Re-Building a Vibrant Smile
tooth sensitivity and missing gums
This patient wanted a smile that highlighted beautiful white teeth and not the red tissue of her gums. On top of showing too much of the gum, several of her teeth were broken off, chipped, and angled oddly. Notice the dark spaces between her teeth where the gums are noticeably missing. This condition is known as loss of papilla. The loss of the papilla can be a real health concern because every time you eat food lodges in the area. Graphing the papilla to fill the gap is an incredibly difficult procedure that very few doctors can do successfully.
Bruxism (Grinding of the Teeth)
Some of the chips and breaks in her teeth were caused by years of grinding or bruxism. This condition can lead to headaches, migraines, jaw popping and TMJ pain. The more we grind our teeth, the shorter the teeth become which increases the likelihood of jaw problems. Dr. Muslin specializes in relieving jaw issues by modifying your bite or occlusion through just physical changes to the teeth. He uses a complex tomography machine to study the jaw joint at the various stages such as at rest, wide open, and under biting pressure. Once he understands how your jaw is performing relative to the position of your teeth he can balance your bite and relieve pressure points that cause tooth fracture.
Sensitive Teeth
In addition to her bite balance issues this patient also had very sensitive teeth that forced her to avoid foods that were too cold or too hot. Many people suffer from generalized hot and cold sensitivity but there is nothing wrong with their teeth from a health standpoint. Even though health is not an issue, from a lifestyle standpoint, the temperature sensitivity can be a real burden. Dr. Muslin has treated generalized temperature sensitivity with great success by using a thin layer of porcelain as a protective layer. When he puts the porcelain into place he uses an exclusive bonding agent which also minimizes tooth sensitivity.
Reshaping the Gums
In order to decrease the visibility of her gums in some places and get the gum to grow back in other places, Dr. Muslin treated, lifted, and reshaped them to accept the new porcelain shape. Some of her teeth received porcelain crowns and others received porcelain veneers all of which were sized. As you can see healthy gums grew back between the porcelain in the proper shape. All of the dark spaces that were present because of the missing gums were eliminated. This is because Dr. Muslin perfectly coordinated the shape of the gum during treatment with the shape of the porcelain that was being made.
Natural Looking Teeth
To make her teeth look as natural as possible the length, shape, and color was designed specifically for her. Many dentists do not take the time or have the artistic ability to make all of these critical design decisions specifically for each individual patient. Dr. Muslin has the eye of an artist so he works on every design himself with his lab ceramist.
Considering all of the challenges related to her gums the final result was a remarkable success. Her smile was transformed but it is still natural and believable.