RM always had gaps between her teeth and although she admits that she liked it as a child, she was unhappy with them as an adult. We discussed moving the teeth orthodontically (braces or invisalign) but she was also unhappy with the shape of the teeth. The top 8 teeth are porcelain crowns and four of the lower teeth have direct bonding to close the gaps. RM says that she can’t stop smiling.
AF had been wearing a fake front tooth for several years and a previous dentist had placed porcelain crowns that were not to AF’s liking. We placed an implant in the gap and then placed 6 porcelain crowns. AF said it was a relief not to have to hide the unesthetic teeth.
When the original tooth isn’t strong enough to hold a cosmetic filling, it is necessary to place a crown. The outer 1-1.5 millimeters of the tooth are removed and a crown is placed. The newer porcelain crowns have a dazzling depth of color that can match the existing natural teeth so that the new crown disappears. These crowns are the ones used in instant orthodontics – they can change the position of the existing teeth.
The newest technology uses a zirconia shell to cover the tooth and then the natural-appearing porcelain to provide the aesthetics. The zirconia is translucent so the natural color can show through, and they are almost as hard as diamonds so they are incredibly strong.