Case Presentation: Anterior Crowns

Just like our skin and hair, teeth age with time. Enamel becomes discolored, the gum lines recede and years of tiny chips and wear all create the appearance of an older smile. For today's patient, the six front (anterior) teeth showed signs of recession, crowding and staining along the gum line. After preparing the teeth, six Emax lithium disilicate units were bonded to the teeth. The new crowns straightened the teeth while creating a natural and desirable contour. The slight color gradient from the gum line to the tooth edges also established the appearance of younger dental enamel. Overall, a fantastic transformation!

If you would like to know more about the cosmetic services we offer, please give our office a call. No two smiles are the same, and we approach each patent's needs individually. Contact us today to set up an examination or consultation appointment!

Case Presentation: Smile Makeover

What makes a beautiful smile? Is it the size of the teeth? The shape? Color? As this case demonstrates, the answer is all of the above! Careful details help us reconstruct a smile that is not only beautiful but appropriate for the patient's face shape, age and mouth size. The goal is to create natural appearing teeth while avoiding the "chiclet" look that can come from too little color or shape variation

For this patient, we used Emax lithium disilicate crowns to restore the cracked and decayed anterior teeth. Additionally, you can see where a bridge was used to replace the patient's missing canine on the photo right. As you study these pictures, take note of the subtle color gradient from the edges of the teeth to the gum line. This gradual darkening mimics natural teeth and creates a very convincing profile. Overall, we could not be happier with the results!

If you would like to know more about cosmetic dentistry, crowns, veneers or dental implants, please give our office a call. We are always excited to restore the natural beauty and luster to deserving smiles!

Cosmetic Gum Line Fillings

Another great cosmetic filling from Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry! Today's patient came to us with abfraction lesions on their upper premolars. These cavities are usually caused by the forces of biting, chewing and clenching causing stress on the enamel around the necks of the teeth. After an indentation develops in this area, it becomes a perfect trap for food and plaque. This often leads to decay, thus advancing the process of wear on the tooth. 

We repaired these teeth by removing any compromised enamel and smoothing out the cavity edges. They were then filled with a flexible and esthetic material that both seals out decay and restores the natural beauty of the teeth. While the upper premolars are not directly visible in the smile line, their profiles often contribute to smile "width." For this reason, a cosmetic filling is desirable in maintaining a natural appearance. If you would like to know more about tooth decay, fillings or other cosmetic dental procedures, please give our office a call!

Case Presentation: Smile Improvement Using Crowns and Veneers

In dentistry, many small changes can add up to make a huge difference! Today's patient came to our office dissatisfied with the uneven appearance of their front teeth. Note how the left central incisor has a large chip while the two lateral incisors are very different shapes. Additionally, the teeth do not have a uniform color shade, causing the crown on the patient's right central incisor to stick out noticeably.

Dr. Kari Ann Hong used a combination of three new zirconia veneers and a full zirconia crown on the right central incisor to create a matching shape and color across all the anterior teeth. She also provided minimal recontouring to the gums around the right incisor to create a more symmetric gum line. The result is an undeniably more natural smile! If you would like to know about the services we offer and what Dr. Hong can do for your smile, please give our office a call!

Case Presentation: Cosmetic Veneer Transformation!

Check out this awesome veneer transformation! This patient came to us with anterior teeth that were cosmetically compromised but structurally sound. The patient's left lateral incisor had an aging composite filling, the two central incisors were chipped and all the teeth had uneven staining and decalcification. In cases like this, we like to use zirconia veneers to enhance aesthetics while altering the original tooth as little as possible. 

Teeth are prepared for veneers by removing a small amount of enamel to compensate for the new dimension of zirconia. Once the teeth are prepared, impressions are taken and sent to our lab. You will spend two weeks in temporary veneers while the technicians hone in the ideal dimensions and shade to match your other teeth. The result, as seen above, is a beautiful transformation that looks entirely natural. Modern veneers can make you look younger and create a more vibrant smile with minimal changes to your existing teeth. If you would like to know more about veneers, how we place them and why we use them, please give our office a call!

Case Presentation: Midline Correction Update!

Here's a final update to our patient who received four Emax crowns to correct their crooked anterior midline. As you can see, the new crowns create a natural and straight smile with extremely esthetic results. In addition to centering and paralleling the patient's midline, the new restorations give the teeth a more rounded and youthful profile. Additionally, we were able to match the shapes of the two lateral incisors, creating a more harmonious appearance all together. 

A case like this highlights the importance of symmetry in cosmetic dentistry. In comparison to the before pictures, our patient's new smile is centered, with the left and right side incisors appearing as mirror images of each other. The result is a smile that exudes "natural beauty." If you would like to know more about the ways we use cosmetic dentistry to improve our patients' smiles, please give our office a call!

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