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Archives for February 2011

Smoker’s Smile Gets Unforgettable Smile Transformation with Cosmetic Dentistry Laguna Niguel

February 27, 2011 by
dental reconstruction orange county cosmetic dentist

Joanne got a life changing smile transformation with cosmetic dentistry, as is very obvious from the before and after photos of her smile. "My daughter said that my new teeth make me look twenty years younger," she said.

Joanne from Mission Viejo was a smoker and had been for over forty years.  Her smoking had worsened her gum disease, causing the teeth around her bone to deteriorate, her gums recede and exposing the roots of her teeth. It was very obvious to Joanne that her smoking had also discolored her teeth pretty bad, especially around the roots. On top of all of this Joanne had a significant amount of decay and was already missing several teeth.  She came to our cosmetic dental practice to “get her teeth fixed.”

It was important for us to find out why she was finally motivated enough to do something about her teeth.  Joanne said, “It’s because I just had to have another tooth pulled, several more are getting looser and I don’t want to end up getting false teeth like my parents!”

We took some photos of her teeth so that we could discuss each of them, including all treatment options.  Joanne was devastated! “I know my smile looks bad but I never realized how bad I have let my teeth get,” she said.  “Is there anything you can do for me to help prevent dentures?”

After thoroughly examining Joanne’s teeth we actually had the answer that Joanne wanted to hear.  “Yes, we can treat your gum disease and restore your smile.  It’s a lot of work, but it can be done,” we assured her.

Skipping all the details of her treatment, we did do full mouth reconstruction for Joanne with multiple porcelain crowns and three porcelain bridges.  As is very evident from the before and after photos, the results we achieved for her were amazing.  Undeniably, Joanne got an unforgettable life changing smile transformation with cosmetic dentistry!  In her own words, “My daughter said that my new teeth make me look twenty years younger.”

Filed Under: full mouth reconstruction, Porcelain Crowns, smile rejuvenation Tagged With: , , ,

Fiery Red Hair and To Die For Smile with Porcelain Veneers Orange County for Ms. Germany-Globe

February 25, 2011 by
orange county porcelain veneers

Fiery red Inessa got her to die for smile makeover with ultra thin porcelain veneers to help her compete in the Mrs. Globe pageant.

Inessa, the reigning Ms. Germany-Globe and international hair designer, came to Southern California to compete in the Mrs. Globe Beauty Pageant.  A beautiful lady with poise and charm, Inessa had the entire package to compete well…. except for her smile.  Her teeth were very yellow and had chips and spaces.

Knowing she had only moments on stage to impress the judges and audience, Inessa thought that it would serve her best to get a smile makeover before competing in the Mrs. Globe pageant.  Thus, she came to our cosmetic dental practice in Laguna Niguel, referred to us by the beauty pageant.

When looking at Inessa’s teeth the chipping, spacing and discoloration that she was concerned about was obvious.  We gave Inessa two alternative treatments that would address her issues of concern:

  • extremely conservative cosmetic dentistry – bleach her upper and lower teeth and then do some composite bonding to fill in the chips and spacing between her teeth
  • place ultra thin porcelain veneers (i.e. Lumineers, Durathin veneers, Nano veneers or Empress veneers) on her upper ten teeth and bleach only her lower teeth
chipped spaced discolored teeth

Inessa knew that with her chipped, spaced and discolored teeth that she would not compete as well in the Mrs. Globe Pageant. She wanted to know what options cosmetic dentistry had to offer her to enhance her smile on stage.

After thoroughly explaining both procedures to Inessa, along with the differences in how her final teeth and smile would appear, she asked what she felt was the most important question:  “Dr. Huefner, I need to look great on stage.  I’ve got one day, one shot and I really have to look my very best.  In your opinion which would give me the absolutely most beautiful smile?”

orange county porcelain veneers

Inessa chose to have Dr. Huefner place ten ultra thin porcelain veneers. The end result was a to die for smile and she did very well on stage at the pageant.

The answer for Inessa was porcelain veneers for her upper ten front teeth.  Her treatment went extremely smooth and was completed in under three weeks time and three dental appointments.  She chose a BL1 shade from the tooth shade guide and an “enhanced” smile style from the tooth shapes catalog.  Inessa did well competing in the Mrs. Globe pageant, but did not win.  She continues in her profession as an international hair designer, currently working both in Los Angeles and Greece and occasionally visits us in Orange County so that we can check her porcelain veneers.

ultra thin porcelain veneers

Comparing Inessa's teeth before and after ultra thin porcelain veneer treatment one can appreciate how much better her smile looked on stage and in her portrait photos.

In her portrait above you can see the “to die for smile” created for fiery red Inessa with porcelain veneers at our Laguna Niguel cosmetic dental practice.

Filed Under: beauty pageant contestant, Porcelain Veneers, Tooth Color Tagged With: , , , ,

Investing in his smile was long overdue and life changing

February 23, 2011 by
dark teeth irvine

After neglecting his teeth for many years and seeing opportunities pass him by Ron was ready to invest in his smile. He felt his teeth were ugly and he was embarrassed to smile.

Ron from Irvine had several issues with his appearance and over years realized that he had really let himself go. Unfortunately he also he saw his self-confidence and employment opportunities dwindle. Finally one day Ron told himself that he had enough!  It was time to get his appearance back into shape so he could get a competitive edge in the job market. To do this he knew he had to do two things – lose weight and improve the appearance of his teeth.

Committed to getting his life back on track, Ron dealt with his weight problem first.  It took a while but after he achieved his goal he was ready to tackle getting “his teeth fixed” and hopefully along with that an attractive smile would be achieved.

Ron was referred to our cosmetic dental practice in Laguna Niguel by his physician.  At his consultation appointment we asked Ron what his goals were.  “I just want a nice smile with straight white teeth,” he replied. “I don’t want to be embarrassed to smile any more.”

porcelain crowns irvine

To correct his issues of color, decay and crookedness of his teeth Ron had porcelain crowns placed on his upper teeth. Admittedly his smile makeover was "life changing" and one of the best things he had done for himself in decades.

When closely examining Ron’s teeth we found that he had more issues going on than just having very dark crooked teeth.  He had problems on numerous teeth, several old fillings that had fallen out and he had significant decay present. We explained to Ron that generally speaking we would prefer to place porcelain veneers on his upper front and side teeth.  However in Ron’s case he had so much decay that porcelain crowns would give him the most protection. Fortunately he didn’t show much of his lower teeth, which were in decent shape.  We showed Ron dental photos of each of his teeth to help him understand where his problems were. After careful consideration Ron decided to have twelve of his upper teeth treated with porcelain crowns and whiten his lower teeth with teeth bleaching.

Ron’s treatment went well, completed in less than a months time over three dental appointments.  When it came to the color of Ron’s new crowns he chose a BL2 shade from the tooth shade guide.  From the tooth shape library Ron chose a “softened” smile style from the LVI Smile Library.

Afterwords Ron’s comments were that he “felt like a new man” and that investing in his teeth and smile were one of the best things he has done for himself in several decades. “I just feel a whole lot better about my appearance now,” Ron said.  Admittedly, looking at Ron’s before and after photos we were in total agreement. Ron from Irvine got a life changing smile makeover with porcelain crowns!

Filed Under: Porcelain Crowns, teeth bleaching, Tooth Color Tagged With: , , , ,

Transforming from a geeky kid smile to a blossoming young lady with porcelain veneers

February 21, 2011 by
gummy smile spaced teeth porcelain veneers rancho santa margarita

Thirteen year old Alison was going through an awkward time in her life. Her appearance was important to her, but her classmates made fun of her gummy smile and spaced teeth. "I have a gummy geeky smile," she said.

Alison, a 13 year old teenager from Rancho Santa Margarita, came in with her dad for a cosmetic dentistry consultation.  The first thing we noticed is that she had “an attitude” and really didn’t want to be in a dental office.  Her dad explained that she had braces for a year and that she refused to cooperate with the orthodontist and asked that her braces be taken off before the spacing was closed and her teeth were straight.  He went on to say that “she’s been going through a tough time” and he just couldn’t fight with her about the braces any more.  Thus, he told the orthodontist to go ahead and take off her braces.  “Is there any quick way that you can give her a nice smile without going through the braces route?” her dad then asked us.

We asked Alison what she thought about her smile?  “I have a gummy geeky smile and they make fun of my teeth at school,” she said.  We told Alison that before we make any recommendations we’d like her to list the things about her teeth and smile that she didn’t like or want changed. Alison was very quick to list:

  • I show too much gums
  • My teeth are spaced
  • They are yellow and I want white teeth
  • One of my front teeth is chipped
gummy smile treatment rancho santa margarita

After gum reshaping to eliminate her gummy smile and bleaching her teeth Alison had a much nicer smile. She still had gaps and a chipped tooth. Her final smile makeover would be done by placing eight porcelain veneers.

We could see that Alison was very frustrated with her appearance.  Most people can look back and remember how awkward being a young teenager was – wanting to be liked and accepted, fit in with your friends and schoolmates, get positive attention from the opposite sex.

After careful thought we told Alison and her dad that she had two options.  We could do 8 porcelain veneers which would correct the spacing, discolored and chipped teeth, but wouldn’t do anything to eliminate her gummy smile.  Or, we could do some gum recontouring first to eliminate her gummy smile appearance, and then do porcelain veneers.  Clearly the latter approach would give us the most control over giving Alison a much nicer smile.

Alison’s dad said that they would go home and talk it over with her mom.  Two days later he called and scheduled Alison’s appointment to begin cosmetic dentistry.  “She really wants a nice smile more than anything in the world so her mother and I are going to give it to her,” he said.

Alison’s treatment went very smooth.  Her first phase was doing the gum reshaping to eliminate her gummy smile and bleaching all her teeth.  Then the second phase was completing her new smile by placing eight porcelain veneers.

porcelain veneers for teenager

Alison blossomed into a confidant young lady after her treatment was completed by placing eight porcelain veneers.

Looking back at the before and after photos Alison’s cosmetic dental treatment with porcelain veneers and gum reshaping is probably one of the most profound and life changing treatment’s we’ve done in our cosmetic dental practice in over thirty years.  Almost instantly this Rancho Santa Margarita teenager went from (in her own words) having a gummy geeky smile and being an awkward teenager to a blossoming young lady very confidant in her appearance.

Filed Under: Gummy Smile, Porcelain Veneers, spaced teeth Tagged With: , , ,

Gummy Smile Transformed Into Stunning Smile with Laser and Porcelain Veneers

February 19, 2011 by
dental gum laser orange county

Nina was very self conscious of her gummy smile and crooked teeth. Dr. Huefner gave her a stunning smile by doing some minor gum reshaping with the dental gum laser, then bleaching her lower teeth and placing ten porcelain veneers on her upper teeth.

Nina (not her real name), a young lady from Laguna Niguel was embarrassed by her teeth.  She was concerned about her appearance and didn’t have much self confidence when she smiled.  When she went for job interviews or in social situations around young men her age she would cover her mouth with her hand or simply “not smile”.  She had braces when she was younger, but was so self conscious about them that she discontinued her orthodontic treatment before her teeth were fully straightened.

Becoming increasingly concerned, her mother told Nina that maybe it was time that she consider cosmetic dentistry.  She had seen the “Extreme Makeover” program on TV and saw several programs where smile makeovers were done in less than a months time.

Upon speaking with Nina at her cosmetic dentistry consultation we asked her what she didn’t like about her teeth and smile?  She answered, “I hate my gummy smile and crooked teeth.  Can that be fixed with cosmetic dentistry?”

gummy smile and gingivitis before laser gum reshaping

Nina's crooked teeth and swollen, red gummy smile really bothered her. She wouldn't smile or would hold her hand in front of her teeth. Her mom had seen the TV program Extreme Makeover and suggested she consider cosmetic dentistry to improve her appearance.

In Nina’s case not only did she have a gummy smile (i.e. excess amount of gum tissue around each tooth) but she also had gingivitis.  We explained to Nina that when she neglects brushing and flossing her teeth her gums become inflamed, so they appear redder and larger than normal.  By just having her teeth cleaned and properly brushing and flossing each day would eliminate most of the redness and swollen gums.  However, she would still have more than the normal amount of gingiva around each of her visible teeth, hence her teeth would still appear smaller than normal.  The answer was to do some minor laser gum reshaping with the dental gum laser.  That would remove some of her excess gums and reduce the gummyness of her smile.

Nina said that she thought she now understood about fixing her gums, but what about her crooked teeth? Dr. Huefner said that if she wanted straight white teeth, and wasn’t willing to do any more orthodontics, he could create a stunning smile for her with porcelain veneers.

Her next thought was that she did want whiter teeth, but didn’t think she wanted to have porcelain veneers on all of her teeth.  Dr. Huefner explained that he would just do porcelain veneers on her upper teeth, but on her lower teeth he would whiten them with teeth bleaching.  Anticipating Nina’s next question, Dr. Huefner reassurred her that her entire treatment could be completed in six weeks time.  First she would get her teeth cleaned and clear up the gingivitis.  Next he would reshape her upper gums with the dental gum laser and bleach her lower teeth.  And finally he would place ten porcelain veneers on her upper teeth.

Nina accepted Dr. Huefner’s treatment recommendations.  For her smile makeover with porcelain veneers she chose a BL2 shade from the tooth shade guide and a “enhanced” smile style from the tooth shape library.  The end result, which was accomplished in six weeks as Dr. Huefner had promised, was an absolute stunning smile makeover for one very happy young lady from Laguna Niguel!

Dr. Norman Huefner, Orange County Cosmetic Dentistry and Porcelain Veneers. Serving the surrounding cities of Laguna Niguel, Irvine, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita
Filed Under: Gummy Smile, Porcelain Veneers, teeth bleaching Tagged With: , , ,

What do you do when you break off a front tooth? Laguna Niguel Dental Implant

February 17, 2011 by
broken lateral incisor

Renee fell and broke off her upper lateral incisor at the gum line. She had three choices: 1) a dental implant, 2) a 3-unit porcelain bridge or 3) a removable partial denture.

Renee from Laguna Niguel tripped and fell on her face.  The little bruises on her chin and elbows weren’t the problem.  She broke off her upper later incisor at the gum line.  Ouch!

When she came into our Laguna Niguel cosmetic dental practice she was in tears, hoping we would be able to just “glue the tooth back into place.”  Unfortunately that wasn’t something that could be done.

“Oh no, I have to have a front tooth.  I can’t go around with this gaping hole in the front of my mouth!” were her words of frustration.  We agreed 100% with Renee.

After explaining to Renee that she had three options for us to give her back a front tooth she relaxed a little.  We explained her three choices:

  • a single tooth implant
  • a 3-unit porcelain bridge
  • a removable partial denture
dental implant with abutment

Renee chose to have the dental implant. The broken tooth and root was removed and a dental implant was placed into the area where the root had been. Then the white abutment was attached to the dental implant with a special dental screw that joins the two parts together.

Renee was quick to respond, “I definitely don’t want anything that I would have to take in and out.  The removable partial is not an option for me.”

She wanted more information regarding the difference in treatment between the implant and the 3 unit porcelain bridge. Basically, if she didn’t like the appearance of the teeth on either side of the broken off tooth then a three unit porcelain bridge could be made.  A bridge means putting dental crowns on those teeth on either side of the missing tooth, but those two dental crowns also connect to another dental crown in the middle which will replace the broken tooth.  Dentists call the middle dental crown that replaces a missing tooth on a bridge a “pontic”.  Renee’s answer was that she already had porcelain veneers placed on those teeth several years ago and was very happy with their appearance and didn’t want to redo the two porcelain veneers with dental crowns to make a porcelain bridge.  “Can’t we leave those two teeth alone and just stick a tooth in there?”

That was actually what her third choice was, doing a dental implant. The broken tooth and root would be removed and into the area where the broken root was a dental implant could be placed.  On top of the dental implant another implant part, called an abutment, is attached to the dental implant by means of a special dental screw.  Then on top of the abutment a custom made implant porcelain crown is placed.

dental implant crown laguna niguel

After the abutment was attached to the implant a porcelain implant crown was cemented over it, completing the implant procedure.

After thinking over the three options Renee chose to do the single dental implant to replace her broken off upper lateral incisor.  Her treatment went smooth and to Renee’s delight, the results were very nice.  Her only criticism was that the dental implant looked so good that it actually looked better than her two natural teeth on either side that had previously been treated with porcelain veneers.

Dr. Norman Huefner, Orange County Cosmetic Dentistry and Porcelain Veneers. Serving the surrounding cities of Laguna Niguel, Irvine, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita
Filed Under: dental implant, porcelain bridge Tagged With: , , ,

Crooked Smile Rejuvination and Overhaul with Porcelain Veneers Orange County

February 16, 2011 by
orange county porcelain veneers

Melanie wanted bright white teeth and larger teeth. She had a crossbite on her upper right molars that she also wanted corrected. Dr. Huefner placed ten porcelain veneers for Melanie and she got the beautiful, symmetrical smile that she had always wanted.

Melanie was really concerned about “her crooked smile”.  She was recently divorced and starting to date again.  Since she was looking for “a good looking guy” she fully realized that she’d be more attractive herself if she had a better looking smile.  “The competition is pretty tough here in Orange County,” Melanie said, “and I know that it’s very important here that I look my very best!”

When we asked Melanie at our Orange County cosmetic dental practice what she wanted changed about her smile she had a long list:

  • my teeth are crooked
  • I have a crossbite
  • my teeth are way too dark
  • I want a bright, white smile with much larger teeth

After evaluating Melanie’s teeth and smile Dr. Huefner determined that the color, length, shape and position of her teeth were all very straight forward to correct with porcelain veneers.  However her crossbite on her right back teeth would be difficult.  The actual position of the back teeth in crossbite couldn’t be totally corrected, but porcelain veneers could be made to widen the teeth to make it appear as if she had no crossbite.  “That is OK with me,” Melanie said after hearing that, “as long as it looks like I don’t have a crossbite.”

crooked teeth with crossbite on upper right molars

Melanie felt that her teeth were crooked, discolored and she hated the crossbite on her upper right molars. Partially because of her crossbite she had lip asymmetry as well when she smiled. She wanted a perfect smile and had definite ideas as to the color, shape and position that she wanted with her cosmetic dentistry.

Dr. Huefner also pointed out that when Melanie smiles she had a lip muscle asymmetry and her lower lip on her right side pulls down much more on that side, exposing her crossbite. After her cosmetic dentistry was done she should try to retrain her lips on smiling so that a more pleasing symmetrical smile would result.

Melanie preceded with porcelain veneer cosmetic dental treatment.  She definitely wanted a bright, white smile, and chose a BL1 shade from the tooth shade guide.  Also, she made it very clear that she wanted larger, more dominant looking teeth.  She chose the “mature” smile style from the LVI smile library, but asked for the cuspids to be slightly less pointy and a little more flat than the basic “mature” smile style.

Dr. Norman Huefner, Orange County Cosmetic Dentistry and Porcelain Veneers. Serving the surrounding cities of Laguna Niguel, Irvine, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita
Filed Under: Crooked Teeth, Crossbite Correction, Porcelain Veneers, smile rejuvenation Tagged With: , , , ,

Gummy Smile and Chipped, Discolored Teeth Rejuvenated with Porcelain Veneers and Laser Gum Reshaping

February 14, 2011 by
irvine porcelain veneers

Beth with her "perfect smile" after some minor laser gum reshaping and Dr. Huefner placing ten porcelain veneers.

Beth from Irvine is a very attractive lady in her 40s.  She has her own business, dresses well and takes very good care of her self.  But there was something about her appearance that really annoyed her, her teeth and smile!  She said, “My teeth are straight, but they don’t look very pretty.  When I smile I show way too much of my gums and my teeth are discolored, chipped and just look too small for my face.” She had told this to one of her close friends who suggested that she come to see Dr. Huefner to find out what options she might have with cosmetic dentistry.

When we looked at Beth’s smile we don’t just look at teeth.  A smile is really composed of three major players, the lips, gums and teeth.  When all three of these elements look good and work together a beautiful smile can result.  If one or more of the three don’t, then we can get great improvement with cosmetic dentistry, but probably won’t achieve “the perfect smile.”

Many cosmetic dentists romantisize the smile by pointing out the similarity of a great smile to a beautiful landscape painting.  The lips are the frame, the gums the scenery and the teeth the main subject.  Usually you’ll never see a great painting with a ugly frame and gums that are to dominant can be a distraction to the smile.  Of course teeth, which are the main players, that are discolored, shipped, crooked, spaced, too long or too short can ruin the beauty of a smile.

irvine cosmetic dentistry

Beth didn't like her smile. She has beautiful lips, but showed too much of her gums and her teeth were short, discolored and chipped. She had wanted a pretty smile for years and was researching cosmetic dentistry as a means of getting one.

The first thing we noticed when evaluating Beth’s smile was she had absolutely beautiful lips!  They were full, symmetrical and well shaped.  However, when we looked at her gums we noticed that she showed too much gums when she smiled.  Also the gums covered her teeth a little more than normal, making her teeth actually look too short.
Beth’s teeth were discolored and her front teeth chipped.  Her side teeth leaned in, almost disappearing.  This resulted in a “bucky” look, as her four front teeth dominated her smile since they showed so much more than all of her other teeth.

The great news is that Beth was a perfect candidate for an absolutely beautiful smile with cosmetic dentistry!  A little reshaping of her gums with the dental gum laser and porcelain veneers on her upper ten teeth would give her the smile that she had always dreamed of having.  Dr. Huefner discussed his recommendations with Beth, along with alternative treatments.  She was excited and began her cosmetic dentistry the following week.

Beth’s treatment went smooth and an incredible smile was achieved.  She, along with Dr. Huefner’s suggestions, chose a “natural” BL3 shade from the tooth shade guide and “enhanced” smile design from the Dickerson LVI smile library.
After her smile makeover was completed Beth said, “I couldn’t be happier!  My smile looks so pretty now and it gives me a much more mature look than I had before.”

Dr. Norman Huefner, Orange County Cosmetic Dentistry and Porcelain Veneers. Serving the surrounding cities of Laguna Niguel, Irvine, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita
Filed Under: Gummy Smile, Porcelain Veneers, Smile Design Tagged With: , , ,

Replacing Old Broken Porcelain Veneer with Modern Porcelain and Improved Techniques for Much Better Looking Front Tooth

February 12, 2011 by
laguna niguel porcelain veneer

Amanda's new porcelain veneer very closely matched her adjacent tooth. Using Empress porcelain the new porcelain veneer was stronger than her old broken one. It also had a customized incisal translucency and surface texture.

Amanda from Laguna Niguel had broken her front tooth as a child.  Her first dentist repaired the break with a large composite filling.  Over the years that filling broke a couple times and her dentist finally placed a porcelain veneer.  Looking better than the original filling, the porcelain veneer still “just didn’t look right”, according to Amanda.  Then one day Amanda got bumped in the face and her porcelain veneer broke!  Now in college, her mom told her that this time she shouldn’t go back to her general dentist, but rather go to a cosmetic dentist.

Amanda’s biggest concern when she spoke with Dr. Huefner was he going to make her a new porcelain veneer that it be stronger and better match her other front tooth.  When describing why she didn’t like her old porcelain veneer she said that it looks yellow and chalky and just didn’t look like a real tooth!

broken porcelain veneer

Amanda had a porcelain veneer placed by her family dentist and five years later it broke. She said she wanted a new porcelain veneer, but one that was stronger and more natural looking.

Dr. Huefner explained to Amanda that there have many new advances in porcelain veneer techniques and materials.  In her case Dr. Huefner would utilize a stronger type of porcelain, called Empress pressed ceramic.  It is stronger than her old broken porcelain veneer, which was feldspathic stacked porcelain.  In addition to using Empress, Dr. Huefner would choose a tooth shade or color that more closely matched her adjacent tooth and include some natural incisal translucency like her natural tooth had.  Also he would vary the surface texture so that natural light reflected off of both teeth the same way.  All these components in the design and fabrication would provide an end result for her new porcelain veneer that would be both stronger and more natural looking that her original porcelain veneer.

Amanda’s treatment went smooth and an excellent result was achieved.  Now married and graduated from college, this young lady from Laguna Niguel will have a beautiful smile for years to come!

Dr. Norman Huefner, Orange County Cosmetic Dentistry and Porcelain Veneers. Serving the surrounding cities of Laguna Niguel, Irvine, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita
Filed Under: Porcelain Veneers, Smile Design Tagged With: , , ,

Porcelain Veneers used to treat missing teeth and a smile that didn’t look right

February 10, 2011 by
newport beach porcelain veneers

Remi had eight porcelain veneers placed which hid the fact that she was missing two teeth and multiple dental problems.

Remi, a secretary from Newport Beach, absolutely hated her smile, and for good reason.  She was missing her upper left lateral incisor and thought that when she had braces as a youngster that her dental problems would be solved.  The orthodontist had a bicuspid extracted on the opposite side to balance out her teeth, and then closed up the spaces.  She thought that was the best that could be done for her, so disappointed she lived with her ugly teeth for twenty more years until her sister suggested that cosmetic dentistry might solve her problem using porcelain veneers.

When Remi came to us she had much to say about why she hated her teeth:

  • her front four teeth seemed to big, long and pushed out (“buck teeth”)
  • her teeth were discolored, with both dark and white blotches
  • because she was missing one of her front six teeth her smile didn’t look “normal”
  • her side teeth were very short compared to her front teeth and leaned inwards

Dr. Huefner asked her what she really wanted most.  Remi answered, “I just want to have normal looking teeth, especially the front ones.  I’d like them a little whiter too.  There is nothing about my teeth that looks like it should.”

Upon examining Remi’s teeth Dr. Huefner agreed with her.  “Remi, you have good, solid teeth without any fillings or cavities,” said Dr. Huefner.  “Unfortunately, you have a bunch of problems that when all working together have given you a relatively unattractive smile.”

At first Remi was disappointed, thinking that there wasn’t anything that he could do for her.  But Dr. Huefner brought her great news when he told her that he could give her a beautiful smile with porcelain veneers and some minor gum reshaping with the dental gum laser.

discolored, disproportionate teeth before porcelain veneers

Remi hated her smile. She was missing one of her incisors and one of her bicuspids. She thought her front teeth were too big and bucky, and her side teeth were too small and disproportionate. Her teeth were very discolored, having dark and white spots. All and all, she had an unattractive smile and wanted cosmetic dentistry to give her a nice looking smile.

Dr. Huefner outlined a treatment that would address all of the problems that Remi had complained about:
“First, we’ll bleach your lower teeth with our teeth whitening procedure.  That will enable us to use whiter porcelain veneers on your upper teeth. Second, we’ll do some minor gum reshaping of your gummy smile with the dental gum laser.  Your side teeth really aren’t short, but they do have some excessive gum tissue around them making them appear short.  By simply removing that excess gum tissue the side teeth will look more normal in shape. Then comes the part that will be life changing for you.  I can make porcelain veneers for your upper eight teeth.  This is where it gets a bit tricky.  We’ll make the porcelain veneers on the side teeth a little thicker, so that those smaller teeth will appear larger and more normal relative to your front teeth.  We’ll also make your longer two front teeth a little shorter with the porcelain veneers we place on them.  But the part that will make the most difference is something I learned at my advanced cosmetic dentistry training at LVI (the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies).  Since your upper left lateral incisors is missing and the cuspid has moved forward next to your central incisor, we will make the cuspid look like a lateral incisor.  This is called “lateralizing the cuspid”.  Then since the third tooth back is a bicuspid and that is in the place of where the cuspid is supposed to be we will make the bicuspid look like a cuspid.  Similarly, this is called “cuspidizing a bicuspid”.  The porcelain veneers we’ll make for you will do what most magicians do, creating allusions, that the missing teeth aren’t missing at all!”

Remi accepted Dr. Huefner’s recommendations, doing the teeth whitening, laser gum reshaping and porcelain veneers. Her entire treatment was completed in less than a month’s time.  She got the beautiful smile, the one she had always dreamed of having.  The color of her new teeth was much whiter, but still extremely natural looking. The front two incisors didn’t look “bucky” any more.  And best of all, this happy lady from Newport Beach got her natural looking front six teeth and there is no hint that she is missing any front teeth!

Dr. Norman Huefner, Orange County Cosmetic Dentistry and Porcelain Veneers. Serving the surrounding cities of Laguna Niguel, Irvine, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita
Filed Under: Gummy Smile, instant orthodontics, Missing Teeth, Porcelain Veneers Tagged With: , , , ,
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