The before photos of this patient illustrate that over the years her teeth had suffered moderate damage due to grinding and clenching. Her teeth were shortened due to wear, and had become somewhat dark in color as a result of internal stains from the foods and beverages she consumed. Our goal was to return her teeth to a natural length and color and to do so while keeping her TMJ’s ( right and left jaw joints ) comfortable. Since the wear to her teeth affected both the front teeth and the back teeth we were faced with a process of opening her bite to make room for the addition of height and length to the teeth after the repair. In this case, we confirmed that her jaw joints would tolerate the new bite position by using our electromyograph. The electromyograph helps us determine if the new teeth will be comfortable and beneficial to the jaw joints and muscles. She wore a temporary orthotic ( bite guard) that mimicked her proposed new bite to be sure the jaw joints would indeed be comfortable prior to making any permanent changes to her teeth.
After confirming that the new bite position was comfortable our team made veneers to add length to the front teeth and crowns to raise the height of the molars. We have included a close-up photo of the completed front teeth to show the quality and artistry of our cosmetic dental lab. The final result was quite beautiful and life-like. This beautiful woman has such a positive approach to life and smiles constantly. We were so happy to help her get back her beautiful and youthful smile.
