This 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 MoreSuccessful adult improves confidence through aesthetic dentistry! As a consultant to big financial firms, this patient was aware that a powerful image was important to portray. However, she felt limited by having never lost the upper baby-teeth canines. The proportion between her teeth and lips was not balanced. She did not realize that the two…
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As a restorative dentist, I place equal value on predictability, longevity, comfort, biocompatibility, and aesthetics. One soap box I don’t mind stepping on is the busting down the metal-free myth about the more popular new ceramic crown options. The two most popular types of all-ceramic crowns for back teeth are made from aluminum oxide and…
Read MoreThis lovely 90-year-old patient has kept most of her teeth her whole life. She flosses twice daily and uses fluoride every night! One day at a luncheon with friends, she accidentally bit a salad fork, and felt two of her lower front teeth become rather loose and painful to the touch. After determining that the…
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 MoreOne of the most challenging types of “simple dentistry” is to accomplish a direct resin restoration (aka, white filling) that looks good, functions well, and seals out bacteria from re-entering the side of the tooth. Only a few years , which had been somewhat sensitive since being placed. An X-ray of the area shows where…
Read MorePorcelain veneer vs bonding: Qualities to consider in decision making process This patient had chipped the front left tooth playing sports as a child. Previously, it was conservatively repaired with resin bonding (tooth-colored plastic filling material) which had discolored, and to the patient’s disappointment, three times before it had broken under the weight of his bite. A…
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