Author: thrive

I wanted to share with you a case that really touched my heart. This gentleman attended my clinic after being diagnosed with cancer. He was about to start a medication that required his dental health to be stable. We also had time pressure to fix things quickly so that he can start his cancer treatment. The wear, fractures and chips in this case are a result of a combination of years of acid reflux and a heavy bite. You can see he’s lost a lot of tooth structure and his bites collapsed. This bite also gave his face a sunken profile. Dental technology came to the rescue again in this instance and I followed a digital smile design protocol. After doing a test drive from the digital design and confirming that the new bite would work I then proceeded to build up his teeth using this exact design in composite resin. The outcome was as follows and has meant that not only can he smile again but he can also eat better and his teeth are more stable.

This Is a case of a lovely patient of mine that really shows how simple affordable dentistry can really transform a smile. This patient’s primary concern was the look of his teeth and wanting to replace his missing front tooth with something other than implants. After fixing his gum issues removing decay and establishing an immaculate home hygiene protocol we commence the cosmetic phase of his plan. As with any cosmetic phase I’m involved in, I always begin with a digital smile design, using the patient’s full face photos. As you can see, there are gaps in between the teeth, and this patient had a strong jawline with dominant masculine features. So my design was created to be in harmony with his face. We ran a test drive of the smile and once he approved and loved the design, we completed teeth whitening and then built up all of the upper and the lower teeth with composite veneers. A denture replacing the missing tooth was then fabricated to match.

This is one of my favorite cases as it really shows the power of digital smile design. DSD is essentially a way by which we use the latest dental technology to analyze and measure a person’s face and then design their ideal smile. In this case I enhanced this beautiful lady’s smile by reducing the amount of gum showing when she smiled through a laser gum lift. We undertook some teeth whitening to achieve a lighter shade. Have a look at the shade difference between the before and the after. We made the teeth more balanced, symmetrical, proportionate. We also widened and broadened the smile as it was narrow through composite veneers on the back teeth. The outcome is a healthy, brighter, beautiful smile that was custom built for her face.

Do you cringe at the thought of biting into an ice cream? If so, you’re not alone. In many cases, this sensitivity is an indication of a cavity, or cracked or infected tooth requiring dental intervention. For others, this pain and discomfort with hot, cold, sweet, acidic foods or even brushing is a result of dentinal hypersensitivity. Some people just have naturally sensitive teeth. Their enamel is thinner and hence provides less insulation and protection. This is actually a result of habits that need to be broken. Over brushing, or brushing with a hard toothbrush, teeth grinding, exposure to acids. They can all be leading causes of this sensitivity. Brushing gently with a soft toothbrush using sensitive toothpaste like Sensodyne or Colgate Relief can also offer some relief to this problem. Consistency and patience are key with these products as it can take a few days, even a few weeks to work effectively.