The greatest challenge in cosmetic dentistry is actually working with just one tooth and trying to make it fit perfectly in a smile that is otherwise the same. And that’s the challenge we faced with Jarrid.
Jarrid’s Broken Tooth
Many years ago, Jarrid had broken one of his teeth, the right central maxillary incisor. It’s one of the top two center teeth, the most visible teeth in your entire smile. He had had the tooth repaired with dental bonding, which can be a great repair for a damaged tooth, inexpensive and quick.
The repair was managed quite well, overall. Even when he came to us, the shape of the replacement portion was really good. Shapewise, the two central incisors were a match. But otherwise, the dental bonding was failing from a cosmetic perspective.
The dental bonding had become discolored , and it had lost its polish. It didn’t visually match the neighboring tooth or even the tooth it was on. He wanted a tooth that matched.
A Difficult Match
As we said before, it’s very hard to precisely match one tooth to the ones next to it. This can be achieved very well with porcelain veneers, though, if it’s done with by a skilled cosmetic dentist and a skilled ceramicist.
The porcelain veneer is conservative, removing little of his natural tooth, and maintaining the size and shape of his natural tooth. Our ceramicist also performed a custom shading on the tooth to help it match the natural shade of his smile. This is no artificially “Hollywood” white smile, it’s the kind of shade that you would expect to see every day on the street, a healthy color. It meshes perfectly with his gums, retaining their healthy shape and color–no irritation there.
And the tooth is an ideal match for the natural incisor next to it. It matches the shape in kind, not a mirror image, but with the same characteristic square top and rounded corners. The ceramicist even included white spot lesions, small demineralizations that are like pre-cavities–and are found on several of Jarrid’s natural teeth.
Overall, it’s an amazing job of blending the tooth.
From One Tooth to an Entire Smile, Craftsmanship Matters
We were so happy to give Jarrid back his confident, attractive smile, and we’d love to do the same for you. Check out our smile gallery for more examples of the amazing work we have done for our patients.
Whether you’re looking for a smile makeover or just one perfect restoration, the talent and craftsmanship of your dentist matters. To learn how we can help you, please call (248) 656-2020 today for an appointment with one of the talented cosmetic dentists at Rochester Advanced Dentistry.
