Patient Showcase ~ Claudia

A person’s smile can be significantly improved by artistically bonding composite materials to the facial surfaces of teeth. This procedure works especially well when the teeth involved are clinically sound and in relatively good alignment. Such cases require minimal preparation and are for the most part purely an additive procedure. Direct composite veneers are also a less expensive alternative for patients unable to afford porcelain veneers. Another benefit of the direct composite approach is the ease of repair or touch up in the mouth.

Claudia, a healthy 18-year-old female, was looking forward to her freshmen year at Notre Dame. Her chief complaint was her teeth had white splotches to varying degrees which gave her teeth a mottled look and she didn’t like the darkness of the right canine. Closer evaluation also disclosed gum tissue asymmetries giving teeth different lengths, teeth with less than ideal proportions, and some irregularly shaped teeth due to rotations.

This Accreditation case was ideal for direct resin veneers. The treatment plan would first address the gum tissue excess and asymmetries by performing a surgical crown lengthening procedure. The second treatment phase is to whiten all teeth with a take home, tray bleaching kit. Whitening is beneficial in this case to not only lighten those teeth not to be veneered but also lighten the darker areas of the teeth to be veneered.  The final step is to bond composite resin on the upper eight anterior teeth. The objective is to blend them naturally with the lighter, acceptable color pattern existing on her lower incisors as well as improve tooth proportions.  All veneers were predominantly additions with minimal to no tooth reduction. 

Our college bound patient was very happy with her smile enhancements