Much of my day as an orthodontist is devoted to closing up spaces between teeth for patients who want straighter or less gappy smiles. Meanwhile, one floor above, Professor Andrew Eder is dedicated to opening up smiles.
Andrew is a restorative specialist and his practice is known as the London Tooth Wear Centre®. He sees patients on referral both to diagnose the cause of their tooth wear and sometimes to treat it.
There are several serious repercussions of tooth wear: the teeth are more prone to decay and fracture and their appearance is less attractive because they have become reduced in size. Tooth wear can also affect your overall physiognomy. As your teeth reduce in size, your cheeks sink in around the mouth, making you look older.
When Andrew talks about opening up he is referring to the bite and adding distance between the jaws by lengthening the teeth. By doing this, he restores structure to the mouth and face. Not only does the bite become more functional, the teeth and face look more attractive.
Sometimes, our roles are reversed and Andrew refers patients to me because they need an implant. Then my job is to open up a space so that an implant can be fitted in.
It should be emphasised that all the opening and closing here at Harley Street is a matter of millimetres – but what a difference a few millimetres can make.
