight, there is never a smell when removing the implant, years after placement.

One key difference between the Ankylos and other implants is that the Ankylos is placed about 1mm under the surface of the bone. This is a great advantage, because, it hides the dark appearance of the implant, and the gum always looks pink and healthy - This is always desirable when spending over £2000 on new teeth!

At Onyx Dental and Skin Clinic, we predominently use the Ankylos system, as our implantologist believes it is the best system available.

If you would like more information on Implants, and to find out if its right for you, give us a call or drop us an email 0208 998 5491 (reception@onyxdental.co.uk)

Dental Implants Come to Onyx Dental

2010-04-01T16:43:00.001+01:00

We are proud to announce that Onyx Dental, West London, now provides Dental Implants!

For those of you who don't know, dental impants are the best replacement for missing teeth.

The tooth is replaced with a titanium implant, which is secured into the bone (I know it sounds terrible, but it really doesn't hurt, and is over quite quickly!), and a false crown is placed on top. Here are a few reasons for Dental Implants to be the best treatment for missing teeth:

1. There is no need to grind away sometimes healthy teeth to replace this missing tooth. (This is what you would need to do if you were considering bridge)

2. You don't need to tolerate a denture. No one I know likes to wear a denture (and I know a lot of denture wearers!), mostly because NHS denture are just terrible, they are often loose, poorly made, bulky, they stop you enjoying good food, as you often cannot chew hard foods, or taste some flavours, as the top of your mouth is covered. Dental implants can be used to hold in bridges, and even mini dentures, and the beauty is, these mini dentures are as stable as your own teeth!

3.They have an over 97% sucess rate - which is better than any other dental procedure!

Onyx Dental has teamed up with an extremely highly trained implantologist - Dr Puneet Jain, who initially trained on the Royal College of Surgeons implant training course, which according to the dental governing body (the GDC), is the UKs best implant training scheme.

Dr Jain has trained for over two years (just in implants, and six more years for general dentistry), and has experiance of simple one tooth dental implants, to full mouth reconstructions, using dental implants.

There are many dentists in the UK who provide dental implants, however, there is no formal regulation, and we at Onyx Dental would only recommend you see someone who is highly trained.

What is the cost of Dental Implants I hear you ask?!

Well, if you take into account the cost of all the consultations, x rays, temporary restorations, for a one tooth implant, the price is usually £2000 (sometimes we need to add the price of a CT Scan, which is £198)

With our 0% Finance, over 24 months, this is the same as £83.34 per month! We also have long term interest bearing options, which means, with no deposit, you could have a dental implant for as little as £54.62 per month!

We are sure that dental implants will change your life, imagine having your tooth back, and never having to worry about a denture or bridge coming loose!

If you would like to see if you can have an implant, call us to book a free consultation, and we can look at your case in detail. - 0208 998 5491

or email us at reception@onyxdental.co.uk

Obagi Nu Derm Guide

2010-03-29T10:56:00.003+01:00

I recently went on a course to learn about the Obagi Nu-Derm system, and I can truly say that it is the best skin system I have seen, in terms of results, and minimal invasiveness, and the ability to use it on all skin types!

Developed by Mr Obagi in California, he used this system to treat all skin types, and by preparing the skin in a certain fashion, he was able to activly treat darker skin types, which are notoriously difficult to treat, as they are so delicate!

The main difference between the Obagi system and many others on the market, is that it uses molecules that can be absorbed by the skin, to carry the active ingredients, to where they need to be - under the skin!

As most people in the advanced skin care business will know, most cosmetic creams are nothing more than glorified moisturisers, and do nothing, as they can't penetrate the skin. For this reason, Obagi Nu Derm is very different. By using a specific creams, in a specific order, you can drastically improve the appearance of your skin.

After 12 Weeks:

Each Obagi Nu Derm treatment kit is customised to your skin, so there is no over the counter solution, and each kit usually contains 6-7 different creams, to be used twice a day, every day, for (usually) 3 months, but the effort is always worth the result.

The system aims to repair damage caused by UVA and UVB sun damage, namely:

Age spots
Fine lines and wrinkles
Rough skin
Skin laxity
Erythema (Redness)
Sallowness (Complexion)
Hyperpigmentation (Discoloration)

If you would like more information on the Obagi Nu Derm system, call us to get your free DVD explaining the procedure, and you can see real life improvements.

Onyx Dental & Skin Clinic 0208 998 5491
www.onyxdental.co.uk

The Guide to Safe Tooth Whitening

2010-03-26T17:25:00.001Z

Everyone seems to want white teeth- and it seems that everyone, including beauticians can give you your dream smile!

Tooth whitening is much more complex than you might think, and I would never get it done by someone who isn't a professional!

There are several ways to whiten your teeth, and most common ways we do it at Onyx Dental & Skin, are Zoom Advanced, Home Whitening, and Power Whiteing (Enlighten system)

Zoom Whitening
This is the best marketed system, and the one that most people probably imagine when they think of tooth whitening. We use this system with varied results, it works really well on some people, but not as well on others.

The way this system works is, you come in for a 2 hour appointment, and we protect your gums and cheeks, place the high concentration gel on the teeth, shine the light, to activate the gel, thus whitening your teeth.

You can expect a good result with this, jumping about 5-8 shades after one treatment. As this doesn't normally give you a gleaming white smile, I tend to recommend the home whitening kit to go with this system.

Home Whitening
The easiest, and cheapest professional whiteing system.

With this system, you have custom made whitening trays made, and then home gels, which you place in the whitening trays, and wear for a specified time, we mostly recommend overnight wear.

This system will get results, but tends to take a little longer, I normally recommend wear for 14 nights, but you can stop when you want to, when you are happy with the results.

Power Whitening

This is a better version of the home system. The results tend to be very good with this system, if you wear the trays as prescribed.

With this system, a much tighter fitting tray is made, and must be worn for a full 14 days (or 28 if its a difficult case), and then there is an hour session in the surgery, where we apply a higher concentration gel, to boost the whitening, to as white as your teeth can get.

The beauty of this system is that the results are very predictable, and consistent.

With all tooth whitening, there are risks and benefits, and a thorough whitening consultation should be carried out before hand, to ensure the results you are looking for can be achieved.

If you would like to book a free tooth whitening consultation, please call Onyx Dental & Skin Clinic on 0208 998 5491.

Why Do My Gums Bleed When I Brush?

2010-03-26T12:38:00.000Z

Bleeding gums are very common, and most people will ignore it, as there is very rarely any pain.

In healthy gums, the pressure of the tooth brush should never cause them to bleed. The reason they bleed is that there is something else, which is irritating the gums, and that irritation makes them more prone to bleeding.

In more than 99% of the cases that something is dental plaque.

Plaque is an almost invisible, creamy white gel like substance that is made up mostly, of bacteria. These bacteria start to produce harmful toxins, which irritate the gums, and make them more prone to bleeding.

What you will notice is that your gums start to look red, and inflammed, and you don't know why! (as in the picture below)

In the top photograph, we can just about see the gum inbetween the teeth looks a little red, this would probably bleed when brushed. In the lower picture, we can see the same teeth, with a disclosing solution, this stains the plaque, making it more visible. As you can see now, there is a lot of plaque about, and this is the reason the gums are bleeding.

The good news is that, at this stage, everything is reversible. If you take the time to brush your teeth well, and use and electric toothbrush, and floss every day, then the gums will get pink again, and when you brush, there will not be any bleeding.

However - Its never this simple!

If your gums have been bleeding for a long time, and you have noticed some gum recession, then it is quite likely that the you may have the more severe form of gum disease, called periodontitis.

If you would like more information on the types of gum disease, please have a look at our gum disease page.