Case Study
In this engaging dental case, a young patient sought cosmetic improvements for discolored front teeth. Initially hesitant about bonding, she opted for conservative porcelain veneers after discussing options. A single appointment with a periodontist involved a clinical crown lengthening procedure, revealing more teeth than expected. This unexpected visibility allowed for veneering just two teeth instead of four, providing a stunning yet cost-effective outcome. Meticulous photographic documentation with a polarized filter guided the creation of gorgeous porcelain restorations. The success of the procedure is evident in the patient receiving compliments on her natural-looking smile, with many disbelieving that they are veneers.
step one
step one
She had previous cosmetic bonding on her front 2 teeth that had discolored over time. She was a little frustrated with the discoloration and when we discussed the possibility of new bonding on her front teeth she wasn’t interested. NEXT came the conversation about porcelain veneers. We discussed the pros/cons of both and she opted for conservative porcelain veneers.
step two
step two
Our next thought: how many teeth do we need to do to accomplish this patients desires? We also evaluated this patients gingival display, meaning, how much of her tooth do we see? Could we see more? Is her gum tissue sitting too low on her natural tooth? YES and YES. We brought in our trusted and favorite Periodontist (also my twin brotherJ). In one magical appointment doing a clinical crown lengthening procedure it CHANGED how her teeth looked in an amazing way!!!
step three
step three
Not only did it make her teeth look longer it CHANGED our plan. Seeing more of her teeth gave us the opportunity to veneer 2 teeth VS the 4 teeth we thought we were going to need to do to get the result she desired. This was a huge win the the patient financially. When we are matching 2 teeth it is important that we give our lab ALL THE INFO. On prep day we take a series of photographs to send to our lab technicians showing all the nuances of her natural teeth. We do this with a POLORIZED filter on our camera. You can see the different amount of detail this provides us an ultimately helps us with a better porcelain match with her natural teeth.
step four
step four
We prepared her front 2 teeth for porcelain veneers. Once the existing dental bonding was removed there was a great amount to tooth structure there. We took VERY LITTLE tooth structure away for these preparations. They were immediately temporized with an acrylic material very close to the shade we selected for her porcelain.
step five
step five
These restorations are GORGEOUS.
step six
step six
These kind of cases take some patience and teamwork. A skilled periodontist can make magic out of these teeth. At the dentist I get to prepare the teeth for amazing porcelain and I am responsible to get our skilled laboratory everything they need and to make the most amazing porcelain they can! Upon a recent re-care appointment with this patient she said she often gets compliments on her smile and when she tells people they are veneers no one believes her! Boom! That’s what we love to hear.
