I just wanted to give everyone a sample of how we do a nice cosmetic case. In this case, our patient had missing upper laterals that were replaced by some bonding a number of years ago. She was not confident in her smile, and therefore wanted her front 6 teeth redone with two bridges. Here's the before photo (and yes, those devices around her lips are just lip retractors...thanks to Deborah for the photos):
Notice the poor contour of the teeth, not to mention the lack of strength this type of restoration has. It will be much better with two bridges cemented in. After a consult with the patient, as well as getting all necessary hygiene appointments done beforehand, we had a few goals in mind with this case:
- Improve the shape of the teeth to a more natural contour
- Make the teeth larger for a more youthful look
- Improve the colour so that the teeth look whiter
- Improve the contacts so that we have a good chance at having the gingiva (gums) nicely fill in the space in between teeth.
So with the help of Krest Labs, we treatment planned the case.
Coming up in Part 2: The preparation of the teeth and the shape of temporary teeth.
Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental Health Group in Mississauga
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada
(1/2 km north of the QEW in the Dome Building)
(905) 273-7100