There are many aesthetic challenges that we face in dentistry. A common occurrence that we see in dental offices are front teeth discoloration. We will go over what causes these stains and discolorations of teeth. For now, we wanted to share a case for how we dealt with discoloration and cavity formation. This case involved the front six teeth (maxillary anterior dentition). Patient was concerned about “white spots” and “staining in her front teeth” Patient reports that she started having these lesions during her pregnancy. The discoloration is due to multiple factors including demineralization and decay. We went over oral hygiene instructions to help the patient lower risk of caries exposure in the future.
To treat this case, we decided to be as conservative as possible. There were two restorative options for this case: Composite restorations or veneers. Composite resin restorations have come a long way in dentistry. Following proper bonding protocols, composites can last for a long time, especially if maintained properly. Veneers, on the other hand, can lead to a beautiful aesthetic outcome because we can customize the shade. Furthermore, porcelain has a wonderful finish that leads to optimize aesthetic outcomes. Because of the porcelain work and conservative preparations, veneers can become costly, relative to composites. Composites on the other hand are more cost-effective and are mostly done chairside.
The patient opted for composites restorations for this case. Our main priority was to be as conservative as possible removing little tooth structure. We placed a rubber dam for proper dry field and proper vision of caries and demineralization. After placing the rubber dam, we removed any decay and weak demineralized enamel. After assessing how little tooth structure was removed, we were happy that there was much healthy enamel that would allow for superior bond strength our composite. We decided to use Omnichroma Universal Shade Composite. What makes this composite different is how it picks up the surrounding tooth structure shade well. After polishing and excess composite removal, we had great results. This case took quite some time, but the reward was great.
Please follow our instagram and facebook pages for our smile gallery:
https://www.instagram.com/smilesbypaulanto/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/smilesbypaulanto/
ler
