A patient came into my clinic seeking a single crown for an upper back toothafter a root canal treatment with our endodontist. Upon examination, he pointed out that while he wanted the back tooth addressed, he was also considering a more comprehensive restoration for his upper front teeth, which he felt were not aesthetically pleasing due to their yellowish colour. But the patient was very apprehensive and wanted to trial just one single tooth and if he was happy with the experience we would proceed with the rest , so if you check the before picture , there is a single white crown at the back, obviously patient was very happy with his new crown and the experience that he embarked on the full smile makeover journey which took 8 months to complete.
Treatment:
Before proceeding with the crown, we first assessed the restorability of his teeth. It turned out that some teeth required root canal treatment to be viable for restoration.We placed implants to replace the missing teeth which were bridges previously but could not be remade so as the teeth now were RCT treated and not suitable for a 4 unit bridge. Once the implants and root canals were left in place for 3 months ,, we embarked on a full smile makeover using various options from a prosthodontist's toolkit. Our approach included:
Whitening the lower teeth to ensure a harmonious color match across the smile.
Relacing a veneer
Replacing a crown
Adjusting a cement-retained implant crown with a veneer on top
Restoring a tooth with a single crown
Restoring the missing teeth with an implant crown and a cantilever bridge to ensure functional integrity and aesthetic continuity.
Challenge:
One of the main difficulties in this comprehensive dental restoration case was the meticulous planning required due to the variety of conditions and treatments involved. Each type of restoration—whether a veneer, crown, or implant—demanded a specific form of tooth preparation, tailored to the unique needs of each tooth. Additionally, navigating through the diverse treatments within the same dental plan required careful consideration to ensure the final result would be both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Outcome:
The detailed planning and precision in execution paid off, allowing us to successfully navigate the uncertainties and complexities of the case. The final restorations fit seamlessly, functioned excellently, and met all aesthetic expectations, greatly satisfying the patient. This case exemplified how thorough preparation and skilful execution can overcome challenges in dental restoration, even in cases involving multiple types of procedures. . The significant transformation was turning his smile from yellow and uneven to brilliantly white and uniformly aligned. The patient was extremely satisfied with the results, expressing joy and newfound confidence in his smile. He appreciated the seamless process and the dramatic improvement in both the function and appearance of his teeth.