Balik lagi.... + about klinik

Hari ini aku mulai posting lagi... Dah lama banget ga posting, jadi kangen.... ^_^

Banyak hal yang ingin aku tulis tapi mulai dari mana ya?

Hmm... klinikku ada kemajuan nih. Konser udah nemu pasien endo tunggal, inlay bolak balik nemu tapi kukasih ke teman2 soalnya aku udah ada pasien inlay. Tapi pasiennya rewel. Udah datangnya telat terus, maksa tambal permanen padahal ga boleh (kan inlay), aku sampe dimarahi. Dia kira aku janji untuk tambal permanen (amalgam), padahal aku bilang "saya usahakan bisa tambal permanen". Yo namanya juga "pasien mokong" (huehehehe....)
Aku dah mutusin ga akan hubungi dia lagi. Biar dia sendiri yang hubungi aku kalo memang masih mau perawatan dilanjutkan. Abis kemaren ta'suruh datang dia ga datang. kan aku jadi nganggur... tau gitu aku suruh pasien endo ku datang.

Yahh... gitu deh. klinik konser yang tersendat-sendat di awal. tapi aku percaya Tuhan pasti beri yang terbaik. pasien yang terbaik dan juga dosen yang terbaik. kalo memang pasien itu bukan yang terbaik buatku, akhirnya aku pasti nemu pasien lain yang jauuuuuhhhhh lebih baik. Amin...

About fluoride

Enamel, the outer layer of the crown of a tooth, is made of closely packed mineral crystals. Every day, minerals are lost and gained from inside the enamel crystals in processes called demineralization and remineralization.

Demineralization is when acids in the mouth dissolve the enamel crystals that make up the outer layer of the crown of the tooth. These acids are formed by the combination of plaque bacteria and sugar in the mouth. This process is balanced by remineralization, in which minerals such as fluoride, calcium and phosphate are deposited inside the enamel. Too much demineralization without enough remineralization to repair the enamel leads to tooth decay.
Fluoride helps teeth in two ways. When children eat or drink fluoride in small doses, it enters the bloodstream and becomes part of their developing permanent teeth and makes it harder for acids to cause demineralization. Fluoride also works directly on teeth in the mouths of children and adults by helping to speed remineralization and disrupt the production of acids by bacteria.

Fluoride in foods, fluoride supplements and fluoridated water enter the bloodstream through the stomach, then are absorbed into the body. In children, the fluoride then becomes available to the teeth that are developing in the jaw.

Topical fluoride products are applied directly to the teeth. They include toothpaste, mouth rinses and professionally applied fluoride treatments. Topical fluoride treatments are in the mouth for only a short time but fluoride levels in the mouth remain higher for several hours afterward. Fluoride found in the water and in food products also works this way because the water washes over the teeth and some fluoride remains in the saliva.

Fluoride treatments are given in a dental office and are applied as a gel, foam or varnish during a dental appointment. The fluoride used for these treatments is at much higher strength than mouthwashes or toothpastes. Fluoride supplements also are available by prescription, and usually are reserved for children who live in areas without community water fluoridation. Children who need supplements receive them from ages 6 months to 16 years.

Children between the ages of 6 months and 16 years who are not drinking fluoridated water should take fluoride supplements. They are available as liquids for younger children and tablets for older children, and can be prescribed by either pediatrician or dentist.

All children should use fluoridated toothpaste. If the children are younger than 6, be cautious about how they use fluoridated toothpaste, because young children are more likely to swallow it after brushing instead of spitting it out. Use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste when they brush, and encourage them to spit out as much as possible. Avoid flavored toothpastes that might encourage swallowing.

If a child has a history of cavities or is at high risk of decay, he or she should use additional fluoride to promote remineralization. Fluoride mouth rinses are recommended for children over the age of 6 and are found in the mouthwash section of most stores. Prescription fluoride rinses and gels are available from your dental office to provide a higher level of fluoride when needed. Parents should carefully supervise their children when using any fluoride product and keep fluoride out of reach of young children.

As with other compounds, fluoride is safe and effective when used properly, but it can be hazardous at high doses. All water-fluoridation systems are checked daily to maintain safe fluoride levels. Parents should supervise the use of all fluoride products in the home.
Fluoride-supplement tablets should be stored safely away from young children. These supplements are taken each day in small quantities, ranging from 0.25 to 1 milligram per day based on the child's age and amount of fluoride in the water. Dentists limit the amount of tablets they prescribe at one time because the toxic dose of fluoride for a 2-year-old child weighing 22 pounds is 320 milligrams. To avoid any chance of overdose, do not stock up on fluoride tablets.

Toxic fluoride doses are based on weight, and a toxic dose of fluoride for an 8-year-old child weighing 45 pounds is 655 milligrams. In comparison, an 8-ounce glass of water fluoridated to 1 part per million contains 0.25 milligrams of fluoride. Since these fluoride products are used in such small amounts, it is very difficult to receive toxic doses when using fluoride products at home.

Taken from http://www.simplestepsdental.com/

UAS

Hari ini hari terakhir ujian dalam minggu pertama UAS. So far.... aku masih kurang persiapan. Kemarin aja aku pergi jalan-jalan ama adik2ku. Jadinya ga belajar deh ^_^
Minggu depan harus lebih baik nih. GOD, please help me....

Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are another fantastic tool used in cosmetic dentistry to help create that perfect smile. Unlike crowns which cover the whole tooth, dental veneers are wafer-thin shells of porcelain which are just bonded to the front of your teeth.
Porcelain itself it a fairly brittle material but the bonding process adds additional strength to a veneer leaving you with a beautiful, durable and completely natural looking tooth. Dental veneers take on the appearance of enamel and provide the means for a truly remarkable cosmetic restoration.
Although porcelain has amazing crushing strength it doesn’t react well to twisting so once you have had a tooth or your teeth veneered you need to avoid foods that will require any kind of gnawing or twisting action.
Dental veneers have a variety of uses with veneers being used as an alternative to tooth whitening, braces, crowns and other cosmetic dentistry techniques. Porcelain veneers can be used to disguise discoloured or chipped teeth, close gabs, straighten teeth, assist with realignment and reshape your smile.
Veneers have a distinct advantage over dental crowns in that there is no requirement for the tooth to be ground down prior to the veneer being bonded to the tooth. In addition, veneers tend to be more aesthetically pleasing providing you with an even more natural appearance.
Given the nature of a veneer, in that it is bonded to the front of your tooth, veneers are only of any use for cosmetic restoration of front teeth.
Getting a veneer is so easy and a great alternative for those hate the dentist chair. An initial visit will involve your cosmetic dentist taking an impression of your teeth and you may require some minor contouring work. The second visit will be purely for the veneer to be bonded into place providing you with an instant and fantastic looking result.
With teeth that are too damaged for a veneer you can use a veneer in conjunction with a crown to obtain a perfect finish.
Dental veneers are basically used for aesthetic purposes so are unlikely to be covered by your dental insurance although you might get some level of discount if you have a dental care plan.

Taken from http://ezinearticles.com

History of Dentistry (2)

Advances in Science and Education—19th Century

1801—Richard C. Skinner writes the Treatise on the Human Teeth, the first dental book published in America.

1825—Samuel Stockton begins commercial manufacture of porcelain teeth. His S.S. White Dental Manufacturing Company establishes and dominates the dental supply market throughout the 19th century.

1832—James Snell invents the first reclining dental chair.

1833–1850—The Crawcours (two brothers from France) introduce amalgam filling material in the United States under the name Royal Mineral Succedaneum. The brothers are charlatans whose unscrupulous methods spark the “amalgam wars,” a bitter controversy within the dental profession over the use of amalgam fillings.

1839—The American Journal of Dental Science, the world’s first dental journal, begins publication.

1839—Charles Goodyear invents the vulcanization process for hardening rubber. The resulting Vulcanite, an inexpensive material easily molded to the mouth, makes an excellent base for false teeth, and is soon adopted for use by dentists. In 1864 the molding process for vulcanite dentures is patented, but the dental profession fights the onerous licensing fees for the next twenty-five years.

1840—Horace Hayden and Chapin Harris establish the world's first dental school, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, and originate the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree. (The school merges with the University of Maryland School of Dentistry in 1923).

1840—The American Society of Dental Surgeons, the world’s first national dental organization, is founded. (The organization dissolves in 1856.)

1841—Alabama enacts the first dental practice act, regulating dentistry in the United States.

1844—Horace Wells, a Connecticut dentist, discovers that nitrous oxide can be used as an anesthesia and successfully uses it to conduct several extractions in his private practice. He conducts the first public demonstration of its use as an anesthetic in 1845 but the demonstration is generally considered a failure after the patient cries out during the operation. In 1846, another dentist (and a student of Wells), William Morton, takes credit for the discovery when he conducts the first successful public demonstration of the use of ether as an anesthesia for surgery. Crawford Long, a physician, later claims he used ether as an anesthetic in an operation as early as 1842, but he did not publish his work.

1855—Robert Arthur originates the cohesive gold foil method allowing dentists to insert gold into a cavity with minimal pressure. The foil is fabricated by annealing, a process of passing gold through a flame making it soft and malleable.

1859—Twenty-six dentists meet in Niagara Falls, New York, and form the American Dental Association. (See the ADA Timeline for more information).

1864— Sanford C. Barnum, develops the rubber dam, a simple device made of a piece of elastic rubber fitted over a tooth by means of weights, which solves the problem of isolating a tooth from the oral cavity.

1866—Lucy Beaman Hobbs graduates from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery, becoming the first woman to earn a dental degree.

1867—The Harvard University Dental School, the first university-affiliated dental institution, is founded. The school calls its degree the Dentariae Medicinae Doctorae (DMD), creating a continuing semantic controversy (DDS vs. DMD).

1869—Dr. Robert Tanner Freeman, graduating from Harvard University Dental School, becomes the first African-American to earn a dental degree.

1871—James B. Morrison patents the first commercially manufactured foot-treadle dental engine. Morrison’s inexpensive, mechanized tool supplies dental burs with enough speed to cut enamel and dentin smoothly and quickly, revolutionizing the practice of dentistry.

1871—The American George F. Green receives a patent for the first electric dental engine, a self-contained motor and handpiece.

1871 -The first electric dental engine, a self-contained motor and handpiece.

1877—The Wilkerson chair, the first pump-type hydraulic dental chair, is introduced.

1880s—The collapsible metal tube revolutionizes toothpaste manufacturing and marketing. Dentifrice had been available only in liquid or powder form, usually made by individual dentists, and sold in bottles, porcelain pots, or paper boxes. Tube toothpaste, in contrast, is mass-produced in factories, mass-marketed, and sold nation-wide. In twenty years, it becomes the norm.

1880—Twenty-eight dental schools are established by this year.

1887—Stowe & Eddy Dental Laboratory, the first successful industrial-type laboratory in the U.S., opens in Boston, marking the ascendancy of the modern commercial dental laboratory. The earliest known dental laboratory in the U.S. was Sutton & Raynor which opened in New York City around 1854.

1890—Ida Gray, the first African-American woman to earn a dental degree, graduates from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

1890—Willoughby Miller an American dentist in Germany, notes the microbial basis of dental decay in his book Micro-Organisms of the Human Mouth. This generates an unprecedented interest in oral hygiene and starts a world-wide movement to promote regular toothbrushing and flossing.

1890—Almost 100 dental societies are established by this year.

1895—Wilhelm Roentgen, a German physicist, discovers the x-ray. In 1896 prominent New Orleans dentist C. Edmond Kells takes the first dental x-ray of a living person in the U.S.

1899—Edward Hartley Angle classifies the various forms of malocclusion. Credited with making orthodontics a dental specialty, Angle also establishes the first school of orthodontics (Angle School of Orthodontia in St. Louis, 1900), the first orthodontic society (American Society of Orthodontia, 1901), and the first dental specialty journal (American Orthodontist, 1907).


Innovations in Techniques and Technology—The 20th Century

1900—Fifty-seven dental schools exist by this year.

1900—Federation Dentaire Internationale (FDI) is formed.

1903—Charles Land devises the porcelain jacket crown.

1905—Alfred Einhorn, a German chemist, formulates the local anesthetic procain, later marketed under the trade name Novocain.

1907—William Taggart invents a “lost wax” casting machine, allowing dentists to make precision cast fillings.

1908—Greene Vardiman Black, the leading reformer and educator of American dentistry, publishes his monumental two-volume treatise Operative Dentistry, which remains the essential clinical dental text for fifty years. Black later develops techniques for filling teeth, standardizes operative procedures and instrumentation, develops an improved amalgam, and pioneers the use of visual aids for teaching dentistry.

1910—The first formal training program for dental nurses is established at the Ohio College of Dental Surgery by Cyrus M. Wright. The program is discontinued in 1914 mainly due to opposition by Ohio dentists.

1911—The U.S. Army Dental Corps is established as the first armed services dental corps in the U.S. The Navy institutes its Dental Corps in 1912.

A soldier awaits dental work out in the field soon after the U.S. Army Dental Corps was established in 1911.

1913—Alfred C. Fones opens the Fones Clinic For Dental Hygienists in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the world’s first oral hygiene school. Most of the twenty—seven women graduates of the first class are employed by the Bridgeport Board of Education to clean the teeth of school children. The greatly reduced incidence of caries among these children gives impetus to the dental hygienist movement. Dr. Fones, first to use the term “dental hygienist,” becomes known as the Father of Dental Hygiene.

1917—Irene Newman receives the world’s first dental hygiene license in Connecticut.

1923—American Association of Dental Schools is established.

1924—American Dental Assistants Association is founded by Juliette Southard and her female colleagues. Female dental assistants were first hired in the 19th century when “Lady in Attendance” signs were routinely seen in the windows of dental offices. Their duties included chair-side assistance, instrument cleaning, inventory, appointments, bookkeeping, and reception.

1926—The Carnegie Foundation-sponsored Gies Report, the first comprehensive report on the state of dental education, is published and has an immediate impact on the dental profession.

1928—National Board of Dental Examiners is established.

1930—The American Board of Orthodontics, the world’s first dental specialty board, is founded.

1930–1943—Frederick S. McKay, a Colorado dentist, is convinced that brown stains (mottling) on his patients’ teeth are related to their water supply. McKay’s research verifies that drinking water with high levels of naturally occurring fluoride is associated with low dental caries and a high degree of mottled enamel. By the early 1940s, H. Trendley Dean determines the ideal level of fluoride in drinking water to substantially reduce decay without mottling.

1933—The first National Board dental examinations are conducted. 83 candidates are examined in 4 cities.

1938—The nylon toothbrush, the first made with synthetic bristles, appears on the market.

1937—Alvin Strock inserts the first Vitallium dental screw implant. Vitallium, the first successful biocompatible implant metal, had been developed a year earlier by Charles Venable, an orthopedic surgeon.

1940s—22,000 dentists serve in World War II.

1945—The water fluoridation era begins when the cities of Newburgh, New York, and Grand Rapids, Michigan, add sodium fluoride to their public water systems.

1948—President Harry S. Truman signs the Congressional bill formally establishing the National Institute of Dental Research and initiating federal funding for dental research. The name changes to National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) in 1998.

1950s—The first fluoride toothpastes are marketed.

1949—Oskar Hagger, a Swiss chemist, develops the first system of bonding acrylic resin to dentin.

1955—Michael Buonocore describes the acid etch technique, a simple method of increasing the adhesion of acrylic fillings to enamel.

1957—John Borden introduces a high-speed air-driven contra-angle handpiece. The Airotor obtains speeds up to 300,000 rotations per minute and is an immediate commercial success, launching a new era of high-speed dentistry.

1957 —The Social Security Act is amended to include self-employed dentists.

1958—A fully reclining dental chair is introduced.

1960s—Sit down, four-handed dentistry becomes popular in the U.S. This technique improves productivity and shortens treatment time.

1960s—Lasers are developed and approved for soft tissue procedures.

1960—The first commercial electric toothbrush, developed in Switzerland after World War II, is introduced in the United States. A cordless, rechargeable model follows in 1961.

1962—Rafael Bowen develops Bis-GMA, the thermoset resin complex used in most modern composite resin restorative materials.

1980s—Per-Ingvar Branemark describes techniques for the osseointegration of dental implants.

1989—The first commercial home tooth bleaching product is marketed.

1990s—New tooth-colored restorative materials plus increased usage of bleaching, veneers, and implants inaugurate an era of esthetic dentistry.

1997—FDA approves the erbium YAG laser, the first for use on dentin, to treat tooth decay.

Taken from http://www.ada.org/

History of Dentistry

Ancient Origins

Toothbrush fashioned from a tree branch

5000 BC—A Sumerian text of this date describes “tooth worms” as the cause of dental decay.

2600 BC—Death of Hesy-Re, an Egyptian scribe, often called the first “dentist.” An inscription on his tomb includes the title “the greatest of those who deal with teeth, and of physicians.” This is the earliest known reference to a person identified as a dental practitioner.

1700-1550 BC—An Egyptian text, the Ebers Papyrus, refers to diseases of the teeth and various toothache remedies.

500-300 BC—Hippocrates and Aristotle write about dentistry, including the eruption pattern of teeth, treating decayed teeth and gum disease, extracting teeth with forceps, and using wires to stabilize loose teeth and fractured jaws.

100 BC—Celsus, a Roman medical writer, writes extensively in his important compendium of medicine on oral hygiene, stabilization of loose teeth, and treatments for toothache, teething pain, and jaw fractures.

166-201 AD—The Etruscans practice dental prosthetics using gold crowns and fixed bridgework.

The Beginnings of a Profession

Mayan jade inlay in an anterior tooth, circa A.D. 900

500-1000—During the Early Middle Ages in Europe medicine, surgery, and dentistry, are generally practiced by monks, the most educated people of the period.

700—A medical text in China mentions the use of “silver paste,” a type of amalgam.

1130-1163—A series of Papal edicts prohibit monks from performing any type of surgery, bloodletting or tooth extraction. Barbers often assisted monks in their surgical ministry because they visited monasteries to shave the heads of monks and the tools of the barber trade—sharp knives and razors—were useful for surgery. After the edicts, barbers assume the monks’ surgical duties: bloodletting, lancing abscesses, extracting teeth, etc.

1210—A Guild of Barbers is established in France. Barbers eventually evolve into two groups: surgeons who were educated and trained to perform complex surgical operations; and lay barbers, or barber-surgeons, who performed more routine hygienic services including shaving, bleeding and tooth extraction.

1400s—A series of royal decrees in France prohibit lay barbers from practicing all surgical procedures except bleeding, cupping, leeching, and extracting teeth.

1530—The Little Medicinal Book for All Kinds of Diseases and Infirmities of the Teeth (Artzney Buchlein), the first book devoted entirely to dentistry, is published in Germany. Written for barbers and surgeons who treat the mouth, it covers practical topics such as oral hygiene, tooth extraction, drilling teeth, and placement of gold fillings.

1575—In France Ambrose Pare, known as the Father of Surgery, publishes his Complete Works. This includes practical information about dentistry such as tooth extraction and the treatment of tooth decay and jaw fractures.

The Development of a Profession-18th Century

Set of dentures made for George Washington by John Greenwood, 1798.

1723—Pierre Fauchard, a French surgeon publishes The Surgeon Dentist, A Treatise on Teeth (Le Chirurgien Dentiste). Fauchard is credited as being the Father of Modern Dentistry because his book was the first to describe a comprehensive system for the practice of dentistry including basic oral anatomy and function, operative and restorative techniques, and denture construction.

1746—Claude Mouton describes a gold crown and post to be retained in the root canal. He also recommends white enameling for gold crowns for a more esthetic appearance.
1760—John Baker, the earliest medically-trained dentist to practice in America, immigrates from England and sets up practice.

1760-1780— Isaac Greenwood practices as the first native-born American dentist.

1768-1770—Paul Revere places advertisements in a Boston newspaper offering his services as a dentist. In 1776, in the first known case of post—mortem dental forensics, Revere verifies the death of his friend, Dr. Joseph Warren in the Battle of Breed’s Hill, when he identifies the bridge that he constructed for Warren.

1789—Frenchman Nicolas Dubois de Chemant receives the first patent for porcelain teeth.

1790—John Greenwood, son of Isaac Greenwood and one of George Washington’s dentists, constructs the first known dental foot engine. He adapts his mother’s foot treadle spinning wheel to rotate a drill.

1790—Josiah Flagg, a prominent American dentist, constructs the first chair made specifically for dental patients. To a wooden Windsor chair, Flagg attaches an adjustable headrest, plus an arm extension to hold instruments.

Taken from http://www.ada.org/

More dental (fun) facts! :)

China sets aside September 20th as a national holiday known as “Love Your Teeth Day.”

An elephant in the wild consumes hundreds of pounds of vegetation each and every day. The elephant grinds this vegetation with his four large molars, two uppers and two lowers. Because of the tremendous amount of use they receive, they are gradually worn down to the gum line and drop out after about ten years. These are soon replaced by another set of grinding molars. However, there is a six-set limit of molars within an elephants lifetime.

An elephant’s molars measure one foot across and weigh between eight and ten pounds each.

During the 1800s, many people wearing false teeth in England resorted to eating in their bedrooms prior to gathering at the dinner table for a meal. This Victorian custom protected them against the terrible embarrassment of “losing” their teeth while dining.

An ancient theory blamed the “Toothworm” for toothaches. The Toothworm was believed to chew the interior of a tooth until it was destroyed!

The ancient Chinese wrapped tiny pieces of parchment around painful teeth, all of which contained written prayers and incantations.

During the Middle Ages in Germany, you would have been advised to kiss a donkey in order to relieve your toothache.

The ancient Greeks devised pliers for extracting teeth.

Lucy Hobbs was the first woman in the world to earn a D.D.S. degree from a dental school. The year was 1866 and the school was the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in Cincinnati, OH.

Long ago, people used ground-up chalk or charcoal, lemon juice, ashes or even a mixture of tobacco and honey to clean their teeth. It was only about 100 years ago that someone finally created a minty cream to clean teeth.

Taken from http://www.atkinsdentistry.com/

Dental Facts :)

Sugar Facts: Chemical manufacturers use sugar to grow penicillin.

A teaspoon of sugar after a hot curry will extinguish the furnace in your mouth.

A spoonful of sugar added to a vase will prolong the life of freshly cut flowers.

People who drink 3 or more sugary sodas daily have 62% more dental decay, fillings and tooth loss.

More than 300 types of bacteria make up dental plaque.

Two 'Fs': Fluoride (use fluoride toothpaste daily) Frequency (avoid frequent snacking between meals).....this is the practical way to help avoid dental decay.

90% of systemic disease have oral manifestations. (AGD, 2002)

Like fingerprints, everyone’s tongue print is different.

The most valuable tooth belonged to Sir Isaac Newton. In 1816 one of his teeth was sold in London for $3,633.00 or in today's terms $35,700.00 The tooth was set in a ring. (Source: Guinness World Records 2002)

Earliest Known Dental Work: A total of 11 teeth from 9 adults who lived between 7,500 and 9,000 years ago contain holes drilled with sharpened flint points, according to a report in Science News Online. Flint-wielding specialists drilled holes, which are believed to have been filled with some type of material. The teeth came from residents of a prehistoric farming village called Mahrgarh in what is now Pakistan. (Source: Coppa, A., D.W. Frayer, R. Macchiarelli, 2006, Early Neolithic tradition of dentistry. Nature 440 (April 6):755-756)

Taken from http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/

Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic Dentistry is a combination of the art and science of creating an attractive smile. This is accomplished by using state of the art aesthetic materials and techniques in order to achieve the best smile possible for a single individual. Regular general dentistry is primarily concerned with curing or eliminating pathologic conditions in the mouth and replacing or restoring teeth with a variety of dental materials. The emphasis of general dentistry is on function more than cosmetics.

What is a Cosmetic Dentist?
There is no specialty recognized by the American Dental Association called Cosmetic Dentists. However, dentists whose practices primarily focus on creating beautiful smiles are regarded by the public as Cosmetic Dentists. The type of dental procedure responsible for creating more attractive smiles are called cosmetic dentistry procedures.

Bleaching Procedures
There are two methods for bleaching teeth. One is called the home bleaching tray technique. The other is called the in-office bleaching technique. The home bleaching tray technique requires the patient to wear a thin soft plastic bleaching tray in the mouth for 2-3 hours per day or sleeping with it overnight. The tray contains a bleaching gel which makes the teeth lighter over a 3-4 week period. Maximum effect is achieved in 4-6 weeks. Although the process is slower, the patient has more control over how light the teeth become. There is less tooth sensitivity with this technique.
The in-office bleaching technique is performed by using a more concentrated bleaching product on the teeth. Once applied, a bright light is placed on the teeth for up to 1 hour. The teeth become instantly lighter. There may be more tooth sensitivity in some patients with this technique. They may not bleach as light as the home tray method. Also, in-office bleaching will fade over time. It should be maintained by home trays applied once every 2-3 months. The in-the-office bleaching technique was devised to give patients a 1 hour instant result. It is accomplished by placing a special gel on the teeth and subjecting it to an intense white light over a 1-hour period.

Benefits & Risks of Tooth Bleaching
The benefits of bleaching your teeth are obvious. Your result is whiter teeth. The risks are sensitivity to temperature changes and certain foods. Although uncommon, sensitivity will usually disappear over a 1-2 week period. Bleaching does not damage your teeth in any way. For bleaching to be effective, the teeth must be cleaned first (usually by a hygienist).
All bleaching regresses over time. This is usually at 4-6 months. At this time it is recommended that the teeth be "touched up" with a tray method bleaching gel at home for 1-2 evenings. This will usually bring the white color back to the original light shade accomplished right after the initial bleaching process. Tray method is recommended for people with very sensitive teeth. It is also recommended in those cases where color control is critical and can be monitored by a slow and more conservative process.

Tooth Colored Fillings
Tooth colored fillings are made from 3 general types of materials. They are: chair-side bonded resins, lab processed composite resins, and lab fabricated porcelains.

Porcelain Crowns
When the damage to a tooth is too great to be restored by a composite or porcelain inlay, a porcelain crown is the restoration of choice for the cosmetic dentist.

Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are thin, egg-shell pieces of porcelain that slip over your existing teeth to give them a new look and improve your smile. The process is quick, easy, and virtually painless, and it takes just two visits.
Porcelain veneers can be used for a variety of cosmetic improvements on a person's smile. They can repair a single tooth or an entire mouth full of teeth. Most people requiring cosmetic improvement require a large group of veneers. You can determine how many teeth will need veneers by counting the amount of teeth that show when you smile in a mirror. Remember, when smiling, you can think of something funny as your "funny smile," which will probably be different than a "forced smile." Porcelain veneers are used to correct tetracycline stained teeth, mal-positioned or oblique teeth, spaces, gaps, chips, worn, short, or twisted teeth. They can also be used to "broaden" the look of your entire arch of teeth or make your teeth look bigger or longer, if required. If you show too much gum when you smile, porcelain veneers are the ideal solution in conjunction with periodontal surgery. Porcelain veneers can even be used to cover old porcelain bridges and crowns when the underlying structure is intact.

Taken from http://www.cosmeticdentistry.com

First post nih...

wah, akhirnya aku punya blog juga nih.

hehehe.... seneng banget deh.