A single porcelain veneer can greatly enhance a smile when using a custom blend of porcelains This patient came in frustrated and disappointed with a recent restoration on a front tooth. On exam, we discovered a damaged central incisor, with a pre-existing veneer that was over-sized and poorly fitted at the gum-line. The overall color…
Read MoreThis patient had white resin fillings placed years ago, and had since decided to whiten her teeth. The whitening effect on the enamel of her teeth had a tremendous impact – however, in contrast, this tooth whitening made the original bright, opaque color of the fillings stand out in a negative way. The patient had…
Read MoreSingle porcelain veneer replacing stained bonding This patient had a small misshapen Peg Lateral incisor (upper right) that was bonded with a resin veneer made from plastic filling material a decade prior. She had become aware of a dark stain at the edge of the restoration, as well as a dull matte finish compared to…
Read MoreCosmetic defect of peg lateral incisor and spaces solved with porcelain veneers This busy corporate executive had a great smile, and she used it frequently with her colleagues and customers. But she was aware of the cosmetic defect in her smile of a peg lateral incisor and spaces between the teeth. After a smile analysis,…
Read MoreAccording to Gordon Christensen, dental equilibration (bite balancing) might be one of the most widely UNDER-utilized services in dentistry. – JADA April 2005 136(4): 497–499; Teeth that fit together correctly do not require the additional muscular activity needed to shift the jaw to the side or squeeze unilaterally when one side hits first. The art of…
Read MoreA large filling is frequently not strong enough to withstand biting pressure on a cracked or damaged tooth. In that case, it is customary for the tooth to be protected with a restoration called a crown. Crowns can be made of different materials: gold, porcelain, or some combination. This patient had a porcelain-metal crown on…
Read MoreConventional film X-rays would require chemical processing and did not have the capability of changing contrast and gain. With digital X-rays, we can see the earliest of decays, and thus treat decay conservatively. This patient was seen in our hygiene department for routine cleaning and check-up. The ultra low-radiation exposures did not initially show the…
Read MoreGeneral dentistry in the United States has been trending toward the discontinued use of silver-mercury alloy fillings, aka, amalgams. My own preference for tooth-colored resins is for several reasons, the most obvious being that as an aesthetic dentist, I like teeth to look like teeth. Additionally, resin is not affected by temperature the way metallic…
Read More