Problem:
Many teeth had large areas of decay. Some were decayed to the nerve and others would get there if left for much longer. As you can see, many front teeth were affected and this left the patient very embarrassed with how she looked.
Treatment:
Three front teeth needed extracting (removal) while the remaining teeth could be saved with large white fillings (much to the patients surprise as she had previously been told all her teeth needed to be removed). The missing teeth were then replaced with a denture which stays in place via metal clasps that fit onto back teeth so they are out of sight. The colour of the large white fillings and the denture teeth were carefully decided upon before starting. Both myself and the patient agreed on what colour to choose.
How long it took:
The fillings were completed over two visits and the denture type chosen was an immediate denture. This means the patient can keep her front teeth during the denture making process right up to the day of getting the final denture (where the teeth are extracted and denture inserted in one go). This suited the patient well as she did not want to go without her front teeth for the 3 appointments before the denture was finally inserted. The extractions themselves were quick as each tooth came out in less than 2 minutes.
Patient feedback:
The patient is excited to have good looking front teeth again and feels confident attending both job interviews and her children’s sporting events without feeling embarrassed.
This work was completed at the Henderson branch of Smile Dental.