There is a common stereotypical thought that orthodontics is only for younger people. Why is that?
Dr Hani Dalati, Consultant Orthodontics: Treating the malocclusion while the patient is growing allows the orthodontist to take advantage of the growth and the growth-spurt to correct the bony jaws relationship as well as the dental occlusion. For adults, as there is no growth left, complicated surgery was needed to deal with that part, while orthodontics fix the misaligned teeth.
However, the discovery of the Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADs) and dento-alveolar compensation techniques allowed some dento-alveolar camouflage treatments for adult patients.
Why should adults get orthodontic treatment?
Dr Dalati: Orthodontic treatment has many benefits such as nice alignment of teeth, levelled-up gingival margins, improved profile and facial harmony, attractive smile and lip line, and centred occlusion and bite. This will make it easier to clean, resulting in less abnormal pressure on the joints, healthier mouth and gums and an attractive smile. While other benefits are less noticeable as straight smile for example, it can enhance your self-esteem and self-confidence.
Why choose implants instead of other restorative solutions, like dentures?
Dr Shrey Pandya, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon: Each has its own importance. Dentures don’t seem to slowdown the process of physiological bone resorption, which leads to loosening of the remaining teeth and further tooth loss in future. This is obviously in addition to how conscious a patient gets when dentures get unstable in social functions. Anything that is stable will always earn more trust. That being said, not all cases are implant-ideal.
What are the modern advancements in oral maxillofacial surgery that have helped you and your patients?
Dr Pandya: Technologies such as CBCT planning and imaging — 3D view of the jaws help in guiding a precision-oriented treatment. Being quite handy, it is now possible to deliver confident and predictable outcomes. At Tajmeel Dental Center, we have the latest technologies and equipment to deliver expertise and high-end patient care. We do complex treatments, including full-mouth rehabilitations, complex surgical extractions, dento-alveolar surgeries, maxillofacial cysts and benign tumours, facial trauma and temporomandibular joint and other jaw abnormalities.
Is there anything within prosthodontics that’s important right now?
Dr Dania Abdelrahman Mostafa Mahmoud, Specialist Prosthodontics: Recent advances have led us to the use of digital workflow from impressions to designing to milling the restorations. The intraoral digital camera captures accurate images of the oral structures and forms a precise data acquisition of the intraoral conditions known as intraoral digital impression, eliminating the need to take conventional impressions. This not only provides a faster, more accurate impression, but enables high-quality restorations while allowing the dentist to be more productive.
What do you think is the future of digital dentistry, particularly in your field of prosthodontics?
Dr Mahmoud: Digital smile design is a tool that strengthens a dentist’s diagnostic vision, enhances predictability, and improves communication between the dentist and patients. Another breakthrough is stem cells research, which promises tooth regeneration. Also, laser dentistry potentially offers a more comfortable, conservative and faster treatment option for a number of dental procedures involving hard or soft tissue compared to drills and other non-laser tools.
