Dr. Suchetan Pradhan

M.D.S (PROSTH. BOM). M.A.L.D. (USA)

COSMETIC, LASER & IMPLANT DENTIST

1] My mother in law wears dentures, she constantly complains about them, and cannot eat with them as they keep falling. Is there a better opinion?

— Technologically advancements in dentistry have been fast paced and almost miraculously making the wearing of removable dentures far more comfortable or a thing of the past. Dental implants have almost replaced the full dentures as an option to missing teeth. After being placed in the mouth these titanium inserts from the support structure that holds removable or fixed teeth in place. They almost feel like your own natural teeth. Not only do they look good but they also last for a long time.

2] I recently did an interview with an airline as an air hostess. I was conditionally given the job as long as I got my smile fixed. My teeth are yellow and look horrible I have to join the company in 15 days. Is it possible to make them look better in that much time?

— Bleaching helps whiten allowed teeth by almost 8 shades. An easy and quick method is chair side bleach. This involves getting your teeth bleached in usually a single visit at a dental clinic. The dentist first cleans your teeth to remove plaque after which a proxide-based gel is on which a light is connected to resist the whitening process. The procedure takes about a hour and half and offers immediate results. Another option is a home-tray whitening system which involves getting custom-made bleaching trays fabricated by a dentist, which you use at home with a home bleach kit. This could take from 1 week o 10 days to get the desired results.

3] My dentist says I have pyorrhea. He suggested I get surgery done to clean the gums. I am scared of surgery, is there anything else besides surgery that I can do?

— Pyorrhea, or periodontal disease, to give it a proper medical term, is a condition of gums; it is one of the most widely prevalent disease processes in the mouth. It affects the membrane surrounding the roots of the teeth, pus formation, and shrinkage of the gum. This disease is the main cause for tooth loss among adults. Instead of traditional gum surgery laser gum therapy is an alternative. The laser can cut, sterilize, clean and cure the affected area without the need of a knife, in a bloodless fashion and without anesthesia, infection or any recovery time. However, the laser has to be used by a trained laser dentist so look for one in your area!

4] I am 20 years old and petrified of the dentist. I have run away from 4 dental clinics up to now. Please help!

— Advances in anesthesia and innovative technologies have transformed dental clinic experiences from the torturous to almost spa like. Newer methods of anesthesia such as conscious sedations and painless laser drills have taken the pain out of dentistry. Recently the laser drill has been approved by the FDA in America for patient use. Besides, relaxing clinic surrounding and sympathetic doctors all contribute to make it a pleasant experience.

5] I have been a smoker for 10 years and now my gums and lips have turned dark. Is there anything I can do?

— Smoking causes melanin pigment to be deposited on the lips and the gums. It’s a dead give away of a smoker. Gingival depigmentation has been carried out successfully using lasers. Recently, this laser treatment has been recognized as an effective, pleasant and reliable technique. It requires no injection and the healing is quick. None of the patients experience pain during or post-operatively.

​6] My 12 year old son chipped his front tooth while playing football. It does not hurt him but looks very ugly. Do I need to get any treatment now or should I wait for him to be a little older?

— Chipped teeth inspite of being painless may get infected after some years. It is essential to have them x rayed and checked  by a dentist at regular intervals. The chipped teeth can be repaired to look aesthetically pleasing by means of composite fillings or veneers depending on the extent of damage. The restoration may need replacing when your son is 17 or 18 years old.

7] I want to get filler done on my lips as they are very thin. How will this affect my smile?

— Lip augmentation by means of fillers is a very convenient and quick way to modify your smile and enhance the appearance of your face making it look younger softer and more appealing. If too much of your teeth show a filler put expertly into the upper lip will create an illusion of smaller teeth. If your teeth don’t show at all then in conjunction with the filler you can have your teeth veneered to appear more prominent. And lastly to create a happy smile filler can lift up the corners of the mouth to make you look younger.