Dentalnews (en)

Porcelain veneers and their costs are a hot topic on the web!

• What is so special about porcelain veneers?
• How much do veneers cost?
• What are veneers and how are they different from lumineers?
• Should you get your teeth bleached – whitened – before this?

A veneer is an ultra-thin, translucent ceramic plate for the teeth – similar to a contact lens. Veneers, or their thinner variant lumineers, are glued onto the surface of the teeth – especially the front teeth – using a special paste.

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Veneers can be used to correct minor dental displacements, gaps, undesired colors or discolorations. Veneers provide the visible surface of the teeth with an improved look, and the color can be individually adapted using this procedure.

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This all begins with a planning phase – known as a wax-up, followed by bleaching for really extreme discolorations. During preparation either none of the enamel or only a very thin layer (0,3-1,0mm) is removed.
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After preparation, an imprint is taken, and temporary plastic veneers are applied. After one week, the temporary veneers are removed and the porcelain veneers which have been prepared by a dental technician are inserted.

The costs of veneers / lumineers range between 600€ – 1500€ /a piece.

In modern dentistry, it is possible to correct teeth using minimally invasive techniques.
It is hardly ever necessary to grind crowns – but such aesthetically demanding work require a very highly coordinated team.

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Here you can see a short film on this topic!

Dentists often forget to tell patients what to do after getting dental work!
So here are some advices after dental treatment.

What should you watch out for?
What rules are there to follow?

The suggestions below are general information. If your pharmacist gives you other instructions, then you should follow them!

The Dental News team wishes you a speedy recovery, these tips will help you smile again!

• Leave the swab in for another half hour after treatment, then you can spit it out, unless your dentist has given you other instructions
• Keep the area which has been operated cool, e.g. using a Cool Pack (ice), not directly on the skin, but wrapped in e.g. a towel
• Do not eat as long as the area is still numb, and remember to chew on the other side
• Avoid nicotine and alcohol, as well as spicy, crumbly or raw foods, and milk products for the first three days after the operation
• Do not pull on your lip/cheek, no „peeking in front of the mirror“
• Do not start cleaning your teeth again until two days later (do not use a toothbrush around the wound, but use a cotton swab dipped in 3% H2O2).
• Use mouthwash containing chlorhexidine (e.g. Chlorhexamed) twice a day (not longer than 2 weeks) and several times a day using 3% H2O2 dissolved in water. Rinsing out your mouth using chamomile tea also helps speed up healing.
• Do not point the oral irrigator at the area treated!
• Bruises or swelling in the face (intensifying up to 4 days after treatment), as well as difficulty opening the mouth and a temperature of up to 38.5° C are common after treatment and are no cause for concern
• Avoid sunlight and physical exertion the first couple of days after treatment (no sauna, no sports, no hiking …)
• For operations in the upper jaw and opening of the maxillary cavity no blowing your nose for 8 weeks; do not hold your nose shut when sneezing

Questions and answers on the costs of dental implants and their durability

The Web provides a great deal of information about dental implants!
While much of this informations useful, a lot of it simply confuses non-experts!

We have provided answers to the most frequently asked question here, as well as links further below!

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Do implant-based teeth have to be cleaned?
Implanted teeth have to be cleaned even more thoroughly than your own teeth.

The area where the implants show through the gums has to be kept clear of inflammation, otherwise the implants may get inflamed and fall out.
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Can I even take dental implants?

Implantation has become a common procedure in dentistry. In spite of great advances in this field, some patients are worried about negative “”reactions”” to  titanium implants they have read or heard about. The literature on the subject does not mention any side effects when using titanium, even though some implants do fall out in the case of some patients.
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Why do implants fall out?

• Inadequate cooling when reaming the implant shaft into the jaw bone (dentist’s fault)
• Inserting an artificial root into an inflamed jaw bone (dentist’s fault)
• Prematurely loading the artificial root (dentist’s fault, patient’s fault)
• Poor after-treatment and nicotine abuse further exacerbate these negative factors (patient’s fault)

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What happens if an implant doesn’t heal properly?

If an implant does not heal properly and has to be removed at some point, it is a shame, but it does not occur frequently. There is no physical damage, as the gap in the bone can be closed by new bone. Renewed implantation is also possible, if desired.
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Can you fly with dental implants?

Many patients believe that they will no longer be able to go through metal detectors at airports because of titanium implants. First of all, having titanium in your body does not set off any alarm, but even if such devices should come to be used, an implant passport can help you get through.
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Are dental implants the solution to my dental problems?
Many patients think that a set of teeth which has been undergoing certain changes for decades (up to full dentures) can be completely replaced using implants, under general anaesthesia. When getting full treatment, think about the habits that got you there in the first place. You may need to change your dentist, if your old one failed to inform you of the implications, but you also need to change your own habits, or else you will also lose your implants!
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I would like a permanent denture, how many implants do I need?
If you have no teeth left in your jaw, then you will generally need 4 implants in the lower jaw and 6 implants in the upper jaw for a permanent denture.
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How long do dental implants hold?
Scientific studies performed over the last 25 years show implants to be highly effective. How long they hold cannot be specified exactly, but assuming that they heal properly, after 10 years over 90% of all implants still work.
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How much does an implant cost?

In Europe, a titanium implant itself costs between 500 and 1700 euros. But patients also want to know about the total costs (implant, abutment, crown). Prices vary greatly because of the different components used, so that the total denture may cost between 1400 and 3000 euros.
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You will find more information on this topic in a forum or in the first dental video lexicon.

Dental implants made of titanium, set into the jaw-bone they act as roots.

You keep hearing about the body rejecting implants – is this true? NO!

Did you know that you only need 4 implants in your lower jaw for a permanent denture? Studies are currently being conducted to see if 4 are also enough for the upper jaw, up until now it has been customary to use 6 implants for the upper jaw.

Porcelain implants are not recommended for wide-spread use.

Some months ago these products were introduced, but there have not been enough good quality clinical studies, and improvements need to be made to the implant surface.

Here you can find information on various implant manufacturers.

If you wish to see a video concerning implants and implantation, click here.
Also watch related videos!

Should wisdom teeth be removed ?

A note on terms . The eighth teeth, known as wisdom teeth often do not reach the chewing surface. They are located just below the gums and cause pain and /or a sickly sweet smell. Medical experts refer to them as „retained eights“, the term retention refers to a position of the wisdom teeth, in which after the root finishes growing the teeth do not reach the chewing surface.

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A tooth is referred to as partially retained when parts of the crown touch the oral cavity, or the teeth are connected to the oral cavity via the parodontal apparatus (gum pocket) of the neighboring 12-year molars (7s).

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Teeth which have absolutely no contact to the oral cavity are described as fully retained.
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The term impacted wisdom teeth means that the wisdom tooth is fully embedded in bone.

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A tooth is termed displaced if its axis or position diverges from the usual direction in which a tooth comes out.
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When should wisdom teeth be removed?

They should be removed:

• if there are acute or chronic infections in the area around the wisdom teeth (Dentitio difficilis)
• if there are severe cavities involving the dental nerve (if cavity damage is so severe that the teeth cannot be restored or the dental nerve is so inflammed as to be beyond treatment)
• if there are indications that a wisdom tooth is causing pain
• if x-rays show changes to the area around the wisdom tooth which cannot be treated (e.g. cysts)
• resorption of neighboring teeth
• to treat or contain the spread of parodontal diseases
• if they would get in the way of jaw or reconstructive surgery
• for teeth located in a crack, which would make it difficult to treat fractures of the jaw
• if the tooth is needed for a transplant
• if the elongated/tilted wisdom tooth keeps a patient from biting down properly

Removal may be a good idea

• for general reasons having to do with a patient’s living conditions (e.g. lack of access to medical care etc.)
• if other treatment is performed under general anaesthesia and anaesthesia would again have to be used to remove the tooth
• when inserting dentures, if the tooth is expected to come out due to bone atrophy or pressure from the denture
• to facilitate orthopedic work (braces)

Wisdom teeth do not need to be removed:

• if they are expected to take up their regular place in a row of teeth
• if extraction of other teeth and/or orthopedic treatment which would set the tooth right is planned
• if teeth are deeply impacted or displaced but not pathological, and there would be a high risk of complications when operating

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Ambulant treatment is usually sufficient.
Wisdom teeth can be removed individually or several/ all in one session.
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Treatment under general anasthesia/ sedation may be required if the patient is not expected to be cooperative, if the treatment is complex, if there are risk factors or at the patient’s request.
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Stationary treatment may be required if the patient has other illnesses or in connection with specific procedures.
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The necessity of antibiotics before and after an operation has not been scientifically established. A general recommendation is not possible at this time. Pain treatment may help to reduce swelling, but is not always necessary.

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Source: 2009_RZE_Indications