Tag: james russell dentist

July 2013 – Whitening + Crown

Simple but highly effective! No extra dentistry just replacement of existing dentistry to a higher level.

This case shows why the concept of Progressive Smile Design should always be followed.

A lot more dentistry could have been but the goal is a happy patient not a “perfect” smile. Starting with hygienist treatment, whitening then an e.max crown on the upper left central incisor and finally a little bonding at the neck of the upper left canine to replace the stained existing composite + bonding to mask the localised staining on the lower right central incisor.

 

 

Inman Aligner

Here’s a great case using the Inman Aligner.

The Inman Aligner is a removable aligner that normally straightens teeth in 6-16 weeks.

This case involved alignment of the upper and lower teeth followed by tooth whitening and bonding.

The Inman Aligner took 12 weeks per jaw.

 

 

 

Crowns and Veneers used to treat extreme decay

Here are the videos that tell the story of Tracy.

Problem: Extreme tooth decay leading to broken, black teeth.

Solution: Porcelain veneers and crowns.

By her own admission, Tracy had taken “time out” from looking after herself. The result of poor oral hygiene and a diet high in sugars had left her teeth black with decay.

Luckily for Tracy, her worst fears were not realised, no teeth needed to be removed. I used a combination of 10 porcelain veneers and crowns to restore her smile into something she could be proud, rather than ashamed of. The whole process only took 4 weeks, including initial hygiene treatment and a 3D preview to mock-up the final result.

Part 1….

Part 2….

One of my favourite cases as the Embarrassing Bodies Dentist

This was from the very first series that dentistry was featured in the  Embarrassing Bodies program.

The case featured Lynn – a really lovely girl who’d had a seriously tough time with her teeth. Although self inflicted, she was desperate to change her ways and get her dental health back on track.

Her problem: Extreme tooth decay resulting in missing and broken teeth.

The solution: Dental implants.

Years of poor oral hygiene, excessive fizzy drink consumption and smoking had played havoc with Lynn’s teeth and gums. In fact, many of her teeth had been reduced to stumps by decay resulting from up to 12 acidic drinks a day.

Lynn was upset and embarrassed by the condition of her teeth, she no longer wanted to go to the shops, drop her children at school or socialise with friends – all because she did not want to smile. The situation was starting to give her physiological problems and needed urgent attention; luckily the TV show came at exactly the right time.

The solution I provided Lynn was for her upper teeth to be replaced by implants using a treatment called All-on-4. This procedure used specially angled implants allowing only 4 implants to support a whole new set of upper teeth. Even better is that, in some cases, the teeth are removed, implants placed AND the new teeth fitted ALL IN ONE DAY!! Lynn left with her smile restored and confidence back to an all time high.

As you can see in the video, Lynn feels like a new person and this was some of the most rewarding dentistry I have done for years! It was a great introduction to what was expected from my role as the Embarrassing Bodies Dentist!

– James

Update on the new series of Embarrassing Bodies

I’m really excited about the new series of Embarrassing Bodies. Previous shows have had great reviews but I think that the new series will be better yet.

It’s also the first series that has been filmed at my new clinic in Shropshire.

I can’t give too much away but here is some info on what will be coming up!

Case 1 – This case made me so pleased that I was asked to be the Embarrassing Bodies Dentist. Her teeth were badly stained due to an enamel defect caused by a childhood illness. There are a number of options for this condition:

  • Tooth Whitening: sometimes minor staining can be disguised by simple whitening, if this is not effective then micro-abraision can be successful.
  • Micro-abraision: this is essentially an acidic pumice that safely removes the stained layer of enamel. It’s usually used in combination with whitening.
  • Bonding: dental bonding involves the artistic use of white filling materials to mask the stained areas. Sometimes it can be simply placed over the discolouration but when this is too dark some tooth reduction is often required.
  • Veneers: veneers are this porcelain facings that have a wide range of use in cosmetic dentistry. The latest materials are stronger and more aesthetic than ever before.

Keep an eye out for the new series airing soon – I’ll be able to post up details of what we actually did and images of the before and after situation, once it’s been on Channel 4!

Case 2 – This chap really needed to see me as the Embarrassing Bodies Dentist! Refreshingly honest, he was very open about neglecting teeth and I could tell immediately that he would change his ways once the damage was repaired.

The wrong diet, coupled with a lack of oral hygiene at home and infrequent dental visits can quickly lead to decay. Caught early, this can be treated with a simple filling. When the decay is more extensive on back teeth then an inlay or crown may be needed. Extensive decay on front teeth may result in a veneer or crown being indicated.

When teeth are very decayed and broken down, the cores of the teeth may need to be re-built using a white filling material and then crowns used to provide the final strength and aesthetics.

It was a great result for a deserving chap who’s changed his ways. I hope that his story helps others to address their fear or embarrassment and get their dental health back on track.

I’ll post images, details of what we did and more info as soon as his case has been aired.

Case 3 – I think that this could be one of the biggest changes during my time as the Embarrassing Bodies Dentist. A young girl, missing many teeth due to illness and medication. The result was someone who was truly embarrassed to smile and it was really affecting her day to day life.

In situations like this I usually need to save as many of the remaining teeth as I can and then we can replace the missing teeth with either dental implants or cosmetic dentures.

I really hope that the final result comes out well on TV – we’ve yet to film it but things are looking great so far….