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Like many people on the go, Patricia enjoys a bracing cup of coffee in the morning, but this favorite beverage left its mark on her teeth. Patricia also had developed discoloration from a cavity that had formed in the center of one of her front teeth. "The filling was fine," she attests, "but you could see where the cavity had been." In her work, Patricia sees a number of new faces, many of them co-workers on her flights. "I started noticing all the newer flight attendants with their flashes of brilliant white teeth," says Patricia, "and I wanted my teeth to look like that again!" Several years ago Patricia had explored options for tooth whitening but was concerned to hear that, over time, the process itself could wear away her tooth enamel.
She was eager to find a dentist who could suggest a better option, and that dentist was Florian Braich, DDS, PhD, a cosmetic dentist located in Palm Beach Gardens.
"When I moved here, Dr. Braich's office sent me a letter welcoming me to the neighborhood," Patricia recalls. "I was impressed with that outgoing gesture, so when I cracked one of my molars, I called his office and was promptly given an appointment. I've been with his office ever since. He was easily my first choice for improving the looks of my front teeth."
Increasing interest
"Cosmetic dentistry is one of the most important aspects of dentistry today," observes Dr. Braich. "More and more, patients are coming in to say they are not happy with the appearance of their front teeth," he adds. "Sometimes patients are concerned about simple discolorations: I have seen a number of patients whose teeth are discolored from use of the drug tetracycline. Many people come in after seeing how their smiles look in photographs, or because they are planning to attend an event where they know their teeth will detract from their appearance.
"In addition to discoloration," elaborates Dr. Braich, "Patricia had one front tooth that overlapped the other very slightly. Lumineers and Veneers can be fabricated to hide these irregularities in natural teeth," he assures. "The color, shape and spacing of teeth all can be enhanced with the use of new materials developed for this area of dentistry." There are several options for restoring an attractive smile, Lumineers and porcelain laminate veneers are among the best, states Dr. Braich.
A veneer is a thin shield of porcelain that fits over the front of a tooth like an artificial fingernail fits over a real nail. The thickness of the veneer is designed to minimize the amount by which the natural tooth must be reduced, and to precisely fit the prepared tooth. With veneers, only a fingernails thickness of the tooth structure is removed to facilitate placement. These thin, semi-translucent 'shells' are then permanently bonded to the front of the teeth. "Veneers are a good choice for several reasons," attests Dr. Braich. "They offer a permanent improvement, their coloration stays the same over time and they feel like real teeth once they are in place!"
Healthy gums required
"Healthy gums are the foundation of good, solid aesthetic dentistry," proclaims Dr. Braich. "The contour of the veneer is determined by the outline of the gum against the tooth," he explains. "We want to be sure that in later years the gum will not recede and expose the tooth root, disrupting the aesthetic appearance that we have designed." Once he is satisfied that the patients gums are healthy, and he has prepared the tooth to receive the veneer, Dr. Braich begins the precise procedure for designing the veneers that will erase from view the defects that detracted from his patients' smiles.
After taking a careful impression of Patricia's teeth, Dr. Braich sent it to his cosmetic dental lab where a three-dimensional model was created to show the final aesthetic result, including how much change would be made in the teeth to accomplish that result. "In evaluating the model," says Dr. Braich, "we ask parents to accompany their minor children and spouses to accompany married patients to join in a frank discussion. The patient will not be looking at his or her teeth every day," comments Dr. Braich, "so it is good to have the opinion of someone who sees the patient and can give an evaluation of what the changed appearance will look like over time. In some cases, we add changes to the model, or diminish the extent of some changes and accentuate others. We are very specific in this conversation, and when we have an improvement plan that satisfies the patient, we schedule the time to do the actual work."
While her veneers were being designed, recalls Patricia, she was provided with a temporary to protect the reduced natural teeth, and to preserve a natural appearance. To ensure that the veneers will have the most natural appearance possible, the angles of the veneers are placed in the natural angles between the teeth, and the edges of the veneer go to the gum, or to the back of the teeth. "People can look closely and won't be able to tell that they aren't looking at the natural teeth surfaces," notes Dr. Braich.
"It's so true!" says Patricia, "and the veneers are just as easy to keep clean as natural teeth! Dr. Braich advised me always to mention the veneers when I go in for regular cleanings so the hygienist is aware, but I have not had problems eating anything I want to, and my teeth are as shiny and bright as our newest flight attendants'."
Porcelain veneers are used to cover discolorations and correct slight imperfections in normally healthy teeth. -Dr. Braich
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To find out more about our cosmetic services or to schedule a cosmetic dental appointment call or email our Palm Beach Smile Design office.
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