Here's How We Helped A Young Professor Have The Smile Of Her Dreams

At Bucks Dental, we are happy when our patients are happy with the results we created using state-of-the-art dental technologies. Here is a case study of how we helped a young professor has the smile of her dreams. Despite being successful in her academic career, a young professor at the University of Pennsylvania lacked confidence in her smile. She approached Dr. Qing, our prosthodontist, with the chief complaint of having a gap and unevenness in her front teeth.

After conducting a comprehensive prosthodontic evaluation to eliminate potential risk factors such as occlusion, tumors, and periodontitis, Dr. Qing discussed several treatment options with the patient, including Invisalign, tooth whitening, ceramic veneers, composite veneers, and direct chair composite. The patient opted for a relatively conservative approach, choosing to have only two ceramic veneers placed on her central incisors. Thanks to the treatment, the patient can now speak confidently on the podium. 

Causes of Gapped Or Misshapen Teeth

Gaps and crooked teeth are two common reasons that a patient may seek out dental services. While gaps in between the teeth can be genetic, they can also appear when the back teeth are lost due to trauma or gum disease. Chipped teeth are also a common reason for unevenness along the gum line, which can even make the smile look too wide or too narrow. In some cases, the teeth might be misaligned because they have not yet grown into the correct position. 

Closing gaps between teeth can improve the appearance of the teeth and help create a healthier bite alignment. If left untreated, the gaps can lead to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), which causes the jaw to malfunction and make eating difficult and painful. Patients with TMJ may also experience chronic headaches and become sensitive to hot and cold temperatures. Over time, patients may find that their smiles look older and more worn than they would prefer. 

Dental Veneers To Address Gapped, Misshapen Teeth

Dental veneers are thin, custom-designed shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve your appearance. They are bonded to the front of the teeth changing their color, shape, size, or length to give you a brighter smile. They can also close gaps between your teeth, straighten crooked teeth, and whiten stained or discolored teeth.

Dental veneers provide a natural-looking solution for patients who want to reshape their smiles without braces. Before applying veneers to your teeth, your dentist will first remove a small amount of enamel from the surfaces of your teeth to ensure a proper fit. For the above patient, only 0.4-1.5mm of the facial side of the teeth needed to be prepared to create room for the veneers. Next, your dentist will take impressions of your teeth to send to the laboratory, where your veneers will be custom-crafted. Once your veneers are ready, they’ll be cemented onto the surface of your teeth for a permanent bond.

If you’re interested in getting dental veneers to correct your smile flaws, contact Dr. Qing for a consultation appointment today. You can request an appointment online or by calling the office directly.