Boulder Dental Center

The Boulder dental center at Adler Cosmetic and Family Dentistry sees patients with many different dental issues. In one recent case Robert, who has just moved to Boulder to start attending the University of Colorado, broke part of his front tooth.

Robert's before teeth by boulder colorado cosmetic dentist Michael Adler

Robert’s broken smile

Robert had previously had had a restoration placed on both of this upper front teeth. A piece of the restoration on one of these teeth is what had broken off. Not wanting to start college with a broken front tooth, Robert came to see Dr. Michael Adler. After examining Robert, Dr. Adler recommended that Robert replace his existing restorations with all porcelain veneers.

Since both of Robert’s upper front teeth (teeth #8 & 9) had restorations on them, Dr. Adler recommended placing veneers on both of them. It is very difficult to restore a single front tooth and have the restoration blend in with the other teeth and look natural and balanced. Usually it is recommended that an even number of teeth (usually 2, 4, or 8 ) be restored, especially on a cosmetic case, to maintain symmetry in the smile and keep it looking natural.

Often times, adjacent teeth are injured in an accident but may not appear to be damaged at first. Luckily for Robert, his break was fairly superficial and Dr. Adler was not concerned about the adjacent teeth likewise being injured.

Teeth #8 and 9 were prepped for the veneers. Veneers are a thin shell of porcelain that are chemically bonded over the front of a tooth so very little tooth structure needs to be removed in the preparation. The chemical bonding insures that they are strong and secure. Once the teeth have been prepped for the veneers, then impressions are taken of the teeth to be sent to the lab for custom fabrication and shade match. Temporaries, that look almost as good as the real thing, are then placed on the teeth.

Robert then came in for Zoom Teeth Whitening. Since restorations do not whiten, it was important that Robert’s other teeth be as light as possible before having his veneers placed. This would give Robert the best smile possible and also allows him to keep his smile whiter over the long term.

Once the veneers were returned from then lab, then Robert’s temporaries were removed and the teeth were disinfected and prepared. A bonding agent was placed on the teeth just prior to the placement of the cement and restorations. This insures that a strong chemical bond is formed that will keep the veneers firmly attached to the teeth and looking great. Robert’s final results look great. His smile looks both natural and balanced. He now has a great looking smile that he can flash all around campus and give him the confidence to start his college career on the right foot.

Robert's after teeth by boulder colorado cosmetic dentist Michael Adler
Robert's new smile by Boulder Colorado cosmetic dentist Michael Adler

Robert’s new smile

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