Top Tips For a Dazzling Smile From A Zurich Dentist
Dr Marina Thomas
One of the most popular dentists with English speaking expats in Zurich is Dr Marina Thomas. Professional yet friendly and approachable, Dr Thomas is a German national who trained in Germany and the US and now specialises in working with expats. Her team consists of a motivated and very talented group of people, featuring amongst them a specialist in root canal treatment under the microscope. This particular treatment allows for even the most difficult root canal to be successfully treated. Like Dr Thomas, all her colleagues continually keep themselves up to date on the latest developments in the dental industry.
Dental Practice in Enge
Dr Thomas’s practice is centrally located in Enge in Zurich and easily accessible by public transport. Dr Thomas understands that along with having healthy teeth, these days you also want your smile to sparkle and your teeth to look really good. Cosmetic dentisty used to be the prevail of film stars and television personalities, but with the latest technological developments it has now become more main stream, and getting your teeth looking sparkling white and healthy doesn’t have to take too much time or break the bank.
Dr Thomas and her team are well versed in teeth straightening, teeth whitening, veneers and implants. However, she stresses that the key to good dental health lies in getting the basics right. Regular brushing and dental inspections can really help catch potentially serious problems in their tracks. Furthermore, caries and bad tooth decay can also lead to serious problems, even possibly heart disease. If when brushing your teeth you notice blood – you should make an appointment as soon as possible to see a dentist. Here are her top tips for normal basic dental health:
Top Ten Tips For Good Dental Health
- Regular brushing of teeth twice a day – best after breakfast and before you go to bed
- Don’t brush your teeth immediately after eating acidic food or drink as it will damage the enamel – always wait 1/2 hour.
- Don’t brush too hard – and don’t use too hard a brush.
- Don’t ignore any bleeding – it could mean an infection or an inflammation – for example a lack of vitamins or it could be pointing to an underlying health problem
- Go for regular check ups – as a minimum once a year
- Aim to have a proper dental cleaning as a minimum once a year, but ideally every 6 months. If you have serious periodontal problems then every 4 months.
- Avoid drinking black tea and black coffee as they can stain your teeth. In fact black tea is actually worse!
- Sugar is the worst thing for teeth both in food and in drinks. As soon as you get sugar in your mouth it turns to acid – so rinse with water after eating sugary items to reduce the danger.
- Applying fluoride to your teeth once a week can really help – Elmex gel for example
- Floss your teeth every evening – most decay starts between the teeth – not on the surface of the teeth where you brush.
Procedures For Improving The Whiteness of Your Smile
If your teeth need more than the basics to get your smile right, then you will be glad to know that Dr Thomas keeps herself abreast of all the latest developments on all aspects of dentistry. Many of her patients are improving their looks with teeth whitening, veneers and by replacing old amalgam fillings with white ones.
Other treatments that Dr Thomas has been helping her patients with, include implants. However, as always, she is keen to stress that these treatments are not to be undertaken lightly. It’s important to take time with patients to understand what they really want and to understand any fears or concerns they may have. She says “We are here to listen and to make our patients feel comfortable discussing any aspect of their dental health”.
Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening is one of the most popular dental treatments in Zurich right now. However, Dr Thomas told us, teeth whitening and similar procedures are not for everyone and should be carefully considered. Of course, everyone would like to look younger, have whiter and more perfect teeth, but you must always take into consideration each individual’s teeth and their general health as well.
“I have people who’ve had their teeth whitened asking during their check up if they could have another bleaching procedure” she says. “Often they don’t actually need it but people are often becoming increasingly obsessed with their looks to the extent that they will end up looking unnatural & possibly damaging their health in the process. I’m all in favour of whitening people’s teeth if it will improve their appearance and as long as their teeth are suitable for this procedure, but it’s important to realize that not all cases are suitable for whitening”.
Teeth which have undergone root canal treatment pose a particular problem as it is impossible to bleach teeth perfectly by treating the outside surfaces only. Due to dryness the teeth become darker over time. However, Dr Thomas has found that if you bleach from the inside, you can achieve a very successful result.
What contraindications are there for whitening?
Well there are a few situations when whitening might not be the best solution. For example, if the teeth are extremely fragile or have been damaged, if for example the person has had root canal treatment and the tooth is dead, or if they are excessive smokers and red wine drinkers. However, each case is individual – so it’s important that both the patient and the dentist work together to find out if they are a suitable candidate.
If you have your teeth whitened are there any precautions you need to take?
First of all, avoiding excessive smoking, black tea and coffee and red wine – particularly in the first 48 hours after having a treatment. I also recommend that people don’t bleach more than once a year. Personally I have mine whitened every 3 years or so.
Dental Examinations
Dr Thomas stresses the importance of having regular dental check ups, ideally every 6 months. You can tell so much from people’s health from their mouths – how much they care for their general personal health. When you examine patients’ mouths you can also uncover other problems which are teeth-related.
For example many people have stressful lives and grind their teeth during their sleep. This can be identified in a dental examination and since grinding can lead to serious problems such as migraines, shoulder and neck stress etc, the sooner this can be treated the better.
Dr Thomas offers a full range of dental services from dental check-ups and teeth cleaning all the way through to whitening, veneers, implants and other aspects of cosmetic dentistry and her new Zurich practice directly opposite the Rietberg Museum in Enge is located very centrally a 3 minute walk from Enge Train station directly opposite the number 7 and 14 tram stop and Museum Rietberg. For her patients convenience, her practice is also open over lunch time for appointments.
Dr Thomas is a member of the SSO – Schweizerische Zahnärzte-Gesellschaft (Swiss Dental Association), the SSRD – Swiss Society of Reconstructive Dentistry and AACD – American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
Dr Marina Thomas Dental Practice
Address: Seestrasse 67, 8002 Zürich
Tel. +41 44 202 20 41
Email: info@dr-thomas.ch
For more information visit Dr Thomas’ Website here
Photos courtesy of Dr Marina Thomas and by Christina Fryer
This article was produced in conjunction with and with the support of Dr Thomas
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1 comment
Really helpful tips. I especially think that you’re right about the fact that teeth bleaching is not for everyone.