Dental Issues

Looking at this before and after photo set, one might be tempted to classify this as solely cosmetic dentistry. And the teeth do look a heckuva lot better, right? Longer, whiter, missing tooth replaced!

But the back side view reveals severe wear and decay, as seen below. This is not just a touch up job, and in fact the patient was given the option of dentures at multiple offices he sought for opinions.

We are thankful he ended up here and that we found a way to make this happen for him! By phasing over time and dealing with the most pressing needs first, we not only saved these teeth but created a beautiful smile that he says has given him renewed confidence to speak and laugh in public.

Your dental needs may be more or (hopefully) less than this, but whatever they are we can give you customized options and find a way to make your restoration a reality.

Call us at (360) 459-1600.

Above: Before picture showing heavy stain buildup on rough surfaces and a chipped tooth.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below: After picture showing teeth smoothed with microabrasion and the edges recontoured ("odontoplasty"). This took 10 minutes with no numbing!

If you've ever checked out my Facebook page, you know I've taken lots of great odontoplasty photos! This is something I do for people all the time at no cost, especially if I'm already set up to do something else.

Recontouring teeth can make such a huge impact, no numbing is needed, and it takes about 10-15 minutes tops! The biggest complaint I get is a little water on the face (don't you hate when it runs into your ears?) and "why didn't I get this done sooner?!"

In the Before and After above, I also removed all of that stain and then some with a little microabrasion. The patchy white tones in these teeth are caused by "fluorosis", which stems from too much fluoride in drinking water when these teeth were devoloping (usually seen in well water or when added by drops, not in the quantities seen in municipal water supplies). This caused a little mottling in addition to the color variation, which made the surfaces rough and attract an inordinate amount of stain. Microabrasion not only easily removed the stain and smoothed the surface, the patchy tones evened out a little as well.

Any patient of mine with any recontouring needs or desires, just ask and I will do what I can for you too!

Notches that form on your teeth at the gumline are known as abfractions. This specific type of cavity is caused not just by decay (in fact there is often not decay present!), but by brushing your teeth too hard and teeth grinding or "bruxism". It's thought that grinding and/or clenching of the jaws contributes by causing a slight flexure at this fulcrum point of the tooth.

While this tooth seen here was easily treated with a simple filling, in some cases significant gum recession can also be part of the problem. Gum-replacement grafts might be needed to cover up sensitive exposed root surfaces if recession has progressed far enough. Good news is that one easy visit is sufficient for most abfractions!