Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition

Abu Dhabi, UAE: With weekly TV programmes in the Middle East showing dentists giving people the pearly-whites of their dreams, and newspapers touting the latest procedure to give you a ‘new smile in an hour’, the attraction of a quick- fix cosmetic smile makeover such as dental veneers, rather than prolonged improvement through natural alignment, can seem a very attractive op- tion for many busy profession- als. But, as Dr Raj Kumar, founder of Forma and speaker at Dentistry Middle East 2011 explains, the worrying trend for unnecessary cosmetic den- tal veneers, carried out on healthy teeth for the sake of a smile makeover, can do more harm than good. “Traditionally veneers have represented one of the best cos- metic dentistry options for people wanting whiter teeth or who want to camouflage spaces between ‘gappy’ or overcrowded teeth,” says Dr Kumar. “However, having veneers on your teeth is a perma- nent solution and the veneers will need to be replaced after a period of time. “Some dentists routinely re- move at least 1.5 mm of the outer enamel to create space for ve- neers.Thiscanleadtoanumberof complications such as pulpitis, tooth fracture, veneer failure due to the loss of the enamel surface, gingivitis or gingival recession. Onceyoutrimdownatoothyoure- duceitslifeexpectancy.Asweonly have one set of adult teeth, why should we rush into irreversible treatment?” Instead, Dr Kumar recom- mends the patient does their homework before opting for ve- neers and considers the less-inva- sive options available in today’s market. Treatment such as In- visalign, for example, straighten teeth without the need for metal bracesortoothextractionusingin- stead a series of clear, plastic ‘aligners’whichslowlymoveteeth over time using individual virtual 3D treatment. “Whilethetotaltreatmenttime with this less invasive method of achieving a ‘Hollywood smile’ can take from nine to 15 months, ulti- mately this treatment is more comfortable and the patient will avoid causing irreplaceable dam- agetotheirteeth,”explainsDrKu- mar. “To recreate that ‘Hollywood smile’, at the end of the treatment the teeth can be safely whitened if the patient so desires.” DrKumaralsoadvisestowatch out for unqualified dentists. “It is very difficult to know how good yourdentistreallyisasanyonecan print a certificate. Sometimes a good measure is to see if the den- tist can spot the patients’ cosmetic problem without being shown it. This shows that the dentist has ex- perience and is looking at details when carrying out an examina- tion. The best thing is to be shown beforeandaftercasesthattheden- tist has carried out.” Dr Raj Kumar will be speaking at the 3rd Dentistry Middle East Exhibition and Conference, the Middle East’s largest gathering of dental professionals, which will run from 1-3 November, 2011, at theAbuDhabiNationalExhibition Centre (ADNEC), with more than 30 leading experts in the field of dentistry highlighting the educa- tional significance of the event. ProfDrAsmatLone,Chairman oftheAdvisoryBoardforDentistry Middle East 2011, says: “Cosmetic dentistry is becoming extremely popular in the Middle East as the middle and upper class want their smiles to look perfect. Miss- ingteetharealsobecominga majorproblemintheMiddle East as people are loosing teeth due to decay and trauma. Theteethhavetobe replacedandimplantologyis becoming the first choice.” DT DENTALTRIBUNE Middle East & Africa Edition News 3 EMS-SWISSQUALITY.COM SUBGINGIVAL WITHOUT LIMITS THE DEEPEST PERIODONTAL POCKETS NOW WITHIN REACH WITH THE ORIGINAL AIR-FLOW METHOD AIR-FLOW MASTER® is the name of the world’s first subgingival prophylaxis unit. With two application systems in one. For sub- and supragingival use with matching handpiece and powder chamber. Incredibly easy to operate. Uniquely simple to use. Touch ’n’ flow: Highly sensitive 3-touch panel for easy choice of settings. The inventor of the Original Air-Flow Method is now first to cross the boundaries of conven- tional prophylaxis. For more information > welcome@ems-ch.com > Subgingival application of the Original AIR-FLOW® method reduces periodontal pocket depth, removes biofilm, prevents periimplantitis Dentists warn of worrying trend for unnecessary cosmetic procedures in the Middle East AD Dr Raj Kumar.Prof Asmat Lone