Sometimes orthodontics is just not a viable options. Invisalign (clear tray aligners) or full braces (metal brackets) can be a daunting decision for adult patients. But, often orthodontic treatment BEST way to align your natural teeth, fix teeth gaps, level and align your smile and improve the edge position of teeth. At Ivory, we use orthodontics as one of several “tools” to transform your smile - and often we use it as part of an overall cosmetic smile makeover. Sometimes patients that could benefit from orthodontic corrections prior to cosmetic porcelain restorations say “ no way, no how"…They are NOT going to have braces or wear aligners!
If the set up allows - some patients will have the option to correct the overall appearance AND position of their teeth with cosmetic porcelain crowns, veneers and or composite bonding. When the teeth are worn and discolored, the appearance (and position) can be greatly improved by covering the tooth with a porcelain jacket - called a crown. A porcelain veneer is also an option where we only need to cover one surface of the tooth with porcelain in order to improve its overall appearance. See the photos Below…This patient had lived with crooked and worn teeth into her 70’s and finally wanted to improve her smile. Invisalign was ruled out, so we recommended full crowns in order to reposition the teeth (straighten them) and transform the appearance of the tooth with beautiful cosmetic porcelain. The result is a much improved smile and teeth that are no longer worn down, dark, stained and unappealing.
If you look closely at the before image, you can see that the front 4 teeth are crooked and worn to different heights. They are also discolored and full of composite fillings. The first step was to use our amazing Kor teeth whitening system to whiten all the teeth. The goal is to achieve a beautiful whitened tooth color before we begin tooth preparation. Then, by simply preparing the front 4 teeth for a crowns, we are able to cover the teeth and match the whitened color of the adjacent teeth. The edges are even, the surface of the teeth are perfect & life-like…all done without orthodontics!
If time and age have worn and discolored your teeth, it’s never too late to refresh your smile! Check out our cosmetic dentistry page to learn more!
~ Dr Brenny
