Armchair diagnosis and cosmetic dentistry treatment plan.
- History: From a standpoint of cosmetic concerns this person seems to have some upper front teeth that have worn or else have broken. Additionally, the overall alignment of this person's teeth is somewhat irregular.
- Cosmetic dentistry treatment plan:
There is no question that this person could benefit from orthodontic treatment (braces). An ideal cosmetic dentistry treatment plan would include improving the alignment of his teeth first (using braces) and then utilizing a combination of dental crowns and veneers to idealize the shape of various individual teeth.
This is not the treatment approach we've chosen to illustrate in our "after" picture. Instead we have elected to simulate those types of cosmetic changes that might be made without the use of orthodontic treatment.
The apparent alignment of the center two upper teeth could be altered by the placement of
dental crowns (or possibly
porcelain veneers).
The gap between these teeth (termed a "diastema") could be narrowed more than we have illustrated by way of making the dental crowns even wider than we have shown. The dentist performing the treatment and this patient would together have to determine how wide the dental crowns could be without having them look too oversized. (The dentist would also be concerned that oversized crowns can make dental plaque removal difficult, thus setting up the potential for tooth decay or gum disease complications.)
Our "after" picture also illustrates a change in the length and shape of the two upper teeth that lie to either side of the center ones we've just discussed. Making these two teeth just a little bit longer than we have illustrated would probably provide a more pleasing cosmetic result. We have instead left them just a little short, implying that their exact length would be determined by aspects related to this person's bite (which in this case doesn't seem to be perfectly ideal).
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