How a cosmetic dentist can use dental crowns and porcelain veneers to close a tooth gaps ("diastemata") that lie between teeth.
Dental history:
This person related to us that at a young age orthodontic treatment had be initiated but circumstances had prevented the completion of the treatment.
In regards to creating a somewhat more inviting cosmetic end result for this person's smile, closing the spacing that exists between their teeth creates a challenge. This challenge is complicated by the fact that the midlines of the upper and lower teeth do not coincide. The midline of the upper teeth lies far to the right of the lower midline, thus creating an asymmetry for their smile which no doubt affects the overall symmetry of their face.
Cosmetic dentistry treatment plan:
The types of cosmetic changes that we have illustrated for this person's smile could be made with a combination of dental crowns and porcelain veneers. Notice how (short of using orthodontic treatment to physically move some teeth) some of the teeth on this person's left side will simply have to be wider than those corresponding teeth on the right side if the spaces are to be closed as much as we have illustrated.
Additional notes:
An awkwardness with this case is the fact that some of the dental crowns or porcelain veneers placed will result in tooth shapes that are much wider than the teeth were originally, yet the aspect of the tooth's root where it enters the gum line can't be changed. This means that to some extent the dental work will lie over the gums, resulting in the creation of a space in which dental plaque can readily accumulate yet will be difficult to clean out. Planning on how to keep these spaces plaque free will be an important concern when developing this dental treatment plan. Failure of the dental patient to keep these areas free of plaque will place them at risk for the formation of tooth decay and/or gum disease.
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