Cosmetic dentistry makeover simulation pictures |
When you look at this person's picture you see two teeth that are discolored. The one on the person's upper left is a tooth that has a porcelain veneer on it. The discolored tooth on the upper right is an artificial tooth that is part of a dental bridge that replaces a missing tooth.
This person has used tobacco products for many years, although they have now quit. Tobacco products will have a staining effect on teeth. Our assumption is that when the porcelain veneer and dental bridge were initially placed they matched the color of their neighboring teeth fairly well. Since that time this person has used teeth whitening products that have lighten their natural teeth. Teeth whiteing products will not create a color change for existing porcelain restorations (with the possible exception for porcelain veneers discussed below).
You might also notice the asymmetry that the two discolored teeth bring to this person's smile. When we look at a smile we expect to see that the teeth on one side are pretty much mirror images of the teeth found on the other. In this case the discolored tooth on the person's left side is longer and more narrow looking than the tooth on their right side.
In theory it actually might be possible to lighten the color of an existing porcelain veneer using teeth whitening treatments. In those cases where a veneer is very translucent (meaning the tint of the underlying tooth structure affects the overall color of the veneered tooth) and if the teeth whitening process can lighten the color of the tooth, then the overall appearance of the veneered tooth will look lightened. In reality however, achieving acceptable cosmetic results is typically fortuitous and not necessarily to be expected.
In this case teeth whitening treatments did not change the color of the veneered tooth. This simply means that
a new porcelain veneer will need to be placed.
There was never a chance that the artificial porcelain tooth on the dental bridge could be lighted using teeth whitening treatments. A color change can only be made by replacing the bridge.
In comparison to the veneered tooth, the size of the dental bridge tooth seems too short and too wide. The dentist will have constraints placed upon them related to available space and the person's bite, but hopefully the new dental bridge's artificial tooth can be shaped so it is closer in appearance to the veneered tooth than it was previously.