Hello, I’m Dr. William Stewart of William J. Stewart Jr. DDS Advanced Family & Cosmetic Dentistry. Thanks for visiting my blog. In today’s post, we will focus on something that happens occasionally when a patient requests cosmetic dentistry.
Let me set the stage. The patient comes in for a consultation about a smile makeover. We’ll call him Mr. Jones. The dentist listens carefully as he explains the esthetic problems that he wants to remedy. Mr. Jones wants to fix two chipped teeth, replace a missing tooth with a dental implant, and whiten his whole smile. He describes what he envisions for his smile after undergoing treatment.
The dentist performs an examination of his entire mouth and takes x-rays, discovering some additional problems in the process. He has moderate to severe tooth decay throughout his mouth. Mr. Joes also suffers from gum disease and severe jawbone recession.
The dentist explains that these troubles need to be addressed before the smile makeover. Mr. Jones says that the smile makeover is his first priority and plans to deal with the other problems sometime in the future.
How does the dentist advise him? He will probably explain that the lasting success of a cosmetic dental procedure such as porcelain veneers, dental bonding, or tooth whitening is influenced by the condition of the mouth at the time of treatment. There must be a solid, healthy foundation, so to speak, on which to build the smile makeover.
First things first. It makes no sense to attach a veneer to a decayed tooth that may need a root canal. A dental implant may not integrate with the surrounding bone structure if placed at a site where there is bone recession. Tooth whitening will probably not produce favorable results where there is gum disease and exposed tooth roots.
Can Mr. Jones ever have his dream smile? Yes! There are treatments to repair all of the problems mentioned previously. But just like many other things in life, the order of operations is critical.
If you are interested in a smile makeover or simply need a check-up, schedule an appointment by calling 210-493-3040. I look forward to discussing both your oral health and esthetic concerns.
Contact William J. Stewart Jr. DDS Advanced Family & Cosmetic Dentistry:
210-493-3040
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
13220 Huebner Rd
San Antonio, Texas
78230
