RESTORING ONE DARK FRONT TOOTH

What do we do about that ONE front tooth? 

When preparing to design a smile we usually address your chief concern while simultaneously educating you on how to achieve natural harmony and flow when it comes to a brand new smile.  We do not want yours to look like a set of piano keys nor do we want to confuse your teeth with chiclets.  So as not to experience any of these tragedies, we aim to mimic nature as closely as possible when choosing the size, shape, position, shade, and overall scheme of your smile.  We abide by a set of rules known as the "Golden Proportions".  These serve as a guide to satisfy the natural proportions of your teeth as they relate to themselves and to those around them.  When respected and followed, the result is a smile you would be proud to call your own.

Let us focus this conversation on fixing that ONE front tooth....the one that got away from our control!  The human eye is attracted to symmetry.  Balance is key when trying to achieve harmony. A lay person looking at your smile does not see the nuances of your teeth; instead, he or she notices a certain amount of asymmetry before catching a glimpse of other more common defects or variations off normal.  In so doing, the eye goes directly to the midline of the face and smile.  When significantly off proportion, shade, position, or form, the eye notices this FIRST.

I am faced, many times, with the challenge of restoring, or fixing, just ONE of the upper front teeth.  Minor chipping, length discrepancies,  or other insignificant variations are easily restorable while maintaining ease on the eye. However, when asked to reverse significant damage or defects, it is then that I seriously consider the enhancement of the second front tooth as well. One of the most challenging teeth in the mouth to "match" is the ONE upper front tooth.  Do not misunderstand me.  I am not suggesting it can not be accomplished.  It can, but at times not to perfection.  When in question, you should consider restoring the two front teeth together so as to create natural harmony in color, shape, size, form, and translucency of light coming through the tooth's body.

In the case shown here ( the photograph attached to this entry ), the patient arrived with the front tooth under trauma.  As a result, a darkening of the shade occurred. We can certainly arrange for a custom shade ( together with our ceramist ) to be taken, and the porcelain laid over the future crown or veneer in layers specific to the color increments we choose to use, but the ideal would be to choose restoration of BOTH front teeth so as to optimize the final result when it comes to symmetry in all dimensions and esthetic factors.

Together, a highly skilled cosmetic dentist and team ceramist will create magic.  The key is to carefully evaluate the case before anything is treated.  Meticulous planning and thought goes a long way when designing that natural look!  After all, what we want for you is a "Smile You'd Be Proud To Wear....ANYWHERE!".